Reviewer`s Guide

Transcription

Reviewer`s Guide
Reviewer’s Guide
PopChart 4.0 Interactive
Charting Software
Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
© 2002 Corda Technologies Inc.
Corda and PopChart are trademarks of and the Corda logo
is a registered trademark of Corda Technologies Inc. for use
in the United States and other countries. Other product
names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.
The information contained in this document was examined
carefully and is believed to be accurate as of its date of
publication.
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
Contact References
For publication in your story
For information on PopChart, send your readers to www.corda.com.
NOT for publication; For use by editors only
Press relations contact:
Cheryl Snapp
Meservy Wing Snapp Agency
508 S. Orem Blvd.
Orem, UT 84058
E-mail: csnapp@mwsagency.com
Phone: (801) 434-4440
Fax: (801) 434-4441
Technical support contact:
Mardell Cheney
Vice President of Development
& Chief Technology Officer
Corda Technologies, Inc.
350 South 400 West, Suite 100
Lindon, UT 84042
E-mail: mcheney@corda.com
Phone: (801) 805-9420
Fax: (801) 805-9405
Marketing contact:
Richard Lambert
Director of Marketing
Corda Technologies, Inc.
350 South 400 West, Suite 100
Lindon, UT 84042
E-mail: rlambert@corda.com
Phone: (801) 805-9431
Fax: (801) 805-9405
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
Table of Contents
Part 1: All About PopChart ....................................................................................1
What Does PopChart Do? .................................................................................1
How Does It Work? ...........................................................................................3
The PopChart Platform......................................................................................4
Server Products .............................................................................................4
Desktop Design Tool Products.......................................................................5
What do Users Need to Interact With Charts?...................................................5
What’s New in PopChart 4.0? ...........................................................................5
Reader Info Box ................................................................................................6
Part 2: Building a PopChart ..................................................................................7
Installing PopChart 4.0 ......................................................................................7
Hands-On Exercise of PopChart .......................................................................7
Appearance Files ............................................................................................10
What Kinds of Charts Are Available? ............................................................... 11
Which Image Format? .....................................................................................12
Best Image Fallback........................................................................................13
Getting the Image Into a Web Page ................................................................13
Building a Chart With Dynamic Data ...............................................................14
Part 3: Serving Sight-Impaired Users..................................................................15
Additional Materials.............................................................................................17
PopChart Pricing .............................................................................................18
Differences Among PopChart Server Products ...............................................19
About Corda Technologies Inc.........................................................................20
Press Release .................................................................................................21
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
A Note To Product Reviewers
This brief guide provides information to help you
publish a review of PopChart 4.0. We hope you’ll find
it useful; we’d like your feedback and look forward to
your published review.
Additional resources are available to assist you with
your review. The best place to go is the PopChart
Documentation, which you will find on your Windows
Start menu after installing the PopChart software.
Detailed examples with extensive code samples and
explanations can be found there. Additionally, many
examples are located on Corda’s Web site, at
www.corda.com.
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
Part 1: All About PopChart
Your review of PopChart will likely address two questions: what is it and who
needs it? PopChart is currently in use in hundreds of locations. Corda believes
that PopChart Server is the fastest, most robust, and most versatile data
visualization and charting tool on the market today.
Key Editorial Statement
PopChart helps decision-makers see the
big picture and the close-up view of their
data by presenting up-to-the-second charts
that are one click away from ever-greater
levels of detail.
Here’s a more practical way of looking at PopChart:
• Medical researchers can track incidence rates of different cancers
nationwide and drill down to state, county and city levels. Visit
cas.popchart.com/cancer to see this remarkable application in action.
• Financial analysts can view a historical stock chart and click on a red
notation point to instantly display related news stories for the
corresponding day. Go to cas.popchart.com/reuters
to see this chart; be sure to try different stock symbols to prove that you’re
looking at up-to-the-minute share price and volume data. Analysts can
also retrieve data from another Web site using “screen scraping” to
retrieve HTML tables that are converted to interactive charts. Go to
www.corda.com/examples/go/stock. Once again enter different stock
symbols to see up to the minute stock information.
• A worldwide overnight express-delivery service analyzes tardy package
deliveries by distribution center, and drills down first to branch depot and
then individual truck/driver performance.
• Sales managers can view aggregate sales data for all stores in a region
and then drill down to see which items sell best by location and date.
• Visit www.corda.com/examples/go/sports/jp_baseball.cfm to see
PopChart’s internal support for international languages.
What Does PopChart Do?
PopChart displays realtime charts. But these aren’t static run-of-the-mill images.
These are dynamic, interactive images that you click on to drill down to more
detailed data. What’s really exciting is that PopChart Server generates these
charts and graphs in real time, on the fly, using up-to-the-instant current data.
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Note: We’ll present some examples in this guide, but because PopChart is a
realtime interactive platform, the best way to see them is in actual operation.
We’ll provide you with URLs to some live demos.
The best way to understand PopChart is to see an example. You can find the
interactive Web version of this demo at www.corda.com/examples.
The sales director for
Acme Foods views a
realtime interactive
PopChart-generated pie
chart that shows different
categories contribution to
total sales.
Using the mouse to hover
over different chart
segments causes each
department’s label and
total sales to pop up. A
mouse click on the green
seafood segment drills
down to the next level of
detail.
This second level of detail
shows the items that
constitute the seafood
category and their relative
overall contribution to
sales.
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Again, a mouse hover
highlights individual items
along with their sales
figures. A click on the
lobster bar drills down yet
again to more detail about
that item.
This level of detail shows
lobster sales as a line
graph plotted over time.
Looks like sales peaked
as summer drew to a
close.
You’ve just seen a simple example of PopChart 4.0.
How Does It Work?
You send three items to the PopChart server: data, a PopChart appearance file
(kind of like a template for a graph), and formatting options. In return you get a
PopChart image—a graphical representation of your data. But there’s more: that
chart is fully interactive—complete with pop-up text and the ability to drill down to
another graph that explains a data item in greater detail. And depending on the
data set used, you can keep drilling down to deeper level of details.
Data Sources: Data can come from a variety of sources, including a database
table query, XML, data files formatted text, or previously generated HTML
screens that are “scraped” for appropriate fields, and more.
Output Formats: The image can be in one of many different types of formats,
including FLASH, SVG, PNG, GIF, PDF, EPS, WBMP, and even 508-compliant
text for the visually impaired (more on that later in this guide). You can also
interface natively with PopChart Server in variety of environments, from simple
HTML to Cold Fusion to a Java Application Server. PopChart Server even
supports XML, making it easy to integrate with your existing database system.
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The PopChart Platform
Corda developed PopChart as a family of related products that work together as
a complete system. These component products are divided into two groups,
server products and client desktop design tool products. Here is a quick overview
of the entire family of PopChart 4.0 products.
Key Editorial Statement
PopChart Server is written in 100% Java
and can run on any platform.
Server Products
PopChart Server is Corda’s basic charting and graphing solution that
works with any database and Web application server to deliver GIF/PNG
charts and graphs to any Web browser in a split second.
PopChart Server Pro, the next step up, is a feature-rich charting and
graphing solution that accepts data from any database and delivers the
chart to any browser. Server Pro can auto-detect the browser capability
and delivers the highest-quality image the browser is capable of
displaying. Server Pro contains all the features of PopChart Server with
many additional elements, including Flash and SVG image output.
PopChart Server Enterprise is the premier solution in the server-based
charting and graphing market. PopChart Server Enterprise has all of the
benefits of PopChart Server Pro with many additional features. Enterprise
is capable of delivering huge volumes of interactive, compelling charts and
graphs from any database and Web application server to any browser.
•
A feature comparison chart for the three server products can
be found on page 19.
PopChart Live is a Java applet that displays interactive, client-generated
charts and graphs. The PopChart Live applet takes raw data and applies it
to a PopChart template to generate a graph on the client’s Web browser in
real time. PopChart Live works on all Java enabled browsers and graphs
data from any database.
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Desktop Design Tool Products
PopChart Builder is a graphical design tool with a user-friendly interface
for building appearance files for use by all PopChart Server products.
PopChart Builder’s wizard allows you to start with a pre-built template or
create your own highly-customized chart or graph. You can preview the
Web page appearance in Builder and you can create drill-down, pop-up
and note text objects for testing.
PopChart Express is an easy to use desktop tool that allows you to
create compelling, interactive charts and graphs by simply copying and
pasting data from a spreadsheet. Publish your GIF, Flash or SVG charts
to the Web with descriptive text attached that enables the visually
impaired to understand the data. Drop the same graphs into a PowerPoint
presentation for fully-interactive presentations. Reduce the tedious, timeconsuming hassles in moving spreadsheet graphs to the Web.
What do Users Need to Interact With Charts?
No special application needs to be installed on individual users’ computers.
However, PCs or Macs need to have the appropriate plug-ins to view Flash, SVG,
or PNG content within their Web browsers.
What’s New in PopChart 4.0?
PopChart 4.0 is a complete, from-the-ground-up, reworking of the PopChart
platform. It is hard to believe that with all of the great features such as Flash,
SVG, GIF, PNG, and WBMP image output, descriptive text for 508 compliance,
drilldown, pop-up and rollover and blazing speed that there is still more to add.
Here are the top new features in PopChart 4.0.
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New Feature Highlights
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Server failover, server clustering, load balancing
Security enhancements
PDF, EPS and HTML table output for printed output
International language support, such as Chinese, Japanese
Custom font support
XML and .NET support
HTML-based administrator console eliminates server restarts
Graphical reporting tracks hits per hour and per day
Static annotations can be generated dynamically with the chart.
Wizard template creator with preview simplifies chart design
Creates 508-compliant charts for visually impaired users
Many new graph types
Reader Info Box
If your review will carry a reader info box, here is information that you can use.
Reader Info Box
In brief
PopChart 4.0 is a powerful business tool
that creates graphs and charts in real time,
with live data, and makes those charts
interactive, allowing users to click, drilling
down to successive layers of detail.
Base Price
PopChart Server, $1,595; Server Pro,
$3,995; Server Enterprise, $6,995;
PopChart Live, $995; PopChart Builder,
$395; PopChart Xpress, $295
Note: Server products and Live include
Builder product.
Accessories
Additional server and multi-CPU licensing
available.
Warranty
Server products and Live include varying
levels of first-year renewable maintenance;
Vendor
Corda Technologies Inc.
Lindon, Utah
Web site
www.corda.com
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
Part 2: Building a PopChart
Installing PopChart 4.0
To do your review of the PopChart platform, you’ll want to install two items:
• PopChart Enterprise Server
• PopChart Builder Desktop Design Tool
To keep things simplified, we suggest that you install the server and client on the
same computer.
During the installation process, you will be prompted for two software keys, one
for the Builder product and the other for the Server product.
The Installation will ask if you want to install a Java virtual machine (JVM)
specifically for PopChart, or share one already on your computer. We suggest
you install a new one; this will avoid problems when you uninstall PopChart after
completion of your review.
Hands-On Exercise of PopChart
In this procedure, you’ll create a simple chart using the PopChart Builder, then
you’ll start the server so you can view the live chart in your browser. This
exercise should take about ten minutes.
1. Start PopChart Builder.
The Wizard appears.
Choose Create New
Project From a Template
and click Next.
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
2. Select a template and
click Next.
There are lots to choose
from. Four template
families, exist: Basic,
Everglades, etc.. Twelve
chart types (pie charts, etc.)
are in each family. Each
chart type contains several
individual layouts.
3. In the Data Selection
Window, change any values
you’d like.
In a more complex
application, data will
probably be retrieved using
a database query.
•
You can copy data from most spreadsheet programs or table formats and
paste it directly into the data editor.
•
Usually, when you create an appearance file, the data in this screen is
irrelevant—it’s there only to help you visualize a completed graph. Normally.
the appearance file is used to graph data that is sent to it dynamically.
4. Choose a color theme and make any wanted changes to the border and
background. Click Finish to leave the PopChart Wizard and go to the PopChart
Builder designer. If you were creating a more complex appearance file, you could
continue to customize it in this designer.
5. Save this Appearance File to the default directory as chart1.pcxml.
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Next, you’ll create the code
needed to embed your chart
on a Web page.
6. From the menu, choose
File > Sample Code > Java.
7. Choose an image type
(GIF, Flash, SVG). Select
JavaScript, then click Copy
Code to Clipboard.
Note: Best image fallback
queries the user’s browser
and presents the graph in a
“fallback” format if, say, you
choose Flash and it is not
installed or supported.
8. Open any text editor, such as Notepad, and paste the code from the clipboard.
9. Save the code to any directory as chart1.html. Most of the time you will want to
add dynamic data and/or special effects to your graph.
•
Normally, you would add dynamic data and/or special effects to your graph.
10. Close PopChart Builder and start PopChart Server.
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11. Use your browser to open
the chart1.html file you just
saved. That’s all there is to it!
Note: The “D” at the bottom
right of the chart is a key
feature of PopChart 4.0. Click
on it.
When you click the “D,”
PopChart renders the chart
as descriptive text which
can be read to a sightimpaired user. PopChart 4.0
is 100 percent compliant
with Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1998.
Read the section in this
guide, “Serving SightImpaired Users.”
Appearance Files
Granted, this was a simple example, but it demonstrates that a chart’s
appearance and data are completely separate. This is similar to the way a wordprocessing or page-layout program uses style sheets or templates. In PopChart,
these are called Appearance Files. All charts that reference a particular
appearance file, are updated the very next time they are requested by a user.
Key Editorial Statement
Charts and graphs in PopChart are NEVER
cached. Images are always built, served, and
displayed on request with live, current data.
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
Appearance files can be built from scratch, or you can customize one from a
template using the PopChart Wizard (as in the previous exercise). You can also
create custom templates.
What Kinds of Charts Are Available?
Of course bar, pie, line, and area charts are available. But PopChart 4.0 also
supports many unusual—and remarkably useful charts. Here are four examples.
For the complete set, visit www.corda.com/examples/graph_styles.
Bubble graphs
display sets of
three values. One
is represented by
its location on the
x-axis, one by its
y-axis location,
and the third by its
value, represented
by its relative size.
Bubbles can be
plotted against
time or X values .
Candlestick stock
graphs use boxes
to indicate open
and close prices,
and lines to show
highs and lows. (If
the open price is
higher, the box is
solid. If the close
price is higher, the
box is hollow.)
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
LED Bar Gauges
change color to
indicate whether
the monitored data
is within defined
limits. Colors can
be selected to suit
the application
such as green for
ok, yellow for
caution and red for
alarm.
Bulb Gauges
change color to
indicate whether
the monitored data
is within defined
limits. Colors can
be selected to suit
the application such
as green for ok,
yellow for caution,
and red for alarm.
Which Image Format?
PopChart can create graphics in a wide variety of standard graphics formats. For
best image quality, Corda recommend that serving PopChart images in the
Macromedia Flash or SVG formats.
•
Flash1 and SVG2: These are the preferred formats.
1
Flash is a vector graphic image type developed by Macromedia and is widely used in Web sites. Flash
images are small, load quickly and have interactive capabilities such as drill-down, rollover, and PopUp text.
Flash images print at a high resolution. A Flash viewer is required to view a Flash image. It is estimated that
more than 96% of Internet users already have the proper Flash viewer. For additional information on Flash,
visit www.macromedia.com/software/flash.
2
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is a new image format created and adopted by the W3C (World Wide
Web Consortium) as the standard for vector graphic images. Based on XML, SVG images can be zoomed in
and out without losing any details and have smaller file size than do JPEG, GIF, Flash, or PNG images. SVG
makes possible high-resolution printing, animation, drill down, rollover, and pop up text along with other
special effects. SVG is an open standard. Adobe is promoting SVG and bundles the SVG viewer with
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
•
PDF and EPS: Images in these formats allow no interactivity. Drill-down,
rollover data labels, transparency, and PopUp text are not available.
•
PNG: Interactivity in PNG is supported via image-maps. Some older
browsers may not support drill-down effects, rollover data labels, and
PopUp text. Also, feedback will be slow: it may take up to 2 seconds for
rollover data labels or PopUp text to appear.
•
GIF: This format support only 256 colors, not good if your charts use lots
of gradient coloring. Interactivity is supported via image-maps and has the
same issues as PNG.
•
WBMP: Wireless BitMaP is the standard image format for wireless
devices that use WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). WBMP's are
uncompressed, black and white bitmaps that are intended for use on
devices with small screens and limited bandwidth connections. Color is
not supported and images should be no larger than 96 x 48 pixels.
Best Image Fallback
Great, so with all these image formats, how do you decide what to do if a user’s
browser doesn’t have the appropriate plug-in? With PopChart’s Best Image
Fallback facility, you can instruct the user's browser to decide dynamically what
image format to display. For example, the user will see the PopChart image in
GIF format if they don't have the Flash or SVG plug-in.
Getting the Image Into a Web Page
In the earlier exercise, you generated JavaScript code that you later saved and
opened as a Web page. This was an introduction to the PopChart Embedder, a
utility used to embed PopChart images into Web pages. There are several
versions of this utility, including Java, JavaBeans, JavaScript, COM, and .NET.
You could embed PopChart images on a Web page using straight HTML code,
but writing and maintaining such code can be very tedious and confusing. The
PopChart Embedder generates the code and does all the hard work for you. All
you have to do is create a PopChart Embedder object, set a few attributes, and
then call the getEmbeddingHTML() method. The getEmbeddingHTML() method
then "compiles" your PopChart and returns the code necessary to request an
image of the PopChart from PopChart Server.
Acrobat 5.0. However, many users do not yet have the plug-in and will have to download it before they can
view PopChart Images in the SVG format. Visit www.adobe.com/svg/ for additional information.
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
For detailed examples with code samples refer to the chapter “Embedding
PopChart Images in a Web Page” in the PopChart Server User Guide.
Building a Chart With Dynamic Data
Key Editorial Point
The most important part of a graph is its data.
PopChart Server's most powerful feature is its
ability to import live, dynamic data into a
PopChart image every time that image is
requested by a user. Charts are never cached.
When live data replaces an appearance file’s sample data, PopChart Server has
the power to automatically rescale, resize, and reposition objects as necessary.
PopChart Server accepts many different data formats. For example, developers
can use a Web application to make SQL queries to a database, process the
results, and output the data in a format compatible with PopChart XML or
PopChart Script.
Four strategies are available:
• Sending Data with PopChart XML, a new XML format for interfacing with
PopChart
• Sending Data with PopChart Script, an object oriented scripting language
• Importing Data from Data Files, including tab-delimited, comma-separated,
and XML data files, as well as HTML tables within web pages.
• Importing Data Directly from Databases, fetching data with SQL queries
from OBDC/JBDC driven databases.
To see the embedder in action and follow a real example, consult the chapter
“Embedding PopChart Images In A Web Page” in the PopChart Server User
Guide.
Code Fragments are available if you plan to examine the more advanced aspects
of PopChart 4.0.
• Web App Servers: www.corda.com/devzone/technical/
• Data Sources: www.corda.com/devzone/data_method/
Chart types are available at: www.corda.com/examples/graph_styles/
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
Part 3: Serving Sight-Impaired Users
Corda Technologies recognizes the importance of providing equal access to
information for users who are visually impaired—and the federal government has
made it the law of the land for federal employees.
Key Editorial Statement
Corda is the first and only company providing
multiple charting and graphing solutions that
create accessible, 508-compliant charts and
graphs with descriptive text3.
The descriptive text can be used by a text-to-speech device to audibly describe
the chart or graph. The result: a visually impaired user can understand the
graphical information. The descriptive text feature is present throught the the
PopChart family of charting and graphing solutions.
Section 508: Fast Facts
•
•
•
800,000 visually impaired persons
currently use the Web
6.5 million Americans age 55 or older
have severe vision loss
By 2030 this number will double
Source: Corda
Section 508: Federal Policy
Section 508 requires that Federal agencies
electronic and information technology is
accessible to people with disabilities.
Source: www.section508.gov
3
As of March 31, 2002.
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
Although the Workforce Investment Act of 19984 applies only to federal
organizations, many private organizations are also realizing the need to provide a
method for visually impaired users to access important data.
4
On August 7, 1998, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Public Law
105-220. Title IV of the Act is the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. Subsection 408(b) amended
section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d). Subsection 508(a)(1) requires that when
Federal departments and agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use Electronic and Information
Technology (EIT), they shall ensure that the EIT allows Federal employees with disabilities to have access to
and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data by other
Federal employees. Section 508 also requires that individuals with disabilities, who are members of the
public seeking information or services from a Federal department or agency, have access to and use of
information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public without disabilities. The Rehabilitation
Act became federal law on June 21, 2001. For more information, visit www.section508.gov.
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
Additional Materials
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
PopChart Pricing
•
•
PopChart Server Enterprise is licensed per server and CPU.
PopChart Builder is licensed per developer.
Features of PopChart 4.0 Server Products
PopChart Server 4.0 Foundation
Includes PopChart Server and PopChart Builder
1 year Maintenance
PopChart Server Pro 4.0 Foundation
Includes PopChart Server Pro and PopChart Builder
1 year Maintenance
PopChart Server Enterprise 4.0 Foundation
Includes PopChart Server Enterprise and PopChart Builder
1 year Maintenance
PopChart Live 3.8 Foundation
Includes PopChart Live and PopChart Live Builder
1 year Support
Price.
$1,595
2 CPU
$3,995
2 CPU
$6,995
4 CPU
$995
$395
PopChart Builder 4.0
PopChart Xpress 3.5
Includes one year free support
(30 days via telephone and email, following 11 months via email)
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$295
Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
Differences Among PopChart Server Products
There are three different editions of Corda’s PopChart Server. These are
PopChart Server, PopChart Server Pro, and PopChart Server Enterprise. The
following table identifies the features offered in each edition.
Features of PopChart 4.0 Server Products
Std. Pro Ent.
Administration Console (HTML based)
●
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●
PopChart XML Appearance Files
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XML data file support
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Graphical Logging
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Double-Byte character support
●
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Drill-down Effects, PopUp Text, and Rollover Data
Labels
●
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Additional font support (includes font converter) international
●
●
●
Accessible descriptive text for the visually impaired
(508 compliant)
●
●
●
COM PopChart Embedder (ASP, Cold Fusion)
●
●
●
.NET PopChart Embedder
●
●
●
JavaScript PopChart Embedder (HTML)
●
●
●
Java PopChart Embedder (JSP, Servlets)
●
●
JavaBean PopChart Embedder (JSP)
●
●
Best Image Fallback
●
●
●
●
Anti-aliasing for GIF and PNG
●
●
Flash & SVG Image output
●
●
WBMP Image output
●
●
GIF & PNG Image output
●
PDF & EPS Image output
●
HTTP Redirectors for greater security and SSL Support
(Servlet, ISAPI (Windows IIS), and Apache versions)
●
HTML table output
●
Clustering
●
Caching
●
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
About Corda Technologies Inc.
Since its inception in April 1996 as a privately founded corporation, Corda
Technologies, Inc. has been the technology leader in the data visualization
market.
To successfully compete in the fast pace digital marketplace, businesses and
individuals need the ability to easily make sense of the vast quantity of data that
affects their business and well-being. While data tables and static data charts
take a step towards making sense of the flood of data, those tools fall short.
Through the culmination of twelve years of research and development, Corda
has developed data visualization solutions and services that go far beyond static
data graphs and charts. Corda is the global leader for interactive data-driven
graphics. It is the first company to provide support for SVG images, the first to
provide 508 compliant charts with D-link descriptive text, and the first nonMacromedia company to release a product that supported Flash images.
With more flexibility, scalability and speed than other charting solutions, Corda’s
PopChart family of tools and services are the leading choice for fast and easy to
build charts and graphs. Corda’s solutions display data as visual images allowing
customers to explore relationships, perform analysis and more easily understand
their data.
Whether for internal reporting, Net publishing, or personalized information
delivery, PopChart services and tools cater to a wide variety of markets and can
be leveraged by virtually any organization to effectively communicate critical
information to its specific Web audience.
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
Press Release
Corda Technologies Releases PopChart Version 4.0
New 4.0 Version of Charting/Graphing Solution Ready for Web Services
Including .NET and Java with Support for XML Standards
LINDON, Utah March 4, 2002 — CORDA Technologies Inc., a Lindon-based
developer of dynamic, interactive, Web-based charting and graphing solutions,
Monday announced the new 4.0 Version of its PopChart server products.
Corda has added many additional features to this major upgrade that increase
the benefit to the IT professional as well as the end user of the charts and
graphs. PopChart 4.0 is available now.
PopChart 4.0 is ready for the rapidly emerging Web Services market including
.NET and Java with end-to-end support of XML. Through XML, information can
be easily extracted and exchanged between databases, enhancing e-commerce
and business intelligence applications. PopChart 4.0 allows users to deliver and
utilize charts and graphs as a Web Service.
Neal Williams, chief executive officer of Corda, said, ``I am excited about the new
additions to our products. We have provided benefits to everyone that uses
PopChart from the IT technician responsible for installation, to the IT manager
responsible for implementation, to the person using the charts and graphs to
understand mission critical data.
``I am proud of Corda's success and continued industry-leading charting and
graphing solutions.''
Managers today are buried with mountains of crucial data that they are expected
to understand and take into account when making decisions. Visualization of that
data is key to understanding. In PopChart 4.0, data visualization has been
enhanced by inclusion of PDF and EPS output. This output allows users to easily
create clean, crisp charts and graphs within PDF reports for viewing and printing.
The visual appeal of chart presentation has also been enhanced in PopChart 4.0
with the ability to directly import background images.
The IT professional will appreciate the new administration console that facilitates
deployment, monitoring and maintenance of PopChart. Server uptime availability
is strengthened with PopChart's advanced clustering support and server failover.
Chart and graph creation is made easy and intuitive with the visual design and
template creation tool, PopChart Builder. The new 4.0 version of Builder includes
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Reviewer’s Guide: PopChart 4.0
a Windows True Type font converter that provides full double-byte support for
international language symbols. PopChart's direct database connectivity permits
a developer to connect directly to a database from PopChart.
All of the new features serve to augment the outstanding features that are
already a part of the PopChart family. PopChart provides Flash and SVG images
that have drilldown and popup features to assist in navigating through data.
There is wireless and handheld support using WBMP output.
PopChart works with any database and any browser, and with Best Image
Fallback, the highest quality image is always delivered to the browser. Many
different graphs types are supported in both vector and bitmap images. All
graphs and charts can easily be configured to be 508 compliant with descriptive
text that permits the visually impaired to have the information read to them by a
screen reader.
About Corda Technologies
Corda Technologies is the global leader in providing interactive data visualization
solutions. With more flexibility, scalability and speed than any other charting
solutions, Corda's family of tools and services are the leading choice for fast and
easy to build charts and graphs.
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