This tutorial will help you to integrate Pivot Component with Highcharts charting library.

Supported chart types

Flexmonster supports the following Highchart types:

• area (demo)
• arearange (demo)
• areaspline (demo)
• areasplinerange (demo)
• bar (demo)
• bubble (demo)
• column (demo)
• columnrange (demo)
• errorbar (demo)
• funnel (demo)
• line (demo)
• pie (demo)
• polygon (demo)
• pyramid (demo)
• scatter (demo)
• spline (demo)
• waterfall (demo)

However, if chart type you want is not on the list it’s possible to use prepareDataFunction to preprocess the data in your own way.

Adding Highcharts

1. Add to your HTML page the following pivot table based on CSV file.

   <div id="pivotContainer">The component will appear here</div>
   <script src="flexmonster/lib/jquery.min.js"></script>
   <script src="flexmonster/flexmonster.js"></script>
   
   <script>
   	var pivot = new Flexmonster({
   		container: "pivotContainer",
   		toolbar: true,
   		report: {
   			dataSource: {
   				filename: "data.csv"
   			},
   			slice: {
   				rows: [
   					{ uniqueName: "Country" }
   				],
   				columns: [
   					{ uniqueName: "Business Type" },
   					{ uniqueName: "[Measures]" }
   				],
   				measures: [
   					{ uniqueName: "Price" }
   				]
   			}
   		},
   		licenseKey: "XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX"
   	});
   </script>
   

2. Add Highcharts.

   <script src="http://code.highcharts.com/highcharts.js"></script>
   

3. Add our connector for Highcharts.

   <script src="flexmonster/lib/flexmonster.highcharts.js"></script>
   

4. Add container for the chart.

   <div id="highchartsContainer"></div>
   

5. Add reportComplete event handler to know when the pivot table is ready to be a data provider.

   reportcomplete: function() {
   	pivot.off("reportcomplete");
   	createChart();
   }
   

6. Add function to create the chart. This function is using a connector for Highcharts from flexmonster.highcharts.js. The connector extends Flexmonster API with the following call: highcharts.getData(options, callbackHandler, updateHandler).

   function createChart() {
   	pivot.highcharts.getData(
   		{}, 
   		function(data) {
   			$('#highchartsContainer').highcharts(data);
   		}, 
   		function(data) {
   			$('#highchartsContainer').highcharts(data);
   		}
   	);
   }
   

You will see line chart that displays the same data that is shown in the pivot table instance pivot and it will react on updates. Check out on JSFiddle.

Connector for Highcharts

We added flexmonster.highcharts.js as a connector between our component and Highcharts. highcharts.getData() method requests data from the Pivot Table and preprocesses it to the appropriate format for the required type of chart.

highcharts.getData(options:Object, callbackHandler:Function, updateHandler:Function) has the following parameters:

• options – Object. This object has the following parameters:
  • type (optional) – String. Chart type to prepare data for. If it is not specified, data will be prepared for the line chart.

    function pie() {
    	pivot.highcharts.getData({
    		type: 'pie'
    	}, function(data) {
    		$('#highchartsContainer').highcharts(data);
    	}, function(data) {
    		$('#highchartsContainer').highcharts(data);
    	});
    }
    

  • slice (optional) – Object. Defines the slice for which the data should be returned (for JSON, CSV and OCSV data sources only). If not defined, the API call will return data displayed in the pivot table

    function withManyYAxis() {
    	pivot.highcharts.getData({
    		type: 'column',
    		slice: {
    			rows: [{uniqueName: "Country"}],
    			columns: [{uniqueName: "[Measures]"}],
    			measures: [
    				{uniqueName: "Price"}, 
    				{uniqueName: "Quantity"}
    			]
    		}
    	}, function(data) {
    		$('#highchartsContainer').highcharts(data);
    	}, function(data) {
    		$('#highchartsContainer').highcharts(data);
    	});
    }
    

  • xAxisType (optional) – the parameter to define the type of X axis. Please use it if you want to create the chart with dates on X axis – set it to “datetime”. It can be empty or “datetime”. Try it in JSFiddle (also, this sample illustrates how to define a type for particular series).
  • valuesOnly (optional) – The default value is false. You can set it to true if all the axis in the chart should be based on numeric values. This property is applicable only for the following chart types: “bubble”, “line”, “polygon” and “spline”. Please note, that it is always true for “scatter” chart (you do not need to set it explicitly to true). Try it in JSFiddle.
  • withDrilldown (optional) – The default value is false. You can set it to true if the chart will have drilldowns. It is available for the following chart types: “area”, “areaspline”, “bar”, “column”, “waterfall”, “funnel”, “pie”, “pyramid”, “polygon”, “spline”, “line”. Try it in JSFiddle.
  • prepareDataFunction (optional) – An external function. If the connector does not include the necessary type of chart or you need to preprocess the data in a different way – please use prepareDataFunction. prepareDataFunction gets two input parameters: rawData – raw data (check the structure of rawData in getData()); options – object with options set in highcharts.getData() function. Try it in JSFiddle.
• callbackHandler – Function. Specifies what will happen once data is ready. Additional options can be specified and then data can be passed directly to the charting library. Gets two input parameters – data and rawData (rawData is passed just in case you need it, for example, for defining number formatting in the tooltip).
• updateHandler (optional) – Function. Gets two input parameters – data and rawData. Specifies what will happen once data in the Pivot Table is filtered/sorted/etc.

The connector has several functions for defining number formatting for Highcharts. All these functions get the pivot table format object and return the formatting string in Highcharts format.

• highcharts.getAxisFormat(format) – String. Gets pivot format and returns Highcharts format string for value.
• highcharts.getPointXFormat(format) – String. Gets pivot format and returns Highcharts format string for point.x.
• highcharts.getPointYFormat(format) – String. Gets pivot format and returns Highcharts format string for point.y.
• highcharts.getPointZFormat(format) – String. Gets pivot format and returns Highcharts format string for point.z.

These functions can be used in callbackHandler and updateHandler functions to define a number formatting for axes and tooltips. Try it in JSFiddle.