Your First Chart in PHP using FusionCharts

FusionCharts Suite XT includes the FusionCharts PHP wrapper that lets you create interactive, data-driven charts in your PHP website without writing any JavaScript code.

JavaScript and HTML code is used to generate charts in the browsers. The server-side PHP wrapper generates the required JavaScript and HTML code as a string, which is then used to render charts on a browser page. We'll start with simple examples of creating a chart , then a gauge and a map .

Before going through this article, please install FusionCharts PHP wrapper, if you haven’t installed it already.

Create your first chart

In this section, we will create a chart using the FusionCharts PHP server-side wrapper. We will create a Column 2D chart, which has the column2d chart alias in FusionCharts. We have 95+ chart types with their respective aliases for you to explore. Find the complete list of chart types here .

Let's start with a simple example of "Countries With Most Oil Reserves" chart, which we will plot in a Column 2D chart as shown below:

The data for this chart is represented in the table below:

Convert tabular data into JSON/XML format

Now that you have the tabular data ready, it's time to convert it into JSON format, as FusionCharts accepts data in JSON or XML format. For PHP, we recommend JSON format. The converted format will look as shown below:

There are different JSON formats for different groups of charts in FusionCharts - e.g., single-series (which you see here), multi-series , combination , etc.

{
    "chart": {
        "caption": "Countries With Most Oil Reserves [2017-18]",
        "subCaption": "In MMbbl = One Million barrels",
        "xAxisName": "Country",
        "yAxisName": "Reserves (MMbbl)",
        "numberSuffix": "K",
        "theme": "fusion"
    },
    "data": [
        {
            "label": "Venezuela",
            "value": "290"
        },
        {
            "label": "Saudi",
            "value": "260"
        },
        {
            "label": "Canada",
            "value": "180"
        },
        {
            "label": "Iran",
            "value": "140"
        },
        {
            "label": "Russia",
            "value": "115"
        },
        {
            "label": "UAE",
            "value": "100"
        },
        {
            "label": "US",
            "value": "30"
        },
        {
            "label": "China",
            "value": "30"
        }
    ]
}

In the above code we have:

• Created the chart object to define the elements of the chart.
• Then, each row of the tabular data is present within the data array to specify the labels and their corresponding values.

Both the chart object and the data array contain a set of key-value pairs known as attributes. These attributes are used to set the functional and cosmetic properties of the chart as defined below:

Functional Attributes

Functional attributes let you control a variety of functional elements on the chart. For example, you can opt to show/hide data labels or data values. You can also set chart limits and extended properties. The functional attributes used in the above code are:

• caption sets the caption of the chart.
• subcaption sets the sub-caption of the chart.
• xAxisName sets the name of the x-axis, whereas yAxisName sets the name of the y-axis.
• numberPrefix adds a prefix to all the numbers visible on the chart.
• Please note, we have used the theme attribute in the chart's data and provided fusion theme as its value. Using themes, you can centralize cosmetic and functional properties across various charts in your web application.

Cosmetic Attributes

Cosmetic attributes let you configure chart cosmetics like color, transparency, font size, etc. Since we are using the fusiontheme to customize the chart's aesthetics, no cosmetic attributes are used in this sample. For the detailed list of attributes, click here .

Create an instance of the chart

In this step, we will create an instance of the chart type as column2d, set the width and height (in pixels or %), and finally specify the data for the chart as a string.

The code to initialize and render the chart is given below:

// $jsonEncodedData = "JSON data of the Chart"
// chart object
$Chart = new FusionCharts("column2d", "MyFirstChart" , "700", "400", "chart-container", "json", $jsonEncodedData);

In the above code:

• We have created an instance of the Column2d chart. Each chart type in FusionCharts Suite XT has a unique alias, which you can use to create an instance of that chart. In this case, we are creating an instance of a Column 2D chart with dimensions of 700x400 pixels using width and height.
• The array data is embedded as the value of the jsonEncodedData parameter.

Then, create a container using <div>, to render the chart.

<div id="chart-container">Chart will render here!</div>

The full code for the above sample is given below:

<?php

   /* Include the `../src/fusioncharts.php` file that contains functions to embed the charts.*/
   include("includes/fusioncharts.php");
?>
<html>

<head>
    <title>FusionCharts | My First Chart</title>
    <script src="path/to/local/fusioncharts.js"></script>
    <script src="path/to/local/themes/fusioncharts.theme.fusion.js"></script>
</head>

<body>
    <?php
    $arrChartConfig = array(
        "chart" => array(
            "caption" => "Countries With Most Oil Reserves [2017-18]",
            "subCaption" => "In MMbbl = One Million barrels",
            "xAxisName" => "Country",
            "yAxisName" => "Reserves (MMbbl)",
            "numberSuffix" => "K",
            "theme" => "fusion"
        )
    );

    // An array of hash objects which stores data
    $arrChartData = array(
        ["Venezuela", "290"],
        ["Saudi", "260"],
        ["Canada", "180"],
        ["Iran", "140"],
        ["Russia", "115"],
        ["UAE", "100"],
        ["US", "30"],
        ["China", "30"]
    );

    $arrLabelValueData = array();

    // Pushing labels and values
    for($i = 0; $i < count($arrChartData); $i++) {
        array_push($arrLabelValueData, array(
            "label" => $arrChartData[$i][0], "value" => $arrChartData[$i][1]
        ));
    }

    $arrChartConfig["data"] = $arrLabelValueData;

    // JSON Encode the data to retrieve the string containing the JSON representation of the data in the array.
    $jsonEncodedData = json_encode($arrChartConfig);

    // chart object
    $Chart = new FusionCharts("column2d", "MyFirstChart" , "700", "400", "chart-container", "json", $jsonEncodedData);

    // Render the chart
    $Chart->render();
    ?>

    <center>
        <div id="chart-container">Chart will render here!</div>
    </center>
</body>

</html>

That's it! When you run this HTML page now, you should see a chart representing your data.

See the complete list of all possible attributes (the keys in the dataSource object) for a Column 2D chart.

Now, go on and explore other 95+ chart types that we have in FusionCharts or explore the configuration attributes for the charts.

The FusionCharts Chart Class

The syntax of the Chart class constructor used to initialize the chart object is:

Chart <object name> = new Chart (chartType, chartId, chartWidth, chartHeight, dataFormat, dataSource, bgColor, bgOpacity)

A list of available constructor parameters are given in the table below:

It is not necessary to assign values for all parameters during initialization. However, keep in mind the following:

• The order of parameters needs to be preserved.
• Make sure that all of these parameters have been assigned values using the constructor, the Chart class methods, or the Render() method before running the application.
• If not, either the chart will not render at all or it will not render the way you want it to.

Create your first gauge

Gauges are powerful tools that can showcase information using a radial scale to display data and a dial to indicate the value. In this section, we will create an Angular Gauge.

To start with, we'll build a simple gauge showcasing Nordstorm's Customer Satisfaction Score as shown below:

The thresholds for the above sample have been defined using the following range.

So, any score less than 50 is bad and is red. Any score between 50 and 75 is average and is yellow. Any score above 75 means good and is green.

Convert tabular data into JSON/XML format

Now that you have the tabular data ready, it's time to convert it into JSON/XML format, as FusionCharts accepts data in JSON or XML format. The converted format will look as shown below:

{
    "chart": {
        "caption": "Nordstorm's Customer Satisfaction Score for 2017",
        "lowerLimit": "0",
        "upperLimit": "100",
        "showValue": "1",
        "numberSuffix": "%",
        "theme": "fusion",
        "showToolTip": "0"
    },
    "colorRange": {
        "color": [
            {
                "minValue": "0",
                "maxValue": "50",
                "code": "#F2726F"
            },
            {
                "minValue": "50",
                "maxValue": "75",
                "code": "#FFC533"
            },
            {
                "minValue": "75",
                "maxValue": "100",
                "code": "#62B58F"
            }
        ]
    },
    "dials": {
        "dial": [
            {
                "value": "81"
            }
        ]
    }
}

Create an instance of the gauge

In this step, we will create an instance of the chart type as angulargauge, set the width and height (in pixels or %), and finally specify the data for the chart as a string format.

The code to initialize and render the chart is given below:

// $jsonEncodedData = "JSON data of the Gauge"
// Widget object
$Widget = new FusionCharts("angulargauge", "MyFirstWidget" , "400", "250", "widget-container", "json", $jsonEncodedData);

Then, create a container using <div> to render the gauge.

<div id="widget-container">Widget will render here!</div>

The full code for the above sample is given below:

<?php
    /* Include the `../src/fusioncharts.php` file that contains functions to embed the charts.*/
    include("includes/fusioncharts.php");
?>
<html>
    <head>
        <title>FusionCharts | My First Widget</title>
        <script src="path/to/local/fusioncharts.js"></script>
        <script src="path/to/local/themes/fusioncharts.theme.fusion.js"></script>
    </head>
    <body>
<?php
    // Widget appearance configuration
    $arrChartConfig = array(
        "chart" => array(
            "caption" => "Nordstorm's Customer Satisfaction Score for 2017",
            "lowerLimit" => "0",
            "upperLimit" => "100",
            "showValue" => "1",
            "numberSuffix" => "%",
            "theme" => "fusion",
            "showToolTip" => "0"
        )
    );

    // Widget color range data
    $colorDataObj = array("color" => array(
        ["minValue" => "0", "maxValue" => "50", "code" => "#F2726F"],
        ["minValue" => "50", "maxValue" => "75", "code" => "#FFC533"],
        ["minValue" => "75", "maxValue" => "100", "code" => "#62B58F"]
    ));

    // Dial array    
    $dial = array();

    // Widget dial data in array format, multiple values can be separated by comma e.g. ["81", "23", "45",...]
    $widgetDialDataArray = array("81");
    for($i = 0; $i < count($widgetDialDataArray); $i++) {
        array_push($dial,array("value" => $widgetDialDataArray[$i]));
    }

    $arrChartConfig["colorRange"] = $colorDataObj;
    $arrChartConfig["dials"] = array( "dial" => $dial);

    // JSON Encode the data to retrieve the string containing the JSON representation of the data in the array.
    $jsonEncodedData = json_encode($arrChartConfig);

    // Widget object
    $Widget = new FusionCharts("angulargauge", "MyFirstWidget" , "400", "250", "widget-container", "json", $jsonEncodedData);

    // Render the Widget
    $Widget->render();
?>
    <center>
        <div id="widget-container">Widget will render here!</div>
    </center>
</body>

</html>

See the complete list of all possible attributes for an angular gauge.

Create your first map

In this section, we will create a visualization using the map of World. Take a look at the map shown below:

The data for this chart is represented in the table below:

In the above table, the column Entity Name represents the geographical entities represented in the map, whose full names are given in the State column in this example.

However, when you convert the data in a format acceptable by FusionCharts, the entities are denoted by the id key in the data object (see the code snippet of the next section).

For any map visualization you create, it is imperative that you provide the correct value for the id keys. For example, if you want to denote Africa, the value for the corresponding id must be AF, and not AFR. We have detailed Map Specification Sheets for all the maps that can be rendered using FusionCharts. Refer to them for the correct id of the map you want to create.

Convert tabular data into JSON/XML format

Now that you have the tabular data ready, it's time to convert it into JSON/XML format, as FusionCharts accepts data in JSON or XML format. The converted format will look as shown below:

{
    "chart": {
        "caption": "Average Annual Population Growth",
        "subcaption": " 1955-2015",
        "numbersuffix": "%",
        "includevalueinlabels": "1",
        "labelsepchar": ": ",
        "entityFillHoverColor": "#FFF9C4",
        "theme": "fusion"
    },
    "colorrange": {
        "minvalue": "0",
        "code": "#FFE0B2",
        "gradient": "1",
        "color": [
            {
                "minvalue": "0.5",
                "maxvalue": "1.0",
                "color": "#FFD74D"
            },
            {
                "minvalue": "1.0",
                "maxvalue": "2.0",
                "color": "#FB8C00"
            },
            {
                "minvalue": "2.0",
                "maxvalue": "3.0",
                "color": "#E65100"
            }
        ]
    },
    "data": [
        {
            "id": "NA",
            "value": ".82",
            "showLabel": "1"
        },
        {
            "id": "SA",
            "value": "2.04",
            "showLabel": "1"
        },
        {
            "id": "AS",
            "value": "1.78",
            "showLabel": "1"
        },
        {
            "id": "EU",
            "value": ".40",
            "showLabel": "1"
        },
        {
            "id": "AF",
            "value": "2.58",
            "showLabel": "1"
        },
        {
            "id": "AU",
            "value": "1.30",
            "showLabel": "1"
        }
    ]
}

Create an instance of the map

In this step, we will create an instance of the map type as world, set the width and height (in pixels or %), and finally specify the data for the chart as a string.

The code to initialize and render the chart is given below:

// $jsonEncodedData = "JSON data of the Map"
// Map object
$Map = new FusionCharts("maps/world", "MyFirstMap" , "800", "500", "map-container", "json", $jsonEncodedData);

Then, create a container using div>, to render the map.

<div id="map-container">Map will render here!</div>

The full code for the above sample is given below:

<?php
    // Include the `../src/fusioncharts.php` file that contains functions to embed the charts.
    include("includes/fusioncharts.php");
?>
<html>
    <head>
        <title>FusionCharts | My First Map</title>
        <script src="path/to/local/fusioncharts.js"></script>
        <script src="path/to/local/maps/fusioncharts.world.js"></script>
        <script src="path/to/local/themes/fusioncharts.theme.fusion.js"></script>
    </head>
    <body>
        <?php
        // Widget appearance configuration
        $arrMapConfig = array(
            "chart" => array(
                "caption" => "Average Annual Population Growth",
                "subcaption" => " 1955-2015",
                "numbersuffix" => "%",
                "includevalueinlabels" => "1",
                "labelsepchar" => ": ",
                "entityFillHoverColor" => "#FFF9C4",
                "theme" => "fusion"
            )
        );

        // Widget color range data
        $colorDataObj = array("minvalue" => "0", "code" => "#FFE0B2", "gradient" => "1",
        "color" => array(
            ["minValue" => "0", "maxValue" => "50", "code" => "#F2726F"],
            ["minValue" => "50", "maxValue" => "75", "code" => "#FFC533"],
            ["minValue" => "75", "maxValue" => "100", "code" => "#62B58F"]
        ));

        // Map data array
        $mapDataArray = array(
            ["NA", ".82", "1"],
            ["SA", "2.04", "1"],
            ["AS", "1.78", "1"],
            ["EU", ".40", "1"],
            ["AF", "2.58", "1"],
            ["AU", "1.30", "1"]
        );

        $mapData = array();

        for($i = 0; $i < count($mapDataArray); $i++) {
            array_push($mapData,array("id" => $mapDataArray[$i][0], "value" => $mapDataArray[$i][1], "showLabel" => $mapDataArray[$i][2]));
        }

        $arrMapConfig["colorRange"] = $colorDataObj;
        $arrMapConfig["data"] = $mapData;

        // JSON Encode the data to retrieve the string containing the JSON representation of the data in the array.
        $jsonEncodedData = json_encode($arrMapConfig);

        // Map object
        $Map = new FusionCharts("maps/world", "MyFirstMap" , "800", "500", "map-container", "json", $jsonEncodedData);

        // Render the Map
        $Map->render();
        ?>
        <center>
            div id="map-container">Map will render here!</div>
        </center>
    </body>
</html>

See the complete list of all possible attributes (the keys in the dataSource object) for the Map of World. The respective ids, can be found here .

Problem rendering the chart?

In case there is an error and you are unable to see the chart, check for the following:

• If you don't see the chart rendered on your browser, it might be because some browsers do not allow JavaScript files to be loaded and run from the local file system. In such cases, either try a different browser, or create a local/remote server and provide the webpages containing the charts from the server.

• If you are getting a JavaScript error on your page, check your browser console for the exact error and fix accordingly.

• If the chart does not show up, but there are no JavaScript errors, check if the FusionCharts Suite XT JavaScript library has loaded correctly. You can use developer tools within your browser to see if fusioncharts.js was loaded. Check if the path to fusioncharts.js file is correct and whether the file exists in that location.

• If you get a Loading Data or Error in Loading Data message, check whether your JSON data structure is correct, or if there are conflicts related to quotation marks in your code.