OdfChartBuilder API

Release 1.0

by Mirasol Op'nWorks (http://www.opnworks.com)

Summary

The OdfChartBuilder API can be used to read and render chart descriptions from an Open Document Format file.

Chart rendering uses the JFreeChart API. It can also make use of one of the two following industry standard ODF Java™ APIs: odfdom or odf4j.

The OdfChartBuilder API can be incorporated into any Java™ application (web, rich client, batch) that needs to render charts based on templates specified in ODF. It was designed and implemented to respond to the need for a tool/API to render charts in Java™ applications based on templates prepared by graphic designers or business analysts and to incorporate the resulting charts into web pages, PDF documents or other media.

ODFChartBuilder Demo Web Site

The demo site shows on the fly rendering of open document format charts using the open source ODFChartBuilder and JFreeChart APIs and allows visitors to upload and test their own ODF files.

Access the ODFChartBuilder demo web site.

Open Document Chart Viewer

The OdfChartViewer is a Java™ Swing application that comes with the OdfChartBuilder distribution and allows one to open and navigate ODF chart files and view the rendered result. It is now possible to have somebody prepare chart templates using Excel or Open Office, hand over the file to a developer who will convert the files to ODF format and view the charts in the ODF files with the Chart Viewer tool. The ODF archive can then be bundled with a webapp as a resourcre file and used to build and render charts on the fly for end users.

Viewer Functionality

Open and decode an ODF archive (ZIP) file containing charts
Display the list of Charts found in the archive
Generate and display a JFreeChart rendition of each chart
Save a chart in PNG or PDF format

Warning

This version of the ODFChartBuilder API has only been used and tested with ODF documents produced with Open Office 2.4.

Notes on ODF files

ODF files (typically *.ods) are in fact zip files containing a structured collection of XML and resource files. To look at the contents of an ODF archive, open it or explode it with a ZIP utility.

The Open Document Schema is specified as a RelaxNG schema. A copy of this schema is available in the doc/schema folder of the OdfChartBuilder API.

TODO

Support additional chart types
Support for all ODF chart attributes and styles

Support and feedback

For comments and inquiries, please access the Source Forge forums at http://sourceforge.net/projects/odfchartbuilder/.