Google Chart API
 |
| Original author(s) | |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 2007 |
| Stable release | February 2010
|
| Available in | JavaScript |
| Website | code |
The Google Chart API is a tool that lets people easily create a chart from some data and embed it in a web page. Google creates a PNG image of a chart from data and formatting parameters in an HTTP request. Many types of charts are supported, and by making the request into an image tag, people can simply include the chart in a web page.
Originally it was an internal tool to support rapid embedding of charts within Google's own applications (like Google Finance for example). Google figured it would be a useful tool to open up to web developers. It officially launched on December 6, 2007.
Currently, line, bar, pie, and radar charts, as well as Venn diagrams, scatter plots, sparklines, maps, google-o-meters, and QR codes are supported.
This API was deprecated in 2012[1] and will be available until April 2015. After that period, it is not clear if Google will keep this API open. Alternative is Google Charts.[2]
Example
The following URL creates the pie chart below:
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?
chs=200x200
&chdlp=b
&chtt=Uberman
&chdl=Asleep|Awake
&chd=t:1,11,1,11,1,11,1,11,1,11,1,11
&cht=p
&chco=586F8E,7D858F,586F8E,7D858F,586F8E,7D858F,586F8E,7D858F,586F8E,7D858F,586F8E,7D858F
External Libraries
Instead of creating the URL request manually, there are many open source libraries available for most programming languages.
| Platform | Name | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Java | Google Chart API wrapper [3] | https://code.google.com/p/googlechartwrapper/ |
| Java | charts4j [4] | https://code.google.com/p/charts4j/ |
| C#/.NET | ngchart | https://code.google.com/p/ngchart/ |
| Ruby | gchart | http://rubyforge.org/projects/gchart |
| Python | google-chartwrapper | https://code.google.com/p/google-chartwrapper/ |
| PHP | gchartphp | https://github.com/pacbard/gChartPhp |