V4 Future Request: Google Chart API for customer reporting

[ppafford]

Add Google chart API for chart/graph reporting

[pkreil]

Please do not.

It is not ok to offer Google a bunch of internal information for a lot of companies.

There are enough charting-engines available, that could be used for some nicer reports. Running on the same server as kayako and not violating security.

[Jamie Edwards]

Hi ppafford,

This isn't something we will offer out of the box. We will use chart libraries, but we will not use externally hosted chart libraries, however.

V4 will feature a very rich API, so you may be able to integrate it yourself.

[Thijs]

Originally Posted by pkreil

Please do not.

It is not ok to offer Google a bunch of internal information for a lot of companies.

There are enough charting-engines available, that could be used for some nicer reports. Running on the same server as kayako and not violating security.

I agree totally with this.

We don't want to have google inside because their apps may be so nice, I rather keep them out

[ppafford]

PARANOID!

Wow what do you think Google is tracking?

The Google chart API is a URL that returns a .png image of a chart.

Developer's Guide - Google Chart API - Google Code

Google Privacy Center - Privacy Policy

Terms of Service - Google Chart API - Google Code

What info are they going to collect?

so if you post to a URL like this:

[FONT=verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif]http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=p3&chd=t:60,40,30&chs=250x100&chl=Ticket s|Open|Closed

Yes I would agree if I where to pass a more detailed information, but to have the user have this option would be great for a custom chart/graph
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[craigbrass]

I don't use Google Analytics for a similar reason. I don't want Google being able to track me around the net using my IP and all sites I visit. Also, I don't want them knowing how well my business is doing using the conversion tracking.

[ppafford]

sure I get your point, but your just posting to a URL so your server IP is all Google could track there. and then only the info you pass in the URL itself which you could limit or make very generic.

I know of other PHP graph libraries but Google's solution could be a user option, that could graph custom reports that the user makes.

The user would make the end call if they wanted to use it our not, just in case they don't want their info tracked by Google/etc...

[craigbrass]

In regards to this, I am not bothered about them tracking my server IP, I would be more concerned about them knowing business statistics. It would be worse if these statistics were being fed from a shopping cart for example - they would know a lot about your business.

[ppafford]

I think we are getting off topic, I just made the request to have the ability to offer the end user the option to use Google Chart API.

If Kayako comes with a shopping cart, I don't use that option...

I just would like to expand the reporting for Kayako as it is very limited.

I would like the ability to make my own custom charts as well, this would allow me to make a more in depth report that I could download and send to higher ups in the company to see the statistics Kayako is producing.

I think that if Kayako would provide another solution to custom reporting that would allow me to do a pie chart, bar chart, line chart, etc... easily. Great.

but as of now they do not.

I use Google Chart API in other apps I have written and it works great.

I am not worried about Google tracking my IP or the information I pass in the URL to create the chart/.png file.

I know not to pass sensitive info to eh URL, but just basic descriptive tags like: tickets and Percentage.

I also make a legend (Not with Google) to use the different color of the graph so I can link the two.

Just a thought

[John Haugeland]

PPafford: we are likely to implement charting. However, we're going to be doing it server-locally rather than over an external API. Regardless how you feel about the security issue question, many companies' security policies, as well as those of many government agencies, would disallow such API use, and make them unable to use our product.

Personally, I'm pushing for Flex Charts internally, because I think they're the best looking charts on the open market at the moment.

Anyway, look. We agree with the underlying feature request, but due to limitations that many of our customers face in the real world which they cannot get around, it really has to be server local. Even if we wanted to use Google API, it would cause way too many problems for our users. External API charting is off the table. The hassle involved with supporting multiple charting libraries, the inevitable bugs such a thing would bring and so on make that answer unattractive; besides, wouldn't you rather we were working on a new feature after there was one usable charting system?

Is there a particular reason you're this interested in specifically Google's API? Maybe if you're after a specific feature or look, maybe it's something we can facilitate.

[John Haugeland]

Here's a widget toybox for the Flex 2 charting components. We'd actually be using the Flex 3 charting components, but I can't find a toybox for the Flex 3 stuff. Still, my opinion is that even the Flex 2 stuff just destroys the competition.

I would be interested to hear your opinion, though.

http://demo.quietlyscheming.com/ChartSampler/app.html

[ppafford]

WOW, great demo. I would love to see this

http://demo.quietlyscheming.com/ChartSampler/app.html

Thanks