SHAREPOINT 2007: Integrating the Google Chart API

SharePoint 2007: Integrating the Google Chart API

By Gatika Patel - Kiefer Consulting

When I work with users and business managers, there's one thing they always appreciate:  time-saving features, especially those with graphics. My users love them and yours will too. By viewing current graphic data displays, users can instantly see if things are going well or not without waiting for reports or evaluating and crunching numbers manually. In case you did not know, the Google Chart API lets you dynamically generate charts in SharePoint. That's right-DYNAMICALLY!  It's easy to integrate Google Chart using SharePoint List data. All you need is graph criteria. In this case, I use a Group By view on a list column.

In this article, I'll show you how to use Google Chart API in SharePoint 2007 (MOSS):

1.       Create a Custom List in SharePoint Server 2007

2.       Create a Web Part page (used to display graphical representation of the list data)

3.       Integrate Google Chart API into SharePoint

Follow the steps below in order to create a new custom list.

1.       Click Site Actions > Create.

2.       Under Custom Lists, select Custom List.

3.       Fill in Name and Description.

For this demonstration, name the list Projects.

4.       Click Create.

The Projects custom list is created.

5.       Click Settings > Create Column.

Enter the name of the new column, select the data type, and details for each column you create.

For this demonstration, I created three new columns in Projects:

-->         Start Date(Date)

-->         End Date (Date)

-->         Status (Choice list: Complete, Deferred, In Progress, Not Started)

6.       Fill this list with sample data to create the Google Chart.
To create sample data, click New.

7.       Fill the New Item form, and click OK.

8.       Repeat until you have enough data to demonstrate your Google Chart API.
For this example, I created 10 items.

Use the web part page used to display graphical representation of the list data:

1.       Click Site Actions > Create.

2.       Under the Web Pages section, select Web Part Page.

3.       Fill the required information for the New Web Part Page:

-->         Name: SamplePage

-->         Accept defaults

4.       Click Create.

The new Sample Page is created as below.

To display the graphical representation of any list data, we first need to decide which column of the list we want to use as a graph criteria. Then we need to create a "grouped by" list view on that column. For chart to be displayed, the "grouped by" list view must be on the same page.

I use Status as the criteria for the graph. We first need to add the Projects list web part on the Sample Page to display Projects list "group by" Status column.

1.       Click Add a Web Part in any of the zone of the page.

2.       Under the Lists and Libraries section, select the Projects list (or the name of your list).

3.       Click Add.

We need to edit this list to create a new view grouped by the Status column.

4.       Click Edit > Modify Shared Web Part.

5.       Click Edit the current view link.

6.       Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click to expand Group By section.

7.       For First group by the column: select the Status column.

8.       Select your preference for Ascending or Descending order.

9.       Click OK.

The newly created list view will be added on the Sample Page.

Now to add graph for the list view, we need to add another web part on the Sample Page: Content Editor Web Part

10.    Click Site Actions > Edit Page.

11.    Click Add a Web Part above the Project list view just added.

12.    Under the Miscellaneous section, select Content Editor Web Part.

13.    click Add.

14.    Select Edit > Modify Shared Web Part.

15.    Open the Source Editor (right side).

16.    Copy the following code  and paste into the Text Entry dialog box:

17.    Click Save.

You will see that the graph has been added into the web part.

18.    Click OK. If you see the Security Warning box as below, click No.

19.    Click Exit Edit Mode.

With the help of Google Chart API and JavaScript, you can very easily display a graphic representation of your list data. Happy coding! Email me if you have any questions: gpatel@kieferconsulting.com.

         Gatika Patel is a Software Developer at Kiefer Consulting. She specializes in .NET and SharePoint application development, software testing, database management, and architecture planning. She is a Microsoft Certified Profession Developer who earned her M.S. in Software Engineering from San Jose State University in December 2008 and her Bachelor's degree in Information Technology from the Nirma Institute of Technology in India. Her current consulting assignments include various large projects for the State of California.

         Kiefer Consulting, Inc. is the leader in California State Government SharePoint deployments, providing real business solutions using Microsoft .NET technologies. With a 22 year track record of business success, the firm has experience ranging from the first .NET releases all the way to legacy mainframe systems. Kiefer consultants are experts in the technologies they deploy, so clients always get best value solutions that balance Industry Best Practices and new technologies.

         Register now for Kiefer's 2010 events and Edunarsb : www.kieferconsulting.com