Overview

The Appfire FlashCharts Plugin introduces "data visualization" to Clearspace through stunning XML-based Flash charts and graphs. 20 different flavors of animated charts are individually controlled through 'macro parameters' and a set of associated 'xml data structures' required by each chart type. A few of the many example uses for this plugin include:

• Creating Informative Dashboard Widgets

• Comparing Sales Performance

• Developing and Presenting Financial Reports

• Archiving Performance Statistics

• General Presentation Collaboration

• ... and much, much more.

Macro Examples

Syntax Example #1:

{flashcharts:chart=Column3D|width=600|height=325} <graph yAxisName='Sales Figures' caption='Top 5 Sales Representatives' numberPrefix='$' decimalPrecision='1' divlinedecimalPrecision='0' limitsdecimalPrecision='0'>   <set name='Jonathan' value='54000' color='AFD8F8' ></set>   <set name='Phil' value='34000' color='F6BD0F' ></set>   <set name='Randall' value='22300' color='8BBA00' ></set>   <set name='Mat' value='45300' color='FF8E46' ></set>   <set name='Dawn' value='61300' color='008E8E' ></set> </graph> {flashcharts}

Syntax Example #2:

{flashcharts:chart=Column3D|xml=http://www.appfire.com/example.xml|width=600|height=325}{flashcharts}

Rendered Chart Example: (Same for syntax examples #1 and #2)

Macro Components

Note that "(!)" represents required, "(-)" represents not required and "(+)" represents conditional

Chart Options (including required XML Syntax for chart data)

• (Associated .swf files provided courtesy of FusionCharts Free)

General Documentation & Usage Notes

• The

{flashcharts}

macro can be leveraged within most areas of Clearspace including:

• Wiki Documents

• Forum Messages

• Blog Entries

• Comments

• Internal Email Messages

• An 'Enterprise' version of this plugin is currently in the early stages of development. You can sign up to be informed of our progress on our website.

• For enterprise Clearspace implementations, Appfire Technologies offers professional plugin customization services which can enable charts to read from existing data repositories.

Known Issues & Incompatibilities

• The current version does not support the "Export to PDF" feature in Clearspace.

• The current version does not render flash charts within the content edit view's "Preview" pane in Clearspace.

• When defining XML chart data inside a macro's body in Clearspace, the XML characters

"&lt;"

and

"&gt;"

are being converted into their html equivalents. This has been noticed to occur when a macro is created within the "Rich Text" pane and then viewed within the 'Plain Text' pane. Note however that this does not seem to affect the macro's performance in any way.

Related Documents & Discussions

• Appfire FlashCharts Plugin - Resolving Issues

• Re: Testing the Appfire FlashCharts Plugin with Clearspace X 2.0

Release Versions & Notes

Plugin Installation Steps

Method 1: Through The Plugin Admin

1. Confirm that you have installed and are running the latest compatible release version of Clearspace.

2. If you have a previous version of the Appfire FlashCharts Plugin installed, delete the old version through the 'Clearspace Admin' &gt; 'System' &gt; 'Plugins' interface.

• Please note that there is a known plugin uninstall defect that may impact this approach. (In the meantime, consider using 'Method 2' below to remove previous versions of the plugin.)

3. Download the latest compatible release version of the Appfire FlashCharts Free JAR file.

• Be sure not to change the JAR filename prior to installation as errors may occur.

4. Install the downloaded JAR file through the 'Clearspace Admin' &gt; 'System' &gt; 'Plugins' &gt; 'Add Plugin' interface.

5. After the plugin is installed, navigate to the front-end Clearspace instance and create a new wiki document.

6. Add a properly formatted

{flashcharts}

macro (as outlined in 'Syntax Example #1'  above) to the document.

1. Publish the new document and confirm that you can see the 'Rendered Chart Example' outlined above.

Method 2: Directly Into The Plugin Folder

1. Confirm that you have installed and are running the latest compatible release version of Clearspace.

2. Stop the Clearspace instance.

3. If you have a previous version of the Appfire FlashCharts Plugin installed, delete the old version within the 'clearspace_jiveHome_location\plugins' folder.

• Be sure to delete the old JAR file as well as the corresponding directory.

4. Download the latest compatible release version of the Appfire FlashCharts Free JAR file.

• Be sure not to change the JAR filename prior to installation as errors may occur.

5. Copy the downloaded JAR file into the 'clearspace_jiveHome_location\plugins' folder.

6. Restart the Clearspace instance.

7. Navigate to 'Clearspace Admin' &gt; 'System' &gt; 'Plugins' to confirm that the Appfire FlashCharts Plugin was installed.

8. With the plugin installed, navigate to the front-end Clearspace instance and create a new wiki document.

9. Add a properly formatted

{flashcharts}

macro (as outlined in 'Syntax Example #1'  above) to the document.

1. Publish the new document and confirm that you can see the 'Rendered Chart Example' outlined above.

Clearspace 1.X Plugin Files

• appfire_flashcharts_free_clearspace_v0-6.jar