FusionCharts for Flex

FusionCharts for Flex lets you create interactive charts and gauges in your Flex solutions. It is a perfect addition to your Flex toolkit when building dashboards, reports, analytics or data visualization widgets. Easy to get started, it works with Flex Builder 2, 3 and 4 and Flex SDK.

FusionCharts for Flex offers a wide variety of chart types ranging from the basic charts like line, area, column etc. to advanced ones like combination, scroll, radar etc. It has an easy to learn API that lets you create charts and maps with very few lines of code, as well as do advanced things like export them as images/PDFs and extract data as CSV/XML.

Key advantages

• All the charts and maps are animated: The charts and maps rendered by FusionCharts and FusionMaps are animated and pleasant to view. The default animation can be further customized via the API to suit your needs.

• Lots of chart, gauges and maps on offer: Apart from the standard chart types, FusionCharts for Flex features some exciting chart types like scroll charts, true 3D charts, Gantt charts, funnel and pyramid charts, bubble and scatter charts. FusionMaps for Flex offers 314 maps, including all continents, major countries and all US states.

• Numerous interactivity options: All the charts and maps support tooltips and drill-downs. Many charts in FusionCharts Suite offer unique interactivity options like the slicing/rotation in pie and doughnut charts, 3D capabilities in True 3D charts, 2D to 3D view change in Funnel, Pyramid and Pie charts etc.

• Easy to get started: Getting started is as easy as dragging and dropping FusionCharts and FusionMaps component from the toolbar into your project. When you build your project, it kicks FusionCharts/FusionMaps for Flex into action and shows the default chart. After your wow moment, just use the visual configuration options to change the chart type, configure size, select data method or configure this default chart.

• Supports multiple data sources: FusionCharts for Flex provides multiple data connection APIs that can connect to data stored in Flex structures like Array, XMLList, Model etc. If you wish to connect to other data sources like Blaze DS and webservices, these simple APIs can be used for the same as well. FusionMaps for Flex connects only to XML data source, which is simple and efficient to build. Our extensive documentation and code examples can be used as starting point to learn these.

• Allows extensive customization: Lots of configuration options for each chart and map help you configure both the functional and cosmetic aspects of each chart to your satisfaction.

• Supports drill-down: All the charts and maps support drill-down. Click actions can be set for individual data items that can be tracked as Flex events and acted upon.

• Maps support custom markers: All the maps supports custom markers to pinpoint locations like cities, malls, junctions, office locations etc. These markers can be defined using the visual GUI.

• Works seamlessly with Flex charting: While the default charting provided with Flex is good for basic needs, they fall short when you need high level of customization in each chart, advanced interactivity or more chart types. FusionCharts and FusionMaps for Flex have you covered in those cases.

• Supports on-demand loading of charts and maps: You can load charts as and when you need, instead of packing everything in your main SWF, thereby increasing the file size. The charts are present as external SWF files that allow them to be loaded on-demand.

• Works with Flex Builder 2, 3, 4 or above: Both FusionCharts and FusionMaps for Flex work with various versions of Flex Builders and SDK enabling a consistent experience for your end users.

How FusionCharts and FusionMaps for Flex work internally?

FusionCharts and FusionMaps are coded in ActionScript 2 and run in ActionScript Virtual Machine 1 in the Flash Player. However, FusionCharts for Flex, is coded in Flex (ActionScript 3) and runs in ActionScript Virtual Machine 2. FusionCharts for Flex handles the cross AVM communication between the Flex component and chart/map SWF files, without you having to bother about it. Internally, both FusionCharts and FusionMaps take data and configuration in XML format. When you use the FusionCharts for Flex API to build charts from data stored in Flex Arrays, XML List or Model, everything is serialized to XML internally.