Java is one of the most common technologies in use on websites. It is a great language that allows web developers to create some fantastic features on websites. Many developers use Java to generate dynamic information from data stored on the website rather than rely on using static images and data.

One area where it really highlights trends in data is to show it in graphical format, and the Java Graph Library offers web developers all of the tools that they could need to achieve this. By using a standard library, a developer will not have to re-invent the wheel every time they wish add graphs to a website.

Why Graphs?
As the saying goes, “A picture paints a thousand words”. This is certainly true when it comes to some of the boring lists of numbers that companies want to display on their website. While visitors to a website can interpret the numbers for themselves, a graph can show the same details much quicker and it is a lot easier to notice any important trends in the data.

For static data, it is simple to draw a graph and then add it to the website as an image. However, in many cases the data changes over time and it is better if the website will generate the graph dynamically from the data. This is relatively straightforward to program in many languages, and Java is no exception.

The beauty of graphs is that it does not matter what the numbers represent. Any data can be shown in a graph, from the latest sales or stock market ticker price to the ambient outside temperature. What the numbers are is irrelevant – it will always look better displayed in a graph.

Java Graph Library
One of the reasons that Java is so popular with developers is the widespread availability of libraries that contain pre-written functions. These save a great deal of development time and cost, and allow the same functions to be used in many different projects.

If you are thinking of using Java to include graphs in your website, then the Java Graph Library is a great starting point. Including this with your source code will make all the functions needed to create great graphs available to your website.

Creating Graphs With Java
Before you can write the code to display the graphs on your website, the first decision is to decide what type of graph to use to display the information. Some data is better as a bar chart, while in other situations a pie chart or line chart might be more suited. The best method is to use a spreadsheet to create charts with sample data and see what looks best. Once you start to use Java to produce the graphs you can compare the two sets and ensure that they are identical.

Using the Java Graph Library is a great way to add visual displays of information onto a website. These graphs make the information stand out and a lot easier to understand than just a list of numbers, and making for a more compelling experience for users of the website.