and Pictorial Data Satoshi Matsuoka Shin Takahashi Tomihisa Kamada 3 Akinori Yonezawa y Department of Information Science, the University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113 Japan Research and Development, ACCESS CO., LTD. 1-7-1 Sarugaku-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101 Japan Abstract The merits of direct manipulation are now widely recognized. However, direct manipulation interfaces incur high cost in their creation. To cope with this problem, we present a model of bi-directional translation between pictures and abstract application data, and a prototype system TRIP2 based on this model. Using this model, general mapping from abstract data to pictures, and from pictures to abstract data, is realized merely by giving declarative mapping rules, allowing fast and easy creation of direct manipulation interfaces. We apply the prototype system to the generation of the interfaces for kinship diagrams, Graph Editors, E-R diagrams, and an Othello game. Categories and Subject Descriptors:...

. Local propagation is often used in graphical user interfaces to solve constraint systems that describe structures and layouts of figures. However, algorithms based on local propagation cannot solve simultaneous constraint systems because local propagation must solve constraints individually. We propose the `DETAIL' algorithm, which efficiently solves systems of constraints with strengths, even if they must be solved simultaneously, by `dividing' them as much as possible. In addition to multi-way constraints, it handles various other types of constraints, for example, constraints solved with the least squares method. Furthermore, it unifies the treatment of different types of constraints in a single system. We implemented a prototype constraint solver based on this algorithm, and evaluated its performance. 1 Introduction Local propagation is an efficient constraint satisfaction algorithm that takes advantage of potential locality of constraint systems. It is often used in graphical u...

Graphical user interfaces (GUI) provide intuitive and easy means for users to communicate with computers. However, construction of GUI software requires complex programming that is far from being intuitive. Because of the "semantic gap" between the textual application program and its graphical interface, the programmer himself must conceptually maintain the correspondence between the textual programming and the graphical image of the resulting interface. Instead, we propose a programming environment based on the programming by visual example (PBVE) scheme, which allows the GUI designers to "program" visual interfaces for their applications by "drawing" the example visualization of application data with a direct manipulation interface. Our system, TRIP3, realizes this with (1) the bi-directional translation model between the (abstract) application data and the pictorial data of the GUI, and (2) the ability to generate mapping rules for the translation from example application data and ...

) Isabel F. Cruz 1 and Ashim Garg 2 1 Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Tufts University Medford, MA 02155, USA 2 Department of Computer Science Brown University Providence, RI 02912--1910, USA Abstract. Constraint-based graph drawing systems provide expressive power and flexibility. Previously proposed approaches make use of general constraint solvers, which are inefficient, and of textual specification of constraints, which can be long and difficult to understand. In this paper we propose the use of a constraint-based visual language for constructing planar drawings of trees, series-parallel graphs, and acyclic digraphs in linear time. A graph drawing system based on our approach can therefore provide the power of constraint-based graph drawing, the simplicity of visual specifications, and the computational efficiency that is typical of the algorithmic-based approaches. 1 Introduction It is common practice to explain the layout of a graph using pictu...

In this paper we introduce a constraint-based language that has a visual syntax, and allows for the declarative specification of the display of data. Other features of the proposed language include: (1) simplicity and genericity of the basic constructs; (2) ability to specify a variety of displays (graphs, bar charts, pie charts, etc.); (3) compatibility with the object-oriented framework of the database language doodle. We provide the syntax and the semantics of the language, and examples of applications that demonstrate the expressiveness of our language. 1.1 Introduction Mappings between the data domain and the visual domain are commonly used for extracting information from the data by reasoning in the visual domain [3, 12]. For example, Venn diagrams are visual representations of abstract sets and of their inclusion relationships. Other diagrams are close to the concrete entities that they represent, such as transportation and communication networks. Bar charts, pie charts, and p...

Previous research in visual query languages has focused on pre-defined visual representations of data and queries, which are suitable for specific applications, but difficult to extend and generalize. In this paper we propose a meta-language to query an objectoriented database with user-defined pictures. By manipulating these pictures, the user can extract information about the data in a purely visual fashion. The proposed meta-language is rule-based and uses a constraint visual language that allows for complex displays such as graphs, bar charts, pie charts, and plot charts to be specified. Our approach extends object-oriented concepts, such as inheritance and genericity to visual query languages. We provide examples that illustrate the expressiveness of the user-defined visual languages to display and query data. 1 Introduction Given data, stored in a database, it seems natural to display it graphically and take advantage of the well-known benefits of visualization. For example, Ma...

doodle is the first language to be proposed for querying object-oriented databases with user-defined visual languages. A doodle program defines a visual language in a by example fashion. In this paper we continue the preliminary expos'e on doodle (SIGMOD'92). We refine the language, and provide complex examples that illustrate the extensive capabilities of doodle in a variety of applications. The contributions of doodle to other areas of Computer Science, such as constraint languages and graph drawing are also outlined. doodle explores the limits of declarative languages by making data and its manipulation visual, while staying within the bounds of the formal database field. The formal basis of doodle motivates the study of visual expressiveness and points to further research. 1 Introduction It has a been a long-standing claim that pictures convey information in ways that text and tables cannot, as illustrated by the books of Tufte [Tuf83, Tuf90] and Bertin [Ber83]. In this paper a p...

In this paper we introduce the U-term language, a constraint-based language that has a visual syntax, and allows for the declarative specification of the display of data. Other features of the U-term language include: (1) simplicity and genericity of the basic constructs; (2) ability to specify a variety of displays (pie charts, bar charts, etc.); (3) compatibility with the object-oriented framework of the database language doodle. 1 Introduction In this paper we present a new constraint-based language, the U-term language. This language provides: ffl A declarative and visual specification of the display of graphical objects with simple and generic constructs. ffl The ability to specify a variety of displays such as pie charts, bar charts, and graphs, using Cartesian or polar coordinates. ffl Easy integration in an object-oriented framework. The U-term language is a key component of doodle (Draw an Object-Oriented Database LanguagE ) [Cru92, Cru93a, Cru93b]. The main principle beh...

Introduction Most Information Visualisations have been developed in an ad hoc manner. To overcome this, we have proposed an architecture that formalises the structure of Information Visualisations. By using this architecture, software developers will benefit from the use of tools that support this approach, and from the increased potential to reuse parts of visualisations built under the architecture. We have embodied this architecture in a software environment, GOVE (GrammarOriented Visualisation Environment) [7], that can be used to develop Relational Information Visualisations --- visualisations that deal specifically with the entities and relationships found in the information source (which is currently limited to static, textual sources), usually presenting them as a graph. This form of Information Visualisation is very common, and accounts for much of the work in the field [1, 8]. 2 Architecture Interfaces Pipeline Data-flow Parsing Model Com

Visualization is gaining in popularity as a means of monitoring and debugging logic programs. A well-drawn picture can quickly reveal information that would take a significant amount of time and effort to uncover from text-based representations. The goal of the Wand research project at the University of Saskatchewan is to provide a set of graphical debugging tools which are language independent, easily tailorable, and useful for monitoring and debugging logic programming computations. ICOLA (Incremental Constraint-based Object Layout Algorithm) is a graphics engine for the Wand system. ICOLA positions graphical objects according to object declarations and constraints specifying the relative positions of the objects. ICOLA is capable of drawing pictures from highly under-constrained constraint-based picture descriptions without requiring the specification of absolute object positions. This thesis presents new capabilities of ICOLA designed and implemented as M.Sc. research work. All l...