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LinkedCharts XML

FusionCharts XT introduces LinkedCharts, which is a smart and efficient method of creating drill-down charts. LinkedCharts are not special chart types. Any chart can be used as a LinkedChart. You can create a master summarized chart whose data-plots, when clicked, will create detailed charts. You can define the data-string or data-url of the detailed charts within the data-source of the master chart.

This section shows how to create a single XML data source using data-string for rendering LinkedCharts. For better understanding, We will create an XML for a column chart – which shows sales for four years from 2004-2007. Clicking on a column (say 2005) will bring up another chart showing quarterly sales for that year (see image below).

Main chart when the data for year 2005 is clicked LinkedChart with data for 2005 replaces the main chart

Watch it live!

To learn how LinkedCharts work, please read FusionCharts XT and JavaScript > Using LinkedCharts page.

Embedded data-string of LinkedCharts in data of master chart

Following XML data contains data for LinkedCharts:

<chart caption="Yearly sales" xAxisName="Year" yAxisName="Sales">
  <set label="2004" value="37800" link="newchart-xml-2004-quarterly" />
  <set label="2005" value="21900" link="newchart-xml-2005-quarterly" />
  <set label="2006" value="32900" link="newchart-xml-2006-quarterly" />
  <set label="2007" value="39800" link="newchart-xml-2007-quarterly" />
  
  <linkeddata id="2004-quarterly">
    <chart caption="Quarterly Sales Summary" subcaption="For the year 2004"
    xAxisName="Quarter" yAxisName="Sales" >
      <set label="Q1" value="3700" />
      <set label="Q2" value="2900" />
      <set label="Q3" value="3200" />
      <set label="Q4" value="3900" />
    </chart>
  </linkeddata>
  
  <linkeddata id="2005-quarterly">
    <chart caption="Quarterly Sales Summary" subcaption="For the year 2005"
      xAxisName="Quarter" yAxisName="Sales">
      <set label="Q1" value="7800" />
      <set label="Q2" value="2100" />
      <set label="Q3" value="3290" />
      <set label="Q4" value="3800" />
    </chart>
  </linkeddata>

  <linkeddata id="2006-quarterly">
    <chart caption="Quarterly Sales Summary" subcaption="For the year 2006"
      xAxisName="Quarter" yAxisName="Sales">
      <set label="Q1" value="3800" />
      <set label="Q2" value="2190" />
      <set label="Q3" value="3290" />
      <set label="Q4" value="3980" />
    </chart>
  </linkeddata>

  <linkeddata id="2007-quarterly">
    <chart caption="Quarterly Sales Summary" subcaption="For the year 2007"
      xAxisName="Quarter" yAxisName="Sales">
      <set label="Q1" value="3780" />
      <set label="Q2" value="1900" />
      <set label="Q3" value="2900" />
      <set label="Q4" value="9800" />
    </chart>
  </linkeddata>

</chart>

The initial part of the XML defines the data for the master chart, and rest of the XML is a group of <linkeddata> nodes, each of which contains data for a specific LinkedChart. The XML data for the master chart is as shown follows: 

<chart caption="Yearly sales" xAxisName="Year" yAxisName="Sales">
  <set label="2004" value="37800" link="newchart-xml-2004-quarterly" />
  <set label="2005" value="21900" link="newchart-xml-2005-quarterly" />
  <set label="2006" value="32900" link="newchart-xml-2006-quarterly" />
  <set label="2007" value="39800" link="newchart-xml-2007-quarterly" />
  . . .

Note, that every <set> element contains the link attribute. The value of this attribute follows the syntax: 

link="newchart-xml-id"
  • newchart - indicates that the click action on the dataplot will lead to rendering of a new LinkedChart
  • xml - indicates that the new chart will use xml data
  • id - this can be any string, and each set element must have a unique link id with the entire XML. This id will be searched in the id attribute of <linkeddata> node latter in the XML. Once matched, the chart data present in that node will be used as the data for the LinkedChart, which renders when a particular link is clicked.

Next, separate nodes of chart XML data for each LinkedChart are declared under the <linkeddata> element. Following XML shows one of the nodes, which provides data for a drill-down chart, which renders when the first column of the master chart is clicked:

<linkeddata id="2004-quarterly">
    <chart caption="Quarterly Sales Summary" subcaption="For the year 2004"
    xAxisName="Quarter" yAxisName="Sales" >
      <set label="Q1" value="3700" />
      <set label="Q2" value="2900" />
      <set label="Q3" value="3200" />
      <set label="Q4" value="3900" />
    </chart>
  </linkeddata>

The XML data for drill-down charts is specified under separate <linkeddata> element, and each data node is mapped to its parent dataplot in the master chart by means of a unique id (which is specified in the individual <set> element of the master chart). In the above XML the id of this node is "2004-quarterly".  This id matches with the id passed through the first dataplot's link attribute in the XML of the master chart : link="newchart-xml-2004-quarterly". Hence, when the first data-plot is clicked, the chart that opens up will take data from this node.

Providing URL of LinkedChart XML in the data-source of the master chart

Instead of embedding the data of LinkedCharts inside the data-source of the master chart, you can also specify the data source URL of the LinkedCharts. See the XML below":

<chart caption="Yearly Sales" xAxisName="Year" yAxisName="Sales">
  <set label="2004" value="37800" link="newchart-xmlurl-Data2004.xml" />
  <set label="2005" value="21900" link="newchart-xmlurl-Data2005.xml" />
  <set label="2006" value="32900" link="newchart-xmlurl-Data2006.xml" />
  <set label="2007" value="39800" link="newchart-xmlurl-Data2007.xml" />
</chart>

Note, here also, every <set> element contains the link attribute. The value of this attribute follows the syntax: 

link="newchart-xmlurl-url"
  • newchart - indicates that the click action on the dataplot will lead to rendering of a new LinkedChart
  • xmlurl - indicates that the new chart will get xml data from a URL
  • url - sets the url/path of the xml data source

When the first dataplot is clicked, a chart is rendered based on data obtained from the file Data2004.xml.