Multiple coordinated visualizations enable users to rapidly explore complex information. However, users often need unforeseen combinations of coordinated visualizations that are appropriate for their data. Snap-Together Visualization enables data users to rapidly and dynamically mix and match visualizations and coordinations to construct custom exploration interfaces without programming. Snap's conceptual model is based on the relational database model. Users load relations into visualizations then coordinate them based on the relational joins between them. Users can create different types of coordinations such as: brushing, drill down, overview and detail view, and synchronized scrolling. Visualization developers can make their independent visualizations snap-able with a simple API. Evaluation of Snap revealed benefits, cognitive issues, and usability concerns. Data savvy users were very capable and thrilled to rapidly construct powerful coordinated visualizations. A snapped overview...

Most windowing systems follow the independent overlapping windows approach, which emerged as an answer to the needs of the 1980s' technology. Due to advances in computers and display technology, and increased information needs, modern users demand more functionality from window management systems. We proposed Elastic Windows with improved spatial layout and rapid multi-window operations as an alternative to current window management strategies for efficient personal role management [12]. In this approach, multi-window operations are achieved by issuing operations on window groups hierarchically organized in a space-filling tiled layout. This paper describes the Elastic Windows interface briefly and then presents a study comparing user performance with Elastic Windows and traditional window management techniques for 2, 6, and 12 window situations. Elastic Windows users had statistically significantly faster performance for all 6 and 12 window situations, for task environment setup, task...

This paper presents the Snap user interface and basic conceptual model and then reports on two studies on constructing and operating coordinated visualizations

In current windowing environments, individual windows are treated independently, making it difficult for users to coordinate information across multiple windows. While coordinated multi-window strategies are increasingly used in visualization and web user interfaces, designs are inflexible and haphazard. The space of such linkedwindow strategies is not well understood and largely unexplored. This paper presents a taxonomy of coordinations, identifies important components, and reviews example interfaces. This 2x3 taxonomy provides guidelines for designers of applications, user interface toolkits, and window managers. We hope to encourage construction of generalized, end-user programmable, robust, multiple-window coordination capabilities. KEYWORDS User Interface, Coordination, Taxonomy, Multiple Window Strategies, Information Visualization,Window Management INTRODUCTION Users are dealing with increasing quantity, variety, and interrelated-ness of information. User tasks are becoming...

ions through Manipulation of a Program Visualization A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science by Robert William Bowdidge Committee in charge: Professor William G. Griswold, Chair Professor Edwin Hutchins Professor Keith Marzullo Professor Joseph Pasquale Professor Richard N. Taylor Copyright Robert William Bowdidge, 1995 All rights reserved. The dissertation of Robert William Bowdidge is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm: Chair University of California, San Diego 1995 iii For Christine iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : iii Dedication : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : iv Table of Contents : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : v List of Figures : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ix List of Tabl...

Information visualization displays can hold a limited number of data points, typically a few thousand, before they get crowded. One way to solve this problem with larger data sets is to create aggregates. Aggregations were used together with the SnapTogether Visualization system to coordinate the visual displays of aggregates and their content. If two displays each hold one thousand items then rapid access and visibility can be maintained for a million points. This paper presents examples based on a database of highway incident data. 1- INTRODUCTION An information visualization display can hold a limited amount of data points, typically a few thousand, before it gets crowded. One way to accommodate larger data sets is to create aggregates. An aggregate is a single item that represents or summarizes a group of data points. Aggregates simplify the display because fewer markers are needed and users can understand overall patterns and select the details that are relevant to their tasks. ...

Most windowing systems follow the independent overlapping windows approach, which emerged as an answer to the needs of the 80s' applications and technology. Advances in computers, display technology, and the applications demand more functionalityfrom windowmanagement systems. Based on these changes and the problems of current windowing approaches, we have updated the requirements for multiwindow systems to guide new methods of window management. We propose elastic windows with improved spatial layout and rapid multi-window operations. Multi-window operations are achieved by issuing operations on window groups hierarchically organized in a space-filling tiled layout. Sophisticated multi-window operations and spatial layout dynamics helps users to handle fast task-switching and to structure their work environment to their rapidly changing needs. We claim that these multi-window operations and the improved spatial layout decrease the cognitive load on users. Users found our prototype syst...

Information visualizations with multiple coordinated views enable users to rapidly explore complex data and discover relationships. However, it is usually difficult for users to find or create the coordinated visualizations they need. Snap-Together Visualization allows users to coordinate multiple views that are customized to their needs. Users query their relational database and load results into desired visualizations. Then they specify coordinations between visualizations for selecting, navigating, or re-querying. Developers can make independent visualization tools `snapable ' by including a few hooks. KEYWORDS: User Interface, Coordination, Multiple Views, Tightly Coupled, Information Visualization. INTRODUCTION The multiple coordinated views approach is a powerful and increasingly-employed user-interface technique for exploring information. Each view is a visualization of some part of the information, and views are coordinated (a.k.a. "tightly coupled", or "linked") so that t...

Tool-assisted meaning-preserving program restructuring has been proposed to aid the evolution of large software systems. These systems are difficult to modify because relevant information is often widely distributed. We performed an exploratory study to determine how programmers used a restructuring tool interface called the "star diagram" to organize their behavior for the task of encapsulating a data structure. We videotaped six pairs of programmers while they encapsulated and enhanced a data structure in an existing program. Each team used one of three environments: standard UNIX tools, a restructuring tool with textual view of the source code, or a restructuring tool using the star diagram view. We systematically analyzed the videotape transcripts to derive a model of how the programmers performed encapsulation. Each team opportunistically exploited the features of the tools (e.g., cursors) and the program representation (e.g., ordering of lines in a file) to help them track the current state of the activity...

In current windowing environments, individual windows are treated independently, making it difficult for users to coordinate information across multiple windows. While coordinated multiwindow strategies are increasingly used in visualization and web user interfaces, designs are inflexible and haphazard. I propose a generalized, end-user programmable, robust, multiplewindow coordination capability. Users can interactively link windows for powerful capabilities to integrate, relate, and navigate through information across window borders. This research involves generation of guidelines for robust coordination design, development of specification languages for end-user coordination, resolution of data structures, algorithms, and software architecture issues, and empirical evaluation. 1 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................2 My Solution ...........................