How do I display results in a graph?

[sstaubin01]

I am including a survey form on my site. I'm going to take input from radio buttons and update a corrosponding column by adding 1 to the value in a MySql table using PHP. I can display the results of all the responses as a numericial value but I also want to display these results in a graphical bar chart. Can anyone give me information on how to do this? Thanks.

[Paul S]

you can create your graphics on fly with php, first check if you have GD support enabled (with phpinfo()).
If so, you can use GD's graphics primitives to draw from lines, rectangles to TTF text.

Paul

[Paul S]

for example, try

<?php 
  $width  = 100;
  $height = 100;

  header("Content-type: image/jpeg");      

  $img    = imageCreate($width, $height);
  $color1 = imageColorAllocate($img, 255, 0, 0);
  imageFilledRectangle($img, 0, 0, $width / 2, $height / 2, $color1);
  imageJPG($img);
?>

[Darin]

I haven't tried this, nor do I have any idea if it will work, but why not create a small image (10x1 pixels), put the color or design of the graph you want, then put the submitted variable between the width tag.

Like so:

<img src="graph.gif" width="$num" height="10"> 

And if they vote 10, or something, the graph extends to ten. Like I said, I have no idea what you are trying to do.

[Defender1]

he's trying to create an image on the fly.
not just stretch (cause that's all what your saying would) a current one.

[sstaubin01]

Thanks guys. Both ideas seem very straight foward. I'll try them and see what I get.

[TWTCommish]

Originally posted by Defender1
he's trying to create an image on the fly.
not just stretch (cause that's all what your saying would) a current one.

I disagree. Unless I missed something, I don't think he said he was trying to create an image on the fly. He said he had a survey script...which is the ideal script to use a "stretched" image for. The effect is much simpler, puts less strain on the server, doesn't take as long, I'd imagine, and doesn't require that his host/server have the proper image-manipulation tools enabled (I think they can be turned off).

However, I would recommend creating three graphics in all...one for each "end" of the bar, and one in the middle to be stretched, so that the graphic looks more seamless.

[lveale]

I've used the 10x1 pixel method before and it's worked a treat. I also used the alt tag to describe the image, as I had to conform to XHTML1.0 :

<img src="graph_pix.gif"
 height= "10" 
 width="<?=$perc2?>" 
 alt="<?=$perc2?>% of <?=$totalvotes?> votes" />