September 06, 2008
meuon
0 comments
keywords:
PHP
Data
Visualization
| Low Tech Data Display. |
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 There is a lot of push towards incredibly powerful web toolkits. Very complex javascript, lots of embedded flash. But that requires powerful client computers, and all that JavaScript/ActionScript has fits crossing domains, for good reasons. So you have to go back to old school. Enter PHP and GDlib creating graphics on the fly at the web server. Geeky kWh Gauge example in PHP will create (given some assumptions) nice looking graphs as an image and will try to resize itself and the data nicely based on parameters given.
It's useful for embedding data displays low tech browsers as well as things like Chumby's, Google Electricity/kWh Gadgets and other widgets where everything but images seem to be cached, relayed, or protected from embedding data from other sources. The best part is the looks you get when showing to "Web 2.0 kids" who can't conceive of doing it without an IDE, JavaScript/ActionScript and possibly a fat embed/object download.. |
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