Contract Map Visualization Auto-Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing visualization applications require manual updating or are limited in their ability to automatically generate diagrams from diverse source data formats, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors, as they often do not allow for seamless propagation of changes from visualizations back to the underlying source data.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using contract maps to translate and map data from various sources into standardized formats, allowing for automatic generation of visualizations based on selected visualization types, and enabling changes made to visualizations to be propagated back to the source data, with options for users to control and save these changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual generation of visualization is performed from scratch, then the visualization can be customized according to user needs, but the time consumption and effort increase significantly when the visualization includes many nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes contract maps that define the structural relationships between data sources and visualization templates. These contract maps are created in advance and stored for automatic matching, eliminating the need for manual reconstruction when data updates occur
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and maintains template visualizations that can be automatically copied and instantiated when matching data sources are detected. Instead of building visualizations from scratch, the system replicates proven visualization patterns through the contract map matching mechanism
2Productivity
If automatic generation of visualizations is implemented, then efficiency is improved, but the ability to handle diverse source data formats and propagate changes back to source data is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The contract map structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a data validation schema, a transformation rule set, a visualization template selector, and a change propagation mechanism. This universal structure handles diverse data formats through a single unified approach
Solution Approach 2:
The contract map acts as an intermediary layer between diverse data sources and the visualization system. It translates various data formats into a standardized internal representation, enabling automatic processing while maintaining adaptability to different source formats
3Reliability
If manual modification of visualization is performed, then changes can be made to reflect updates in source data, but the process is bothersome and time-consuming when the visualization includes many nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes a feedback loop where changes in source data automatically trigger visualization updates through contract map matching, and changes in visualizations can propagate back to update source data. This automated feedback eliminates manual intervention while ensuring data consistency
Solution Approach 2:
The visualization system performs self-updating by automatically detecting changes in source data, matching them against contract maps, and generating updated visualizations without user intervention. The system serves itself by maintaining its own synchronization with source data
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, a method may include receiving input effective to select a visualization type of multiple different visualization types to apply to a visualization of data. The selected visualization type may be associated with a contract. Each of the different visualization types may be associated with a specific contract. Each contract may include a corresponding schema that specifies a set of data fields and one or more relationships between data fields in the set to generate and display a corresponding visualization having a corresponding visualization type. The method may also include mapping at least some data of a data source to the contract such that the contract is satisfied. The method may also include displaying the visualization of the at least some data of the data source based on the contract, the displayed visualization having the selected visualization type.