Developing Web Presentations with the JAVAIMG and ACTXIMG Devices

You can use the JAVAIMG and ACTXIMG devices to create Web presentations that include snapshots of graphs that are generated with the JAVA and ACTIVEX devices, but without the interactivity that JAVA and ACTIVEX graphs provide. You can also add data tips and drill-down links to your graphs.

The JAVAIMG and ACTXIMG devices enable you to generate Web presentations that display a snapshot of one or more graphs in the PNG format. The ACTXIMG device works on PC hosts only. On all other hosts, the ACTXIMG device defaults to using the JAVAIMG device.

When you run a program that specifies the ACTXIMG device, the SAS/GRAPH ActiveX Control runs in the background to generate the PNG files. This means that you must install the SAS/GRAPH ActiveX Control on your computer before you can use the ACTXIMG device. For information about installing the ActiveX control, see Installing the SAS/GRAPH ActiveX Control. SAS/GRAPH procedures that can be used with the ACTXIMG device are the same as those that can be used with the SAS/GRAPH ActiveX Control, as listed in Procedures and Statements That Generate Output for the SAS/GRAPH ActiveX Control. The procedures that can be used with the JAVAIMG device are listed in Graph, Map, Tile Chart, and Contour Applets.

The resulting PNG files can be viewed in any supported browser that supports the PNG format—neither Java nor ActiveX is required to view them.

The PNG files are identical in appearance to the graphs created with the DEVICE=JAVA or DEVICE=ACTIVEX graphics option as they are initially displayed in a browser. However, unlike these latter graphs, which are interactive and can be manipulated by a user viewing them in a browser, the PNG files are static and their appearance cannot be changed after they are created.

If you do not need interactivity such as changing the chart type or style, the JAVAIMG and ACTXIMG devices provide several advantages over the interactive presentations that are generated with the JAVA and ACTIVEX devices. Because PNG image files are generated, the Web clients are not required to access the Java run-time environment or install the SAS/GRAPH ActiveX Control to display the graphs. Also, Web performance improves because the PNG image files are smaller in size than the HTML files that are required to run an applet or an ActiveX control.

Some of the SAS/GRAPH procedures, such as the GKPI and GEAREABAR procedures, support only the JAVA, JAVAIMG, ACTIVEX, and ACTXIMG devices. For these procedures, you must use the JAVAIMG or the ACTXIMG device if you need a static image.

Finally, in some cases such as plots generated with the G3D procedure, the ACTXIMG and JAVAIMG devices provide a better static image than the other devices.

If you are running SAS in the z/OS operating environment with the DEVICE=JAVAIMG graphics option, then you must specify FILESYSTEM=HFS because HFS file space is needed to write the graphics output files. You might also need to increase the amount of memory that is allotted for your session so that SAS can run Java in the background. The suggested region size is 400 megabytes. For a batch job, add either REGION=400M or REGION=409600K to the JOB card. For a TSO session, specify SIZE(409600). For more information, refer to your JCL reference manual.