Comparing HTML5, Flash, and BIRT charts
Use the information in
Table 12‑1 to decide which chart format to use in a report.
Table 12‑1 Features available in HTML5, Flash, and BIRT charts
| HTML5 | Flash | BIRT |
Displays in the web viewer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Displays in PDF | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Displays in other document formats (DOC, PPT, XLS, etc.) as a static image | ✓ | – | ✓ |
Supported on mobile devices | ✓ | limited | ✓ |
Provides animation | ✓ | ✓ | – |
Supports customization through scripting | ✓ | limited | ✓ |
Rank in number of available chart types, 1 being the highest | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Table 12‑1 does not list the chart types or chart properties supported by each chart format because that list would be too long. As the last item in the table indicates, in this release, HTML5 charts support the fewest number of chart types. However, the common chart types, such as bar, line, pie, and area, are supported. As you design HTML5 charts, you will also discover that many of the properties available to BIRT charts are also available to HTML5 charts.
If creating animated charts, first review the set of HTML5 charts to see if a suitable chart is available. If you need to present data in a chart that is not available in HTML5 (for example, maps or complex combination charts), use a Flash object. Note, however, that Flash objects have limited support on mobile devices, and Adobe is discontinuing further development of Flash technology for mobile devices.
Information about using Flash objects in a report is provided later in this book. For information about building BIRT charts, see BIRT: A Field Guide.