Generate flowchart from data

[Nick]

We have a MYSQL database with taxonomic hierarchies (the biological kind),
with nodeIDs and linked by parentIDs. Nodes in the dataset also have
relative horizontal levels assigned. Can a crossfunctional flowchart of the
type in the link below somehow be generated automatically from our data?

http://images.mirrosoft.net/village_trees.pdf

We use Visio 2003 professional but would likely hire an independent
developer to create such a utility.

Nick

 

[Al Edlund]

check out the visio sdk available on msdn. It has a sample application that
shows how to create a flowchart.

Some of the features implemented in this sample application include:

a.. Using data from a sample Excel spreadsheet to create a flowchart
drawing in Visio
b.. Creating separate pages in a Visio drawing from individual sheets in a
sample Excel spreadsheet
c.. Using dynamic connectors to connect shapes
d.. Using automatic layout to lay out shapes on a page and resize a page
e.. Copying hyperlinks from the sample Excel spreadsheet to Visio shapes
f.. Adding ScreenTips to shapes
g.. Assigning values in the sample Excel spreadsheet to custom properties
on the flowchart shapes
h.. Adding masters to a document and then creating shapes from the masters
i.. Adding a date stamp to the drawing footer
j.. Changing the fill color of each shape based on a value contained in
the Excel spreadsheet
k.. Creating an undo scope so that the Undo command on the Edit menu
treats the drawing creation as a single undoable action
l.. Creating and locking a layer
m.. Adding shapes to a layer
n.. Using the QueueMarkerEvent method of the Visio Application object to
enable the Flowchart Sample Application COM add-in to respond to events,
much as a Visio add-on does. (Visio cannot call directly into a COM add-in.)
o.. Creating a custom toolbar that has two buttons
p.. Handling the Click event for the command bar buttons
q.. Selecting shapes on the active page and copying and pasting them into
a Word document
r.. Saving the Visio drawing as a Web page
s.. Using solution publishing to install the Visual Basic 6.0 Flowchart
Sample Application solution

al