Installing JClass Chart

Before You Begin · JDK 1.0.2 and JDK 1.1 · Minimum Requirements

Installation and File Descriptions · The -classes.zip Archive

Before You Begin

Be sure that your system and development environment are set up correctly before installing JClass Chart. You must be able to create and run simple Java applications or applets before attempting to use JClass Chart. Consult the Java(tm) Developer's Kit (JDK) documentation for assistance in determining the location of the Java compiler (javac) and the Java class files.

A good source of general information on Java is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list that can be found at the JavaSoft Web site at http://www.javasoft.com/faq2.html.

JDK 1.0.2 and JDK 1.1

The Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.0.2 and JDK 1.1 are two entirely different versions of the JDK. The two versions have significant differences. Applets and applications written for JDK 1.1 will not run in a JDK 1.0.2 environment. Applets and applications written for JDK 1.0.2 should run in a JDK 1.1 environment, but most do not run well.

All JClass products work with both JDK 1.1 and JDK 1.0.2. However, you must download the correct version for your environment.

JClass products made with JDK 1.0.2 are referred to as the "Transitional Bean" version of the product, and this is denoted by the capital letter "T" in the version name of the product (i.e. JClass Chart 1.0T) and of the name of the file containing the JClass productÆs .class files (i.e. jcchart{xxx}T-classes.zip). The JDK 1.1 version of JClass products drop the capital letter "T" from the version name of the product and from the file containing the compiled .class files. If you are developing programs under JDK 1.0.2, ensure you are using the Transitional Bean version of the product, and if you are using JDK 1.1, ensure you are using the non-Transition Bean version of the product.

Note: At the time of writing, no commercial browser could run JDK 1.1, so applets made with JClass Chart for JDK 1.1 will not run in current web browsers. Until JDK 1.1 browsers are released, you can use the JDK 1.1 appletviewer or SunÆs HotJava browser (freely available at http://www.javasoft.com/nav/download/index.html) to display HTML pages containing JDK 1.1 applets.

Determining the JDK and JClass Chart Version

If you are unsure of the version of the JDK on your system, type the following at the command prompt: 
     java -version
It will return the version number of the JDK on your system.

To determine the version of JClass Chart you are using on your system, type in the following code (version_test): 

import java.awt.*;
import jclass.chart.*;

class version_test {

public static void main (String args[]) {
     System.out.println(JCChart.version);
     }
}
When you compile and run the program, it prints the JClass Chart version.

Minimum Requirements

The following lists the development environment version requirements for JClass Chart. JClass Chart does not add to the system requirements of your development environment.JClass Chart must be used with JDK 1.0.2 or JDK 1.1. The JDK can be obtained from the JavaSoft Web site at http://www.javasoft.com/products/JDK/index.html.

The JDK is currently available for these platforms:

If you are planning to use JClass Chart components within Java applets, ensure you view their performance through a Java-capable Web browser. Ensure you are using Netscape Navigator 3.0 or higher, Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or better, or any other Java-capable Web browser.

Installation and File Descriptions

JClass Chart is distributed in several forms, for different platforms and different versions of the JDK. For example, one distribution is in ZIP format for JDK 1.0.2, another is in compressed TAR format for JDK 1.1. Once you obtain the distribution file you need, install JClass Chart: Extracting or installing the distribution file creates the following directories and files on your system: The jclass/chart/api/ directory contains hypertext documentation of all of the JClass Chart classes in HTML format. To view the documentation, open jclass_chart.html in a Frames-capable browser (such as Netscape Navigator 3.0 or Internet Explorer 3.0). If you do not have a Frames-capable browser, open chart_default.html instead, which explains how the JClass Chart API is arranged; then proceed to chart_toc.html, the Table of Contents file.

The jclass/chart/examples/ and jclass/chart/demos/ directories contain sample Java programs that use JClass Chart components. Each directory contains the file index.html, which provides a convenient way of accessing the Java applets in the directory. The Java programs can also be run directly from the command prompt. They can also be accessed through the HTML documentation from jclass_chart.html.

The jclass/chart/lib/jcchart{xxx}-classes.zip file ({xxx} is the JClass Chart version number) contains all of the JClass Chart Java .class files. Your CLASSPATH environment variable needs to point to this file. Full details on setting up your CLASSPATH can be found in the "Setting CLASSPATH" section in JClass Chart Overview.

The jclass/chart/lib/jcchart{xxx}-classes.jar file contains the same JClass Chart Java .class files as the -classes.zip file, but in Java Archive (JAR) format. At the time of writing, no Integrated Development Environments or Web browsers use this format, but it is expected to be widely adopted in the near future.

The jclass/integrations/VisualCafe/Chart/ directory (JDK 1.0.2 "Transitional Bean" version only) contains files that enable Chart components to be used with SymantecÆs Visual Cafe 1.0. Note that the EXE format of JClass Chart installs this integration automatically. Otherwise, follow the instructions in the index.html file to install it.

jclass/readme.txt is an ASCII text file containing information about the files contained in this release. This file can be viewed through any text viewer (such as Notepad or WordPad) or a word processor.

The html.cht file contains example uses of JCChartApplet. They show how JClass Chart can be configured using only HTML parameters.

The -classes.zip Archive

The core of JClass Chart is the jcchart{xxx}-classes.zip file ({xxx} is the JClass Chart version number). This file contains all of the compiled .java files that comprise the JClass Chart Java components. It can be located anywhere on a userÆs computer or on a Local Area Network (LAN), but you must indicate to the Java interpreter where it can find the Java classes it contains. This is done by setting the CLASSPATH environment variable. The CLASSPATH environment variable consists of the names of directories containing compiled Java classes. The structure of the CLASSPATH statement depends on the system being used.

If you plan to use the JClass Chart release files in a development environment, you do not have to extract (unarchive) the classes ZIP file because Java can automatically read the contents of this file. If you are using the JClass Chart release files in a server-based environment, however, you must extract (unarchive) the classes ZIP file so that the server can access the individual class files.

For more information on setting up CLASSPATH for your computing environment, see the "Setting CLASSPATH" section in JClass Chart Overview.