CDF is a flexible deployment method for any type of interactive document or application. Here are some common uses of CDF in different fields. For common technical questions, see the FAQs.

Comprehensive Applications

CDF can help you develop computationally intensive applications with user-friendly controls and deployment flexibility. Notebook-based applications can be prototyped quickly and can be deployed as cloud objects, traditional desktop applications or as convenient browser-based applications.

Example: Data Applications »
User Story: A Research Workflow at Work »
User Story: A New Approach to Energy Analytics »

Report Generation

CDF reports are interactive and include real-time computation tools that enable readers to test multidimensional scenarios, empowering them to make better decisions than with static reports.

Example: Investment Statements »
User Story: A New Approach to Energy Analytics »
More information about computation-driven report generation »

Consulting Projects and Presentations

With CDF, you can help readers make better decisions. Clients can interact with your report's diagrams and other data representations and dynamically explore scenarios, or see the same material presented in a step-by-step manner as an interactive presentation.

Example: Consulting Reports »
Example: Management Presentations »

News Media and Blogging

Interactive infographics made with CDF illustrate complex topics or present data in a clear manner—bringing life to online publications as readers or viewers interact with charts, diagrams, maps and other graphics. With the built-in ability to do intensive computations, CDF can better inform users than standard web technologies.

Example: Infographics »
User Example: Interactive Statistics Modules »

Financial Analysis

CDF-based interactive financial reports provide more information than PDFs with static charts. Readers can interact with diagrams and dynamically explore scenarios to better understand the content and make more informed decisions.

Example: Automated Reports »
More information about computation-driven report generation »

Textbooks and Learning Materials

As a complete ebook solution for STEAM publishers, CDF saves time and money, because everything authors need to do, from typesetting diagrams, text and math to developing interactive graphics to deployment, is in one tool. Plus, readers can interact with content for an engaging experience and a deeper understanding than with static books.

Example: Textbooks »
User Story: Developing Interactive Textbooks with CDF »

Publishing One-Off Examples

With CDF deployment, one tool lets you easily create and publish interactive content. You can share your app via the Demonstrations Project, which has 10,000+ apps on topics from elementary school math to commercial engineering to music and games. You can also embed your app or put a download link on your own website or blog.

Example: Knowledge Apps »
User Example: Interactive Computational Geography »

Research Papers and Journals

CDF allows authors to add interactive elements to their papers, providing readers with greater understanding without involving programming specialists. Articles can include data and computations so that other researchers can verify results directly in the article.

Example: Journal Articles »
User Example: Bat Occupancy Probabilities at a Wind Energy Facility »

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