Ability to use specific version of the Google Chart API

[orwant]

What would you like to see us add to this API?

The possibility to use a specific version of the chart library.

The new version of the chart API broke my code on the 7th of December 2011 (see issue
752) and today (18th of January). I haven't yet had time to figure out why I get the
message 'Bars series with value domain is not supported'. All I know is that the new
version is not compatible with the old one and I seem to have no way to testing my
code with the new version before it is out. It is therefore currently impossible for
me to use this library for a real service because I can never guarantee that the service
will work when new code is released.

Please make it possible for all of us to migrate to latest versions in a controlled
fashion. No one expects your code to be perfect and all experience should tell you
to support the use of specific versions (like jQuery does) so that serious applications
using the library can run in a controlled and tested environment.

What component is this issue related to (PieChart, LineChart, DataTable,
Query, etc)?

I use Combo Chart but the request affects all charts.

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Original issue reported on code.google.com by gomoku.san on 2012-01-20 20:20:21

[orwant]

You're welcome to subscribe to our mailing lists (https://groups.google.com/group/google-visualization-api
and https://groups.google.com/group/google-chart-tools-announcements).

> I haven't yet had time to figure out why I get the message 'Bars series with value
domain is not supported'

Please see here: http://code.google.com/apis/chart/interactive/docs/customizing_axes.html#Help

The change that caused this was communicated several time during the part 3 months
(changing the default value of strictFirstColumnType)

> I seem to have no way to testing my code with the new version before it is out

Roughly a week before each release we provide the new version as release candidate,
and announce it, so all users can test their code against the new version. See here:
http://code.google.com/apis/chart/interactive/docs/library_loading_enhancements.html#loadthevisualizations

All of that being said, the desire to have fixed versions is a legitimate one (not
that I can provide any news about that).

Original issue reported on code.google.com by jinji.viz on 2012-01-22 15:04:42

[orwant]

Thank you for your reply and for your links. Much appreciated.

I know about the possibilities you mention to follow the mailing lists and pre-releases
but the whole point is that we - the API users - must keep running after and tracking
you. In the current setup there is not way for me to use this API for serious services
because I can not follow my own pace without risking incompatibility problems like
this. Both the two last releases broke my code.

An API is different than an application - like GMail. It is OK to break API compatibility
once in a while but you must make it possible for the users to choose when to upgrade
to the new API.

I risk loosing months of work that I have invested into using this API because as it
stands it is simply not fit for professional usage in a controlled environment.

Please consider my request for future releases. Thanks for the great work you have
put into this API.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by gomoku.san on 2012-01-22 16:09:28

[orwant]

As someone just getting experienced with the visualization api, this would be very useful
for me as well.  Depending on the project I am working on, I will not always be available
to test, fix any issues, and deploy changes.  It would definitely be helpful and seems
like it would be easy enough to do.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by ccac.apps on 2012-02-22 20:11:06

[orwant]

The recent push of a new API version (June 18th, 2012) just broke my code, too. A variable
in the DataTable has changed its name from 'A' to 'z' or something.

We desperately need to load a specific version of the chart library!

Thanks for your awesome work!

Original issue reported on code.google.com by aimfeld80 on 2012-06-19 14:58:20

[orwant]

As for comment #4 on this issue: you're using undocumented properties of the DataTable.
This is bound to break on every new release. Please use only the documented API (for
DataTable, that is https://developers.google.com/chart/interactive/docs/reference#DataTable)

Original issue reported on code.google.com by jinji.viz on 2012-06-19 15:04:42