Table Formatters make Visualization tables even nicer

AUG 26, 2008

By Hillel Maoz, Google Visualization Team

We often forget, but the simple table is a visualization too. In fact, all of our visualizations are based on the DataTable structure - a table itself.

In order to make this most basic visualization more appealing and useful, we added formatters to our JS table. Take a look at this arrow-format example, great for visualizing stock quotes or anything else that goes up and down. :-)

For example, to produce this result:

Use this code:

 <script type='text/javascript'
      src='http://www.google.com/jsapi'></script>
 

      <script type='text/javascript'>
 google.load('visualization', '1.0',
      {'packages': ['table']});
 google.setOnLoadCallback(draw);
 function
      draw() {
 // Create a datatable with your data.
 var dataTable = new
      google.visualization.DataTable();
 dataTable.addColumn('string', 'Equity /
      Index');
 dataTable.addColumn('number', '% Change');

      dataTable.addRows(5);
 var r = 0;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0,
      'Acme.com');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1, 3.1, '3.1%');
 r++;

      dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Brick & Mortar Groceries Inc');

      dataTable.setCell(r, 1, -2.43, '-2.43%');
 r++;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0,
      'S&P 500');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1, 0.94, '0.94%');
 r++;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Dow Jones');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1, 1.2,
      '1.2%');
 r++;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Nikkei');

      dataTable.setCell(r, 1, -0.23, '-0.23%');
 // Create a table visualization.
 var container = document.getElementById('table');
 table = new
      google.visualization.Table(container);
 // Apply a number formatter to the 2nd
      column.
 var options = {'allowHtml' : true};
 var formatter = new
      google.visualization.TableArrowFormat();
 formatter.format(dataTable, 1);
 // Draw the table visualization with the applied formatting.

      table.draw(dataTable, options);
 }

      </script>

Or this example of Number Formatters, good for accountants and whoever likes numbers:

Which can be generated by this code:

 <script type='text/javascript'
      src='http://www.google.com/jsapi'></script>
 

      <script type='text/javascript'>
 google.load('visualization', '1.0',
      {'packages': ['table']});
 google.setOnLoadCallback(draw);
 function
      draw() {
 // Create a datatable with your data.
 var dataTable = new
      google.visualization.DataTable();
 dataTable.addColumn('string', 'Account',
      'account');
 dataTable.addColumn('number', 'Balance', 'balance');

      dataTable.addRows(5);
 var r = 0;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0,
      'Electronics');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1, 12000);
 r++;

      dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Appliances');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1, -1000);

      r++;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Gadgets');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1,
      -21000);
 r++;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Accessories');

      dataTable.setCell(r, 1, 5560);
 r++;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0,
      'Casings');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1, 13092);
 // Create a table
      visualization.
 var container = document.getElementById('table');
 table
      = new google.visualization.Table(container);
 // Apply an number formatter to the
      2nd column.
 var options = {'allowHtml' : true};
 var formatter = new
      google.visualization.TableNumberFormat(
 {prefix: '$', negativeColor: 'red',
      negativeParens: true});
 formatter.format(dataTable, 1);
 // Draw the
      table visualization with the applied formatting.
 table.draw(dataTable,
      options);
 }
 </script>

And, lastly, this example of a bar-formatter, which can be used to visually show relative distances from an anchor-point:

Using this code:

 <script type='text/javascript'
      src='http://www.google.com/jsapi'></script>
 

      <script type='text/javascript'>
 google.load('visualization', '1.0',
      {'packages': ['table']});
 google.setOnLoadCallback(draw);
 function
      draw() {
 // Create a datatable with your data.
 var dataTable = new
      google.visualization.DataTable();
 dataTable.addColumn('string', 'Place',
      'place');
 dataTable.addColumn('number', 'Altitude', 'altitude');

      dataTable.addRows(5);
 var r = 0;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Dead
      Sea');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1, -420);
 r++;

      dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Death Valley');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1, -86);

      r++;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Mt. Everest');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1,
      8848);
 r++;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Mt. Kilimangaro');

      dataTable.setCell(r, 1, 5895);
 r++;
 dataTable.setCell(r, 0, 'Marianas
      Trench');
 dataTable.setCell(r, 1, -10924);
 // Create a table
      visualization.
 var container = document.getElementById('table');
 table
      = new google.visualization.Table(container);
 // Apply an arrow formatter to the
      2nd column.
 var options = {'allowHtml' : true};
 var formatter = new
      google.visualization.TableBarFormat(
 {base: 0, showValue: true, min: 12000, max:
      12000});
 formatter.format(dataTable, 1);
 // Draw the table
      visualization with the applied formatting.
 table.draw(dataTable, options);
 } 
 </script>

For the complete list of currently available formatters, see our Table documentation with included examples. We're working on more formatters, which we will announce on our discussion group when we make them available.

For more info on using and creating visualizations, visit our documentation pages.