## Overview
FusionCharts Free is an open-source FREE flash charting component that can be used to render data-driven animated charts. Made in Macromedia Flash MX, FusionCharts can be used with any web scripting language like PHP, ASP, .NET, JSP, ColdFusion, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails etc., to deliver interactive and powerful charts. Using XML as its data interface, FusionCharts makes full use of fluid beauty of Flash to create compact, interactive and visually-arresting charts.
Advantages of using FusionCharts
| Animated and interactive Charts
| Using FusionCharts , you can quickly and easily render animated charts that have a lot of interactive options for the end users.
| Easy yet powerful JavaScript integration
| FusionCharts offers advanced options to integrate charts with JavaScript modules. You can update charts on client side, invoke JavaScript functions as hotspot links.
| No installation hassles
| To use FusionCharts , you do not have to install anything on your server. All you need to do is copy-paste the SWF files (the core files of FusionCharts) to your server, just like you would do to any image files - and you're ready to go! So, even on those servers which do not allow installation of ActiveX or any other form of components, FusionCharts can run without any hassles.
| Easy to use
| FusionCharts makes the chart creation process a painless experience for you. Since it uses XML as its data, all you need to do is convert your data into XML using a programming language or even using a text editor like Notepad etc. - and that's all what is required to create interactive and animated charts. The best part is you DO NOT need to know anything about Flash to use FusionCharts .
| Runs on a variety of platforms
| Irrespective of what server side scripting language you're using, FusionCharts can be used to create charts in that. Since FusionCharts uses XML as the data interface, you can run it on any server and against any scripting language. Also, to view the charts, your users just need to have Adobe Flash Player 6 (or above), which is one of the most used browser plugins on the planet.
| Reduces load on your servers
| In traditional image based charting systems, the charts are generated as image at the server side. So, for each chart that you need to serve to a user, you'll have to build complex images on the server and then stream it to the client. When the need of hour is high, this can be an expensive resource on the server, as image creation takes a lot of toll on the server. FusionCharts brings you great relief - all the charts are rendered at client side using the widely installed Adobe Flash Platform. The server is just responsible for streaming the pre-built SWF files and your XML data files to the end viewers. From there on, Flash Player takes the onus of rendering the charts. Also, the chart SWF Files can be cached so that you can just update the data, and not send chart SWF files every time.
| A plethora of chart types
| FusionCharts offers you a plethora of chart types. From the basic bar, column, line, pie etc. to the advanced combination charts, gantt chart, you can build all the charts with the same ease of use.
| Avail it absolutely FREE. Period.
| You can get FusionCharts Free without having to spend a single buck. It has no hidden gimmicks or advertisement linking back to our website. Free means truly FREE here. FusionCharts v3, on the other hand, offers advanced options like gradients, 3D lightings (glow, blur, bevel & shadow effects), animation, debugging, AJAX support, dynamic data loading, more chart types etc.