Displaying hierarchical multi-attribute data suitable for visual comparison

摘要

A computer-implemented method renders hierarchical multi-attribute data in a comparative layout on a display device. The method allocates graphical areas for value partitions of the normalized hierarchy of value partitions within a graphical user interface on the display device. The allocating follows the structure and the order of the normalized hierarchy of value partitions, such that the graphical area for a parent value partition contains the graphical area for its children value partitions in a first dimension. For a proportional layout, lengths of the first dimension of the graphical areas for structurally parallel value partitions are equal, and a ratio of lengths of the first dimension of the graphical areas for comparable value partitions equals a ratio of maximal values among structurally parallel value partitions for each corresponding comparable value partition. The method renders a graphical representation of values within the graphical areas of the value partitions.