Google Has a Charting API Too Now

Yahoo: Look Google, I’ve got a Flash charts API now. I make it easier for people to plot their data, and look, pretty colors.

Google: So what. Look what I’ve got. I have URL-based chart creation with fun, cartoon-ish Google colors. My API is way easier, and plus, since I’m Google, everyone will use my API and not yours.

Y: Why are you so mean to me? We both have two O’s in our name. Can’t we be friends?

G: No. That’s right, you heard me. I’m better. Now kiss my feet.

Sigh, poor Yahoo. Right after Yahoo released their flash-based charting API, Google proudly announces a super simple charting API of their own. The idea is very straightforward. It all starts with the URL http://chart.apis.google.com/chart and from there

1. Add parameters to URL
2. Link to URL as an image

That’s it.

For example, this URL

http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?chs=520×225&chd=s:helloWorld&cht=lc&chxt=x,y&
chxl=0:|Mar|Apr|May|June|July|1:||50+Kb

gives you

You have the usual options of line, bar, pie, venn, and scatter; and you can change the colors, labels, size, etc.

With all the charting available, could this be a sign that data is becoming more popular?

[via Blogoscoped]