We are excited to announce that
we are opening up the Google
Visualization API beyond Google
Spreadsheets and adding more capabilities for developers. Earlier at the Google I/O developer conference, we
launched several new features of the Google Visualization API:
A JavaScript interface to create add-hoc data tables on the client.
This way, visualizations are not limited to server-side data sources living on the Google
cloud. Data from any source can now be visualized using the visualizations created by Google
and the community.
The new interface allows
developers to create non Gadget-ized visualizations. With this new option, developers can
embed visualizations directly into a web page and have those interact with the page.
Of-course, Gadgets have significant advantages related to syndication. They are also the
option of choice when looking to include visualizations in popular “containers”, such as
Google Spreadsheets, iGoogle, etc. The
Google Visualization API will continue to support both flavors of its API going forward.
Visualizations can easily be created and then be wrapped by a thin Gadget wrapper. This allows
for maximal exposure and use of the visualization in as many use cases as
possible.
The AJAX API introduces another cool new
capability: we are introducing a common event model to allow for visualizations to communicate
with their host web-page and with other visualizations. With this event model web page authors
and developers can create complex dashboards from several visualizations, all associated and
context-aware.
As part of the event model, we are introducing
a generic select event. Developers can introduce their own events for their
visualizations. We plan on adding more generic events that the community chooses and aligns
around – ultimately creating a robust event model for visualizations and dashboards.
You can read more about these cool new additions on the Visualization API website.
Browse the new visualization
gallery to see the visualizations we have already posted over the new JavaScript
interface and and take look at code
examples to get started with your own.
We would love to hear
more from you on these new additions. Tell us what you think and engage with the rest of the
community on the API’s community group
page.
