Displaying hierarchical multi-attribute data suitable for visual comparison

A system for rendering hierarchical multi-attribute data in a comparative layout, comprising:

• a display device;
• a memory to store the data, wherein values of the data are organized in a table structure having a plurality of columns corresponding to the dimensions of the data and a plurality of rows corresponding to records of the data, wherein each value of the data is identified by an intersection of a column and a row;
• and
• a processor operatively connected to the display device and to the memory, wherein the processor
• determines a hierarchy of attributes of the data specifying parent-child relationships of the attributes, wherein each attribute has a set of values;
• partitions iteratively the data according to the hierarchy of attributes to produce a hierarchy of value partitions, wherein the iterative partitioning includes partitioning values of the data according to values of a parent attribute to produce a set of value partitions and further partitioning values of each value partition according to values of child attributes of the parent attribute until the data for all attributes in the hierarchy of attributes are partitioned;
• normalizes the hierarchy of value partitions by adding an empty value partition for each value of the attribute missing from the hierarchy of value partitions and ordering the value partitions in the normalized hierarchy of value partitions;
• allocates graphical areas within a graphical user interface on the display device for value partitions of the normalized hierarchy of value partitions, the allocating following 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, wherein, for at least some graphical areas representing the value partitions in a proportional layout, lengths of the first dimension of the graphical areas for structurally parallel value partitions are equal, and wherein 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, wherein the comparable value partitions have the same attribute path and different value paths with different values of the last element of the value paths, and wherein the structurally parallel value partitions have the same attribute path and different value paths with the same value of the last element of the value paths;
• and
• renders a graphical representation of a value of a value partition within the graphical area of the value partition.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a processor, perform steps comprising:

• determining a hierarchy of attributes of hierarchical multi-attribute data specifying parent-child relationships of the attributes, wherein each attribute has a set of values;
• partitioning iteratively the data according to the hierarchy of attributes to produce a hierarchy of value partitions, wherein the iterative partitioning includes partitioning values of the data according to values of a parent attribute to produce a set of value partitions and further partitioning values of each value partition according to values of child attributes of the parent attribute until the data for all attributes in the hierarchy of attributes are partitioned;
• normalizing the hierarchy of value partitions by adding an empty value partition for each value of the attribute missing from the hierarchy of value partitions and ordering the value partitions;
• allocating graphical areas within a graphical user interface on a display device for value partitions of the normalized hierarchy of value partitions, the allocating following 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, wherein, for at least some graphical areas representing the value partitions in a proportional layout, lengths of the first dimension of the graphical areas for structurally parallel value partitions are equal, and wherein 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, wherein the comparable value partitions have the same attribute path and different value paths with different values of the last element of the value paths, and wherein the structurally parallel value partitions have the same attribute path and different value paths with the same value of the last element of the value paths;
• and
• rendering a graphical representation of a value of a value partition within the graphical area of the value partition.