On Thursday, Google rolled out the new Google Charts API, which makes putting stunning, dynamic charts into your web pages easier than you’d think. And don’t let the term “API” scare you off with this one. The new Google Charts API is perhaps one of the simplest Google APIs to learn to date, and you don’t have to be a brilliant programmer to figure it out.
The Charts API was original created by Google’s Zurich team for use internally. You may recognize the charts, as they have appeared countless times in Google Video and Google Finance. Now Google has opened up the technology to the masses, and I fully expect to see these charts popping up in a lot more places soon.
In response to a URL, the Google Chart API will return a PNG format image. Several different types of charts can be returned, including: line graphics, pie charts, bar charts, Venn diagraphs, and scatter plots. Chart API images can be easily embedded into a webpage by embedding a URL within an tag, so that when the page is displayed in a browser, the Chart API renders the image within the page.
To get started with the Google Charts API, I would recommend visiting the Developer’s Guide website, where you can get acquainted with the processes and codes used. Once you understand how the basics of it work, you’ll be making your own great charts in no time. And I promise you, the Charts API is far easier to use than Google’s Maps API, and there isn’t as much of a learning curve.
