JViews Charts Release Notes

This document describes the main changes that have been made to JViews Charts since version 8.0.

Incompatibilities
Charts Symbols Palette
Interactors Source Code
Stacked Charts
Stacked Charts with Negative Values
Radar Charts
Labels of Category Scales
Performance: Batching of Events
Performance: CSS Styling
Performance: Labels
Performance: Repainting
Interactor Precedence
Interactions
Printing
PDF Generation
Sorting a Data Set
Legend Items API
Marker API
Model Sorting API
Model Adapters API
Internationalization
Eclipse/RCP Support
Applet Support
Other Changes in Charts Classes
Other Changes in DHTML JavaServer Faces Components
Other Changes in Utility Classes
Example Changes

Incompatibilities

• Multithread synchronization strategy: Before JViews 8.0 patch 3, the object being locked to avoid concurrent accesses to an IlvChart was sometimes the chart itself and sometimes its associated lock: synchronized (chart) and synchronized (chart.getLock()). Now it is always the associated lock. Please change all occurrences of synchronized (chart) to synchronized (chart.getLock()).
• Batching of events: In JViews 8.0 batching of changes at the data set level (see startBatched, endBatched, isBatched) had the effect to combine several data set events at the data set already. Now, instances of DataSetListener receive these events separately, preceded by an event of type BATCH_BEGIN and followed by an event of type BATCH_END. Please review all your implementations of DataSetListener to make sure that they support the BATCH_BEGIN and BATCH_END event types. Simply ignoring these events is sufficient, although more elaborate treatment might be useful for performance reasons.
• Capabilities requests on IlvChartServletSupport now take "json" not "html" as format. Additional capabilities must now be streamed as JSON not JavaScript.

Charts Symbols Palette

Interactors Source Code

Stacked Charts

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.renderer.IlvBarChartRenderer

• New methods:
  • isStackedByIndex(): Indicates whether the stacking is based on data set indices rather than on X values.
  • setStackedByIndex(boolean): Specifies whether the stacking is based on data set indices rather than on X values.

ilog.views.chart.renderer.IlvPolylineChartRenderer

• New methods:
  • isStackedByIndex(): Indicates whether the stacking is based on data set indices rather than on X values.
  • setStackedByIndex(boolean): Specifies whether the stacking is based on data set indices rather than on X values.

Stacked Charts with Negative Values

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.IlvChartRenderer

• New fields:
  • STACKED_DIVERGING_BAR: Stacked diverging bar chart renderer type.

ilog.views.chart.renderer.IlvBarChartRenderer

• New methods:
  • isDiverging(): Returns true if negative values are stacked separately from positive values.
  • setDiverging(boolean): Specifies whether negative values are stacked separately from positive values.

Radar Charts

ilog.views.chart.renderer.IlvBarChartRenderer

• New methods:
  • getBarShape(): Returns the shape of the bars.
  • setBarShape(int): Sets the shape of the bars.

ilog.views.chart.renderer.IlvSingleBarRenderer

• New methods:
  • getBarShape(): Returns the shape of the bars.
  • setBarShape(int): Sets the shape of the bars.


• New fields:
  • SHAPE_EXACT: In this mode, every bar has an exact projected rectangle shape.
  • SHAPE_POLYGON: In this mode, every bar has a polygonal shape that approximates the exact projected shape.
  • SHAPE_QUADRILATERAL: In this mode, every bar has a quadrilateral (4-gon) shape.

Labels of Category Scales

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.IlvCategoryStepsDefinition

• New methods:
  • isLabelBetweenCategory(): Indicates whether the labels are positioned between categories.
  • setLabelBetweenCategory(boolean): Specifies whether the labels are positioned between categories.

Performance: Batching of Events

In JViews 8.0 batching of changes at the data set level (see startBatched, endBatched, isBatched) had the effect to combine several data set events at the data set already. Now, instances of DataSetListener receive these events separately, preceded by an event of type BATCH_BEGIN and followed by an event of type BATCH_END. Please review all your implementations of DataSetListener to make sure that they support the BATCH_BEGIN and BATCH_END event types. There are three ways of doing so; they differ in the resulting performance:

• Simply ignoring these events.
• Wrapping your listener in an IlvBatchingDataSetListener.
• Elaborate treatment, depending on listener's task.

New Interfaces and Classes

ilog.views.chart.event.IlvBatchingDataSetListener

This class is a data set listener that wraps a data set listener and performs batching of events.

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.event.DataSetContentsEvent

• New fields:
  • BATCH_BEGIN: Type of event sent when a series of events starts.
  • BATCH_END: Type of event sent when a series of events is terminated.

ilog.views.chart.data.IlvFilterDataSet

• New methods:
  • noteBatchBegin(): Reacts on a BATCH_BEGIN event from the underlying data set.
  • noteBatchEnd(): Reacts on a BATCH_END event from the underlying data set.

Performance: CSS Styling

• Matching of the selectors has become more efficient when the style sheet has selectors with many different CSS types or with many different IDs.
• Execution of the declarations has become more efficient when the same declarations apply to many different objects.
• The evaluation of expressions in CSS declarations has been optimized.
• The evaluation of constants as CSS declaration values has been optimized.

Performance: Labels

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.IlvLabelRenderer

• New methods:
  • isCaching(): Returns true if this label renderer caches previous text layouts and bounds, for speed.
  • setCaching(boolean): Determines whether this label renderer caches previous text layouts and bounds, for speed.

Performance: Repainting

Expensive drawing here means that the time to redraw the entire panel can be large, due to a large number of data points or annotations, or rendering with high graphic quality (anti-aliasing, gradients, text or similar).

Frequent update here means around 10 updates per second or more.

In this situation, the slowness can come from the default Swing RepaintManager. By default, it will combine the regions to be updated, preferring an update of a large rectangle to two separate updates of small rectangles. While this is a useful heuristic in a GUI that redraws itself quickly, it can be a performance bottleneck in combination with JViews.

JViews provides a substitute RepaintManager in the class IlvExpensiveDrawingRepaintManager. It can greatly reduce the time needed for a redraw, by applying more advanced heuristics regarding which area to redraw.

New Interfaces and Classes

ilog.views.util.swing.IlvExpensiveDrawingRepaintManager

A repaint manager optimized for expensive drawing.

Interactor Precedence

ilog.views.chart.IlvChartInteractor

• New methods:
  • setPriority(int): Sets the priority of this interactor.

Interactions

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.IlvChart

• New methods:
  • getDisplayItems(IlvChartDataPicker): Returns the display items containing the specified point.

ilog.views.chart.IlvChartRenderer

• New methods:
  • getDisplayItems(Iterator, IlvChartDataPicker): Returns the display items containing the specified point.

Printing

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.IlvChartPrintContext

• New methods:
  • getBackground(): Returns the background color to use, instead of the default background color.

ilog.views.chart.print.IlvChartPrintableDocument

• New methods:
  • getBackground(): Returns the background color override.
  • setBackground(Color): Sets the background color override.

PDF Generation

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.IlvChart

• New methods:
  • paintToFO(Document, boolean, Color): Generates an XSL-FO element representing this chart.

Sorting a Data Set

New Interfaces and Classes

ilog.views.chart.data.IlvXSortedDataSet

This class encapsulates a data set and sorts its data points so that the X values are in ascending order.

Legend Items API

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.IlvLegendItem

• New methods:
  • drawLabel(Graphics, Point2D): Draws the label part of the item.
  • drawSymbol(Graphics, Rectangle): Draws the symbol part of the item.
  • getLabelDimension(): Returns the dimension of the label part of the item.

ilog.views.chart.IlvIconLegendItem

• New methods:
  • drawSymbol(Graphics, Rectangle): Draws the symbol part of this item.

ilog.views.chart.IlvRendererLegendItem

• New methods:
  • drawSymbol(Graphics, Rectangle): Draws the symbol part of this item.
  • updateLabel(): Updates the label before drawing this item.

Marker API

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.graphic.IlvMarkerFactory

• New fields:
  • CIRCLE: Predefined circle marker type.
  • CROSS: Predefined cross marker type.
  • DIAMOND: Predefined diamond marker type.
  • NONE: Predefined internal marker type.
  • PLUS: Predefined plus marker type.
  • SQUARE: Predefined square marker type.
  • TRIANGLE: Predefined triangle marker type.

Model Sorting API

New Classes

ilog.views.chart.datax.adapter.sort.IlvComparatorFactory

This interface allows you to create a Comparator for the objects in a given object model.

ilog.views.chart.datax.adapter.sort.IlvConstantComparatorFactory

This class represents a comparison that does not depend on the model being sorted.

ilog.views.chart.datax.adapter.sort.IlvLexicographicComparatorFactory

This class represents a comparison based on multiple comparison criteria, also known as "lexicographic" sorting.

ilog.views.chart.datax.adapter.sort.IlvColumnValueComparatorFactory

This class represents a comparison between model objects that is based on the values of the object in a given column.

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.data.IlvTreeTableDataSource

• New methods:
  • getSortCriterionFactory(): Returns the sort criterion used to order the model objects, as a model-independent factory.
  • setSortCriterionFactory(IlvComparatorFactory): Changes the sort criterion used to order the model objects.

Model Adapters API

ilog.views.chart.datax.adapter.IlvDataSourceToFlatTableModel

• New constructors:
  • IlvDataSourceToFlatTableModel(IlvDataSource, boolean): Creates a model backed by a given IlvDataSource.


• New methods:
  • getUnderlyingDataSource(): Returns the underlying data source.
  • isIncludingLabels(): Returns true if the labels are included as table columns.

Internationalization

ilog.views.chart.data.xml.IlvXMLDataWriter

• New constructors:
  • IlvXMLDataWriter(Locale): Creates a new IlvXMLDataWriter.


• New methods:
  • getLocale(): Returns the locale used to convert dates to a textual representation.
  • setLocale(Locale): Sets the locale used to convert dates to a textual representation.

Eclipse/RCP Support

JViews applications may need to use resources coming from different, unrelated plugins. You can register the class loaders of these plugins in the class IlvClassLoaderUtil, to ensure JViews will find them, despite the fact they are not all reachable from a single class loader.

New Interfaces and Classes

ilog.views.util.IlvClassLoaderUtil

This class contains utility functions for registering class loaders and for looking up classes and resources.

Applet Support

New Interfaces and Classes

ilog.views.util.IlvResourceUtil

Utilities for resource bundles.

Other Changes in Charts Classes

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.IlvAxis

• Overview of new features:
  • The visible minimum and maximum can now be specified independently, for example in CSS. Likewise for the minimum and maximum value in data coordinates.
  • A convenience method isAutoDataRange has been added.
• New methods:
  • getSpecifiedDataMax(): Returns the specified maximum value of data along this axis.
  • getSpecifiedDataMin(): Returns the specified minimum value of data along this axis.
  • getSpecifiedVisibleMax(): Returns the specified maximum value along this axis.
  • getSpecifiedVisibleMin(): Returns the specified minimum value along this axis.
  • isAutoDataRange(): Returns true if the data range is computed and updated automatically.

ilog.views.chart.IlvChart.Area

• New methods:
  • revalidateLayout(): Revalidates the layout of this component.

ilog.views.chart.IlvChartDecoration

• Overview of new features:
  • The drawing of decorations is now performed in three steps: beforeDraw, then draw, then afterDraw. This produces better results when some of the decorations overlap.
• New methods:
  • afterDraw(Graphics): Invoked after the draw method of all the drawables that have the same drawing order.
  • beforeDraw(Graphics): Invoked before the draw method of all the drawables that have the same drawing order.

ilog.views.chart.graphic.IlvDataIndicator

• Overview of new features:
  • The drawing of overlapping data indicators produces better results.
  • The drawing style of the data indicator can be customized in subclasses.
• New methods:
  • afterDraw(Graphics): Draws the border of the indicator into the specified Graphics context.
  • beforeDraw(Graphics): Draws the background of the indicator into the specified Graphics context.
  • getDrawStyle(): Returns the rendering style actually used for this indicator.

ilog.views.chart.IlvChartInteractor

• New methods:
  • getAWTEventMask(): Returns the event mask.
  • setChart(IlvChart): Called when this interactor is attached to a chart or detached from its current chart.
  • toDisplay(IlvDoublePoint): Returns the display coordinates corresponding to the specified data value.

ilog.views.chart.IlvChartRenderer

• Overview of new features:
  • A utility method used by some interactors has been added.
• New methods:
  • getVirtualDataSet(IlvDataSet): Returns the virtual data set that is actually used, internally in the renderer, for rendering the specified data set.

ilog.views.chart.IlvDoublePoints

• New methods:
  • swapXYValues(): Swaps the x-values array and the y-values array.

ilog.views.chart.IlvLabelRenderer

• Overview of new features:
  • The label can now be painted at floating-point (x,y) coordinates.
• New methods:
  • getBounds(JComponent, double, double, String, Rectangle2D): Returns the label bounds, according to the given position.
  • paintLabel(JComponent, Graphics, String, double, double): Paints the label at the given position.
  • paintLabel(JComponent, Color, Graphics, String, double, double): Paints the label at the given position.

ilog.views.chart.IlvCategoryStepsDefinition

• Overview of new features:
  • The labels data set can now be specified through its index in the data source.
  • A few accessors have been added.
• New methods:
  • getLabelDataSet(): Returns the data set that is used for computing labels.
  • getLabelDataSetIndex(): Returns the specified index of the labels data set in the chart's data source.
  • setLabelDataSetIndex(int): Sets the index of the labels data set in the chart's data source.

ilog.views.chart.data.IlvAbstractDataSet

• Overview of new features:
  • Subclasses of IlvAbstractDataSet that have overridden computeLimits now have a way to invalidate the range cache.
• New methods:
  • invalidateLimits(): Invalidates the entire x range and y range cache.
  • invalidateLimits(int, int): Invalidates the x range cache and y range cache from index firstIdx to index lastIdx (inclusive).

ilog.views.chart.data.IlvDataPoints

• New methods:
  • add(int, double[], double[], int[], int): Inserts the specified values at the specified index.

ilog.views.chart.data.IlvDefaultDataSet

• Overview of new features:
  • The methods that have been added make this class behave similarly to a JavaBean.
• New constructors:
  • IlvDefaultDataSet(String, boolean): Creates a new data set with the default initial capacity for data point storage.


• New methods:
  • getDataLabels(): Returns the data point labels.
  • getXValues(): Returns the x values of all data points in a freshly allocated array.
  • setXValues(double[]): Changes the x values of all data points.
  • getYValues(): Returns the y values of all data points in a freshly allocated array.
  • setYValues(double[]): Changes the y values of all data points.
  • setXData(int, double): Modifies the x value of the data point at the specified index.
  • setYData(int, double): Modifies the y value of the data point at the specified index.

ilog.views.chart.data.IlvDefaultDataSource

• Overview of new features:
  • The methods that have been added make this class behave similarly to a JavaBean
• New methods:
  • getDataSetAtPosition(int): Returns the data set at a specified target position.
  • setDataSetAtPosition(int, IlvDataSet): Sets the data set at a specified target position.

ilog.views.chart.data.IlvSwingTableDataSource

• New methods:
  • formatDataLabel(String): Returns the data label to be used for a table cell value.

ilog.views.chart.data.lod.IlvDataTile

• New methods:
  • getindex(): Returns the ID of the tile.

ilog.views.chart.data.lod.IlvLODDataSet

• New methods:
  • getDataBetween(int, int): Returns the data points between the two specified indices.

ilog.views.chart.renderer.IlvPieChartRenderer

• Overview of new features:
  • A strokeOn bean property has been added. It propagates down to every IlvSinglePieRenderer child renderer.
• New methods:
  • isStrokeOn(): Indicates whether the outline of the slices is drawn.
  • setStrokeOn(boolean): Specifies whether the outline of the slices is drawn.

ilog.views.chart.renderer.IlvTreemapChartRenderer

• Overview of new features:
  • The effective primary and secondary direction are now accessible through the API.
• New methods:
  • getResolvedPrimaryDirection(): Returns the primary direction of arrangement of the rectangles, resolving locale dependent directions.
  • getResolvedSecondaryDirection(): Returns the secondary direction of arrangement of the rectangles, resolving locale dependent directions.

Other Changes in DHTML JavaServer Faces Components

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.faces.dhtml.component.IlvChartDHTMLView

• Overview of new features:
  • Ability to set a handler called when the HTTP session is about to expire.
• New methods:
  • getBeforeSessionExpirationHandler(): Returns the JavaScript code that will be called when the session is about to expire.
  • setBeforeSessionExpirationHandler(String): Sets the JavaScript code that will be called when the session is about to expire.

ilog.views.chart.servlet.IlvChartServletSupport

• Overview of new features:
  • Capabilities requests on now take "json" not "html" as format. Additional capabilities must now be stream as JSON not JavaScript.
• New methods:
  • getAdditionalCapabilities(IlvChart, IlvServletRequestParameters): Allows you to put additional capabilities to the capability request.
  • getAdditionalOverviewCapabilities(IlvChart, IlvServletRequestParameters): Allows you to put additional capabilities to the overview capability request.


• New fields:
  • JSON_CAP_FORMAT: The JSON capabilities format value for CAP_FORMAT_PARAM.

ilog.views.chart.servlet.IlvIMapArea

• Overview of new features:
  • Ability to define image map areas for arbitrary shapes, not just polygons and circles.
• New constructors:
  • IlvIMapArea(Shape, IlvIMapAttributes): Initializes an area with the specified shape and attributes.
  • IlvIMapArea(Shape, double, double, IlvIMapAttributes): Initializes an area with the specified shape and attributes.


• New methods:
  • createTag(Shape, IlvIMapAttributes): Returns the tag corresponding to a map area of an arbitrary shape.
  • createTag(Shape, double, double, IlvIMapAttributes): Returns the tag corresponding to a map area of an arbitrary shape.

Other Changes in Utility Classes

New Interfaces and Classes

ilog.views.util.IlvRuntimeException

IlvRuntimeException is a simple RuntimeException extension that allows a checked exception to be wrapped and rethrown as an unchecked exception.

ilog.views.util.collections.IlvBreadthFirstIterator

IlvBreadthFirstIterator is an abstract class that provides traversal over a generic tree structure of objects in breadth first order.

ilog.views.util.data.IlvCSVTableModel

This class represents a table model as returned by the IlvCSVReader.

ilog.views.util.swing.IlvEventUtil

Utilities for event masks.

ilog.views.util.swing.IlvJSplitPane

This class is a variant of the Swing JSplitPane for which the setDividerLocation call has an effect even if called early, before the component is validated.

ilog.views.util.swing.layout.IlvGridFlowLayout

IlvGridFlowLayout is an extension of GridLayout that lays out the components of a container in a rectangular grid.

Modified Classes

ilog.views.chart.swing.IlvDoubleSlider

• New methods:
  • getIntervalToolTipText(double, double): Returns the tooltip text corresponding to the interval (both thumbs).
  • getLowerBoundToolTipText(double): Returns the tooltip text corresponding to the lower bound (left thumb).
  • getUpperBoundToolTipText(double): Returns the tooltip text corresponding to the upper bound (right thumb).

ilog.views.util.styling.IlvMutableStyleSheet

• New methods:
  • removeAllRules(): Removes all rules.

ilog.views.util.swing.IlvSwingUtil

• Overview of new features:
  • New utility methods for creating HTML tooltips have been added.
• New methods:
  • createMultiLineToolTipText(String[], int): Creates an HTML text string that will render lines as a multiline tooltip.
  • escapeForHTMLAttribute(String, boolean): Converts a string to HTML syntax, for including in an HTML attribute.
  • escapeForHTMLElement(String, boolean): Converts a string to HTML syntax, for including in an HTML element.
  • invokeAndWaitForIdle(Runnable): This method executes runnable.run() synchronously on the AWT event dispatching thread.

ilog.views.util.swing.SwingFactories

• Overview of new features:
  • Now provides a subclass of javax.swing.JTextField that validates the editing also on focus lost.
• New methods:
  • createTextField(String): Returns a subclass of javax.swing.JTextField that validates the editing also on focus lost.
  • createTextField(Document, String, int): Returns a subclass of javax.swing.JTextField that validates the editing also on focus lost.

Example Changes

• A new sample interactors has been added. It shows the use of the built-in interactors. It also contains full source code, to help you writing your own interactors.