Highcharts on the server

Server
Please note that the technology discussed in this article has been upgraded. For more information, please visit Introducing the Node.js Export Server. 

 

Traditionally Highcharts or Highstock graphs runs in the browser on the client side. However in some cases it could be preferred to run on the server or in a way interacting with server side applications. In this article are several initiatives listed that make this possible.

GWT HIGHCHARTS (MOXIE GROUP)

The folks over at Moxie Group have released a comprehensive GWT wrapper for Highcharts.GWT Highcharts is a freely available open source library (released under the Apache license) that provides an elegant and feature complete approach for including Highcharts and Highstock visualizations within a GWT application using pure Java code (including GWT widget libraries, such as SmartGWT or Ext GWT.)

The project includes a thorough user guide, detailed API documentation, and a handy showcase application which includes code examples of the various chart types in action. For those looking to include compelling charting and visualizations with a GWT application, we’re excited that this solution is now available. You’ll find the project page here

HIGHCHARTS-SERVERSIDE-EXPORT WITH RHINO/BATIK (ONE2TEAM)

An alternative to a GWT-based approach is provided by One2team with an server side exporter based on Rhino and Batik. An java wrapper is build around Highcharts options set, which make it possible to create an chart in java to pass it on to Rhino/Batik for generating an image. The sequence of processing is as follows: java ChartOptions ==> Rhino ==> Highcharts ==> SVG ==> image (png, JPEG, etc…) Interesting is also the possibility to respond to client side JSON and to output JSON to the client.

You will find the project’s source code on Github along with a few examples.