Re: Charting API?

FROM : David Adalsteinsson
DATE : Sun Mar 02 03:53:29 2008

On Mar 1, 2008, at 6:14 PM, Chris Ryland wrote:

> On Mar 1, 2008, at 2:35 AM, Robert Douglas wrote:
>

>> When I looked into this last fall I decided I liked the look of 
>> DataGraph and bought a license, but then I ran into  trouble 
>> incorporating it into a garbage-collected app and started writing 
>> my own.  Mind you, that could have been me and my Fortran IV - 
>> imprinted brain, but now I too am reevaluating the situation.  GC 
>> is no longer relevant as I'm using core video buffers, but now I'm 
>> worried about the long-term viability of all the libraries 
>> mentioned (DataGraph, SM2DGraphView, Vvidget,  Google Chart, 
>> Narrative etc.).  I'm inclined to go with SM2DGraphView as the 
>> source code is available and understandable.
>> -Rob


As the developer of DataGraph, I am definitely planning on continuing 
to support the framework for a long time.  I try to be very responsive 
regarding any problems with the framework, and I have a bulletin board -
http://www.visualdatatools.com/phpBB2/ where issues can be brought to 
my attention.  I'm curious to know if what could be wrong with GC and 
the DataGraph framework.

DataGraph grew out of DataTank. I have worked on DataTank for a long 
time, so should have built up some trust regarding staying power. I 
keep up with current versions/updates to the system.  Sometimes this 
is surprisingly messy, for example because of changes in NSTableView 
and NSTokenField in 10.5.  I don't yet have a 64 bit version as part 
of the release, but I've gone through the code and it is 64 bit 
clean.  I can do a 64 bit version (quad binary) if there is interest.

>> I strongly urge everyone who's interested to file an Apple bug 
>> report asking that they make their framework public, as it 
>> (apparently) produces some of the most beautiful graphs around. 
>> Beauty is *almost* the most important point here...


My graph style tends to be "Tufte" like, with emphasis on publication 
quality graphs, but allow gradients, etc if you want to do flash.  The 
framework is paired with the application, and one way to think of it 
is that the application works as a "interface builder" and a way to 
test your work during debugging.  I don't know exactly what the 
GraphKit API looks like, or which Apple applications actually use it. 
The graphs don't quite look consistent between KeyNote, Shark, XRay 
and Activity monitor.

David

>
> Cheers!
> --Chris Ryland / Em Software, Inc. / www.emsoftware.com
>
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