SAS/GRAPH Software: Reference

Creating Java Applets and ActiveX Controls

When used with ODS, procedures GCHART, GCONTOUR, GMAP, GPLOT, and G3D enable you to specify DEVICE=JAVA on a GOPTIONS statement to generate graphs that are Java applets. These same procedures enable you to use DEVICE=ACTIVEX to generate graphs that are ActiveX controls. The DEVICE=JAVA or DEVICE=ACTIVEX settings are used instead of specifying DEVICE=GIF; otherwise, the ODS capabilities are the same as those discussed in Using the Output Delivery System (ODS) with SAS/GRAPH Software.

The JAVA and ACTIVEX device drivers can be used with the GCHART, GCONTOUR, GMAP, GPLOT, and G3D procedures. They cannot be used with any other SAS/GRAPH procedures.

Both the JAVA and ACTIVEX drivers create an HTML file that defines the graphs that are generated in the SAS program. The JAVA driver references each graph within an <APPLET> tag; the graphs can only be displayed in web browsers that support Java applets. The ACTIVEX driver references each graph within an <OBJECT> tag; the graphs can only be displayed in Web browsers that run in a Windows operating environment and that support ActiveX controls.

Graphs that are saved as GIF files are static graphs when viewed in a Web browser. However, Java or ActiveX graphs can be modified interactively during a browser session. For example, you can change the graph type from a bar chart to a pie chart, and then change the colors of the pie slices.

To take advantage of the features available in Java applets and ActiveX controls, SAS/GRAPH produces graphs that suit these device types. The resulting Java or ActiveX graphs may differ visually from their corresponding GRSEGs, but they show the same data relationships as the GRSEG shows: the visual differences are aesthetic differences.

Because SAS/GRAPH produces graphs that take advantage of the Java and ActiveX technologies, not every SAS/GRAPH option that you set in your SAS program is applied to the Java or ActiveX graph. Again, the graph essentially shows the same data relationships as the corresponding GRSEG, but the graph's visual characteristics may be different.

For more information about the Java applets and ActiveX controls, consult the Version 8 online documentation that is listed on the Publication pages of the SAS external Web site (http://www.sas.com), or contact SAS Institute Technical Support.

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