FusionCharts for Flex uses the FusionCharts data visualization components to convert raw data into charts and widgets. These components use XML as a standard data interface. However, being a FusionCharts for Flex user you don't have to be concerned with XML, since FusionCharts for Flex allows you to work with Flex data sources. This section shows how Flex data sources are converted to XML in the back-end.
FusionCharts for Flex is an add-on component for the Flex SDK, which allows you to create FusionCharts objects within the Flex environment. FusionCharts v3 charts are coded in ActionScript 2 (Flash 8) and runs on AVM1 while Flex uses ActionScript 3 (Flash 9+) and runs on AVM2. Never the twain shall meet - so, if you're wondering how we converted the FusionCharts SWF files into Flex components, we'll explain the technique. We haven't ported them to ActionScript 3. Instead, we used FlashInterface for cross communication between AVM1 and AVM2.
The above diagram shows how data is processed and passed to the FusionCharts object. The FusionCharts SWC library acts as an interface between the FusionCharts objects and the Flex data sources.
Data is divided into two domains: String data in form of FusionCharts XML and other generic data structures capable of expressing single / multi series data. String data may be declared in three ways: As URL referring to an external XML data file, as external HTML file containing FusionCharts XML string, or as Flex String in the form of FusionCharts XML. Other generic Flex data structures that can be used are: ArrayCollection, XML, and Model.
The FusionCharts SWC file passes on the string based data directly to the FlashInterface. However, in case of other Flex data sources, it converts them to FusionCharts XML first, and then passes them to the FlashInterface.
Please note that Due to the unique XML structure of each widget, FusionWidgets does not support Flex data structures. Widgets can only accept XML (as String) data.