def initialize(options={})
    # defaults
    @credits = {:enabled => false}
    @title = {:text => 'null'}

    # define defaults based on chart type
    case @type.to_s
    when 'area'
    when 'areaspline'
    when 'bar'
      @plotOptions = {
        :bar => {
          :dataLabels => {
            :enabled => true,
            :color => 'auto'
          },
          :showInLegend => false
        }
      }
    when 'column'
    when 'line'
      @chart = {:defaultSeriesType => 'line'}
    when 'pie'
      @plotOptions = {
        :pie => {
          :dataLabels => {
            :enabled => true,
            :color => 'white',
            :style => {:font => '10pt Helvetica'}
          }
        }
      }
    when 'scatter'
    when 'spline'
    end

    # set the options
    options.each do |attribute, value|
      send("#{attribute.to_s}=", value) if self.respond_to?("#{attribute}=")
    end
  end