Chart Engine supports adding charting capabilities to a Java application. An application can use Chart Engine without using the BIRT reporting functionality or Report Engine. Chart Engine integrates into an existing Eclipse platform on Microsoft Windows, UNIX, or Linux. You can also install Chart Engine on an existing J2EE application server. To use Chart Engine, you use its public API, org.eclipse.birt.chart.
Both BIRT Report Designer and BIRT RCP Report Designer include all the components of Chart Engine. If you are using a BIRT report designer, you do not need to install BIRT Chart Engine separately.
How to install BIRT Chart Engine
On the BIRT website, perform the following operations:
1 Navigate to BIRT Downloads for build 4.3.1.
2 In More Downloads, choose full BIRT 4.3.1 Download Page.
3 In the Chart Engine section, choose the Chart Engine archive file:
birt-charts-4_3_1.zip
4 Extract all files from the archive to a location of your choice.
5 Start Eclipse from the command line with the -clean option to remove cached information.
The archive extraction process creates the following subdirectories in the extraction directory:
ChartRuntime
This directory contains the plug-ins and libraries that an Eclipse platform requires to run, render, and edit charts.
ChartSDK
This directory contains the plug-ins and libraries from the ChartRuntime directory plus the SDK that you need to create your own charting applications. It also includes examples, source code, and a Web Tools Platform (WTP) extension to support charts in web applications.
DeploymentRuntime
This directory contains the libraries that you need to run your charting application in a non-Eclipse environment such as on an application server.
The Chart Engine download file also includes extensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and examples illustrating how to use Chart Engine. After extracting the archive, you can find the FAQ at the following location:
ChartRuntime