Visualizations created in declarative visualization languages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016110167-A1
Application number	US-201514829762-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 19, 2015
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A declarative specification for visualization may be improved. The declarative specification for the visualization may be identified and checked for appropriateness. This appropriateness check can be done by ensuring that the declarative specification meets a number of rules. The rules may be predefined and include rules that define best practices for visualizations. If a portion of the declarative specification violates one of the rules, it can be highlighted. In this way, the user can see how the declarative specification can be improved for visualization.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of improving a declarative specification for a visualization, the method comprising the steps of:
identifying a declarative specification for a visualization; checking, responsive to the identifying said declarative specification, an appropriateness of the declarative specification by ensuring the declarative specification meets a number of predefined rules defining best practice for visualizations; identifying a violation, the violation being a language construct in the declarative specification which violates one of said predefined rules; and responsive to said checking and to said identifying the language construct in the declarative specification which violates one of said predefined rules, highlighting the violation in context.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing recommendations for alleviating the violation based on the declarative specification.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the language construct which violates one of said predefined rules is highlighted in context within a resulting visualization of the declarative specification.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said predefined rules comprise rules concerning a correct use of color, such rules comprising one or more of rules as to contrast, color coding, accessibility, and choice of colors to improve legibility for color blind persons.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said predefined rules comprise rules concerning inappropriate visual mapping for data, such rules comprising one or more of using pie charts for more than twenty slices, applying too many concurrent visual mappings at once, and using line charts for categorical data.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said predefined rules comprise rules concerning appropriate visual styling, such rules comprising one or more of subtle backgrounds and grid lines, font sizes, and overlapping visual elements.

7 . A system for improving a declarative specification for a visualization, the system comprising:
a best practices database comprising one or more predefined best practice rules defining best practice for visualizations; one or more processor circuits configured to execute program code for a rules based engine configured to:
check, responsive to an identification of said declarative specification in a visualization specification editing system, an appropriateness of the declarative specification by ensuring the declarative specification meets one or more of the predefined best practice rules, the one or more predefined best practices rules accessed from the best practices database;
identify a violation, the violation being a language construct in the declarative specification which violates one of said predefined best practice rules; and
mark, by highlighting, the violation in context within the specification.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the rules base engine provides recommendations for alleviating the violation based on the declarative specification.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the violation is highlighted in context within a resulting visualization of the declarative specification for a visualization.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein said predefined best practice rules comprise rules concerning a correct use of color, such rules comprising one or more of rules as to contrast, color coding, accessibility and choice of colors to improve legibility for color blind persons.

11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein said predefined best practice rules comprise rules concerning appropriate visual mapping for data, such rules comprising one or more of not using pie charts for more than twenty slices, not applying too many concurrent visual mappings at once and not using line charts for categorical data.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein said predefined best practice rules comprise rules concerning appropriate visual styling, such rules comprising one or more of subtle backgrounds and grid lines, font sizes and overlapping visual elements.

13 . A computer program product for improving a declarative specification for a visualization, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising:
identifying a declarative specification for a visualization; checking, responsive to said identifying of said declarative specification, an appropriateness of the declarative specification by ensuring the declarative specification meets a number of predefined rules defining best practice for visualizations; identifying a violation, the violation being a language construct in the declarative specification which violates one of said predefined rules; and highlighting, responsive to said step of checking, and to the identifying the language construct in the declarative specification which violates one of said predefined rules, the violation in context.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises providing recommendations for alleviating the violation based on the declarative specification.

15 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the violation is highlighted in context within a resulting visualization of the declarative specification for a visualization.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein said predefined rules comprise rules concerning a correct use of color, such rules comprising one or more of rules as to contrast, color coding, accessibility, and choice of colors to improve legibility for color blind persons.

17 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein said predefined rules comprise rules concerning appropriate visual mapping for data, such rules comprising one or more of not using pie charts for more than twenty slices, not applying too many concurrent visual mappings at once, and not using line charts for categorical data.

18 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein said predefined rules comprise rules concerning appropriate visual styling, such rules comprising one or more of subtle backgrounds and grid lines, font sizes and overlapping visual elements.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Broadbent Peter R
• Pisters Ramon L H
• Steijvers Antonius G P
• Van Ham Franciscus J J

Classifications

• G06F8/31 Primary

  Programming languages or programming paradigms · CPC title

• G06F8/43

  Checking; Contextual analysis · CPC title

• G06F8/33 Primary

  Intelligent editors · CPC title

• G06F8/436

  Semantic checking · CPC title

• G06T11/00

  Two-dimensional [2D] image generation · CPC title