How do we get needed XML styles to work with CFChart

[MikerRoo]

The Webcharts 3D designer (shipped with Coldfusion) has exactly the kind of
chart we need (Statistical histogram). Great! :D See the XML, below.
However, when we try to use this XML style, we get 'The chart type specified in
the style is not a supported ColdFusion chart type'. :brokenheart; How do we
get this style to work with Coldfusion MX 7? Thanks, -- MikeR XML:
-----------------------------------------------------

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<statistical gridStyle="Unit">
<xAxis type="Category">
<labelFormat pattern="#,##0.0"/>
<parseFormat pattern="#,##0.0"/>
</xAxis>

<legend isVisible="false" showColumnLegend="false"/>
<table isTransposed="true" cellSpacing="4" cellPadding="0"/>
<decoration style="ThinRound"/>
<paint palette="Pastel" paint="Plain"/>
</statistical>

[PaulH]

i imagine you could use the graphing engine's java API to do what you wanted
but since you don't have a license (except for what mx provides) you'd end up
with (at a minimum) graphs stamped w/somebody's "evaluation version" or (at
worst) a visit from the "leg-breakers" ;-)

it's a shame really, we'd also like some radar/speedometer (dial) charts to
play with but the ease of use of cfhart is pretty outstanding compared to other
products.

[MikerRoo]

I tried the Java API and might even buy a separate license for WebCharts3D (the
..net edition). However, this will not work in this case because the server is
running standard edition and, it seems, CFImport is crippled (A huge mistake on
Macromedia's part, if true). I hope this is not Macromedia's official answer
about WebChart3D style support. This would have been partial redemption for
the many problems CFChart still seems to possess. CHCharts, out of the box,
has not met any of our business needs. After much effort (things like writing
our own scaler!) it barely meets some of our needs (although the boss doesn't
like some aspects of the pie chart appearance {separate bug}). Here are some
of the problems we have had or are still facing: o-- Security warnings and
poor operation with SSL protected pages. o-- Will not display very many
graphs, on the same page, before 'expired image' warnings replace graphs.
o-- Printing, said pages, is even worse. o-- Does not generate valid code
for an XHTML doc type. o-- Cache manager leaves files in the cache, even if
it says they are expired. Requires a separate job to free disk space.
o-- Does not support engineering, or scientific data, or logarithmic data well
(if at all). o-- Multiple problems with scaling. o-- Multiple problems
with number formatting. o-- Does not support many of the styles proffered
by the licensed tool, WebChart3D. So, if you define 'Use' as 'Make it work for
a desired outcome', CFCharts has not been easy to use for any of our,
real-world needs. (And this is BASIC stuff, we're not trying to do fancy
things like log-log, error bars, true 3D, waterfalls, strip-charts, etc.)
Macromedia should support all of the functionality, of WebChart3D, and partner
with a firm to sell a Coldfusion tag that works better. Meanwhile, does anyone
have a good graphing solution to recommend? Regards, -- MikeR

[PaulH]

why do you need cfimport? createObject worked for me & should work fine in
standard edition. if you haven't already, before you sink any money in another
license i suggest you make sure that your issues are w/cf by building what you
need from the designer.

sorry, i define "use" as "i use it and it works for me". there are plenty of
free/low cost java-based graphing engines but none that's as easy to use w/cf
as cfchart--at least none that i've found. for instance, we've used kava charts
for some of our environmental graphing needs since cf4 (or maybe it was cf3,
it's been a while).

as far as this being an "official" mm response, please read
[url]http://www.macromedia.com/support/forums/team_macromedia/team_members/faq.html[/url].

[MikerRoo]

I used cfimport because this is what the vendor provided -- and it worked on
CF6 developer edition. I was not too versed in the use of CreateObject as we
have not needed it yet. Anyway, this spotty XML-style support now appears to
be a design compromise (with a Capitol C). We're evaluating workarounds. --
MikeR

[PaulH]

well here's a simple example w/createObject.

you'd have to ask mm directly about their choices for supported chart styles
but i don't think "spotty" is fair. cf covers most of the available chart
styles and allows you to manipulate quite a bit of the styles it does support.
but it doesn't do everything everybody wants.

<cfscript>
s=createObject("java","com.gp.api.jsp.MxServerProp erties").newInstance();
svr=createObject("java","com.gp.api.jsp.MxServerCo mponent").init(s);
chart=svr.newImageSpec();
chart.width = 400;
chart.height= 300;
chart.type = "swf";
chart.style = "<radarChart fill='false' />";
chart.model = "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><XML
type='default'><COL>2000</COL><COL>2001</COL><COL>2002</COL><COL>2003</COL><COL>
2004</COL><ROW col0='100.0' col1='200.0' col2='100.0' col3='180.0'
col4='200.0'>Sample 0:</ROW><ROW col0='150.0' col1='300.0' col2='250.0'
col3='230.0' col4='250.0'>Sample 1:</ROW><ROW col0='200.0' col1='400.0'
col2='400.0' col3='280.0' col4='300.0'>Sample 2:</ROW></XML>";
svr.saveBytesTo(chart, "e:\\temp\\test.swf");
</cfscript>

[mynewnameforthisforum]

MikeRoo,

I have similar situation, I can get the chart I want from WebChart 3d, but not in CFChart.

How did you resolve this?

carol

[MikerRoo]

Carol, It hasn't been completely resolved. However, we are evaluating
workarounds.... First, the script, posted above, by Paul H works. Note
that to be legal, and to clear the embedded license warning, a separate
Webcharts license must be purchased. Having tested this, it now appears that
some of CFChart's number-formatting, and scaling, problems are inherent in the
WebCharts3D engine. In our case, we are evaluating three approaches at the
moment: 1) Roll our own statistical plot using cfcharts and the format &amp;
scale fixes we already had developed. 2) License Webcharts3D java and utilize
it via object calls -- similar to the script above. 3) Utilize OpenViz --
which our .net boys have used with outstanding results. This requires us to
write, and tie in, either an external app or a CFX tag. -- MikeR