Web-Based Statistical Graphics using XML Technologies

Abstract

Most statistical graphics on theWeb are static, noninteractive and undynamic, even though other statistical analysis systems usually provide various interactive statistical graphics. Interactive and dynamic graphics, see Symanzik (2004), can be implemented using Internet technologies such as Java or Flash (Adobe, 2007). Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and Extensible 3D (X3D) offer alternative means of realizing an XML-based graphics format. One advantage of using XML is that data from a wide range of research topics are easy to deal with, because they are all presented in the XML format. Another advantage is that XML is a text-based graphics format, i.e., it is scriptable, meaning that it can be generated dynamically by a statistical analysis system or web application. Before introducing XML-based graphics, we introduce the relationship between theWeb, XML, and statistical graphics.