Declarative Specification of Visualization Queries, Display Formats and Bindings

A method of generating a dashboard that includes multiple panels from a declarative representation of queries, widgets, bindings and facets, including:

• accessing one or more configuration files that represent interaction among queries, widgets, bindings and facet property settings to generate multiple panels of a dashboard;
• parsing key-value properties in the configuration files to identify queries, wherein each query specifies a value or range of values of at least one dimension and, when processed, returns a data set that includes at least one dimension and at least one measure;
• providing a plurality of visualization widgets, wherein each visualization widget, when invoked,
• accepts as input the dimension returned in the data set as an independent variable and the measure as a dependent variable;
• generates a specified chart or graph from the dimension and the measure;
• provides object positions of segments in the specified chart or graph to a tweener to use as ending positions when the tweener is invoked to generate a second view from a first view;
• provides the object positions to the tweener to use as starting positions when the tweener is invoked to generate a third view from the second view;
• parsing key-value properties in the configuration files to identify panels, wherein each panel declares a binding that links an associated visualization widget to an associated query;
• and
• wherein each panel declares the specified chart or table data visualization into which the data set returned by the associated query will be rendered by the associated visualization widget;
• and
• wherein at least some of the panels set the facet property, wherein the facet property links operation of data filtering controls among the panels, whereby selection of a data filter control in one panel causes the selected data filer to be applied to additional panels that have the facet property set;
• generating data representing a dashboard and the panels based at least in part on the configuration files.

An apparatus for generating a dashboard that includes multiple panels from a declarative representation of queries, widgets, bindings and facets, including:

• a computer including a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes computer program instructions causing the computer to implement a process including:
• accessing one or more configuration files that represent interaction among queries, widgets, bindings and facet property settings to generate multiple panels of a dashboard;
• parsing key-value properties in the configuration files to identify queries, wherein each query specifies a value or range of values of at least one dimension and, when processed, returns a data set that includes at least one dimension and at least one measure;
• providing a plurality of visualization widgets, wherein each visualization widget, when invoked,
• accepts as input the dimension returned in the data set as an independent variable and the measure as a dependent variable;
• generates a specified chart or graph from the dimension and the measure;
• provides object positions of segments in the specified chart or graph to a tweener to use as ending positions when the tweener is invoked to generate a second view from a first view;
• provides the object positions to the tweener to use as starting positions when the tweener is invoked to generate a third view from the second view;
• parsing key-value properties in the configuration files to identify panels, wherein each panel declares a binding that links an associated visualization widget to an associated query;
• wherein each panel declares the specified chart or table data visualization into which the data set returned by the associated query will be rendered by the associated visualization widget;
• wherein at least some of the panels set the facet property, wherein the facet property links operation of data filtering controls among the panels, whereby selection of a data filter control in one panel causes the selected data filer to be applied to additional panels that have the facet property set;
• and
• generating data representing a dashboard and the panels based at least in part on the configuration files.

A tangible computer-readable memory including computer program instructions that causing a computer to implement a process including:

• accessing one or more configuration files that represent interaction among queries, widgets, bindings and facet property settings to generate multiple panels of a dashboard;
• parsing key-value properties in the configuration files to identify queries, wherein each query specifies a value or range of values of at least one dimension and, when processed, returns a data set that includes at least one dimension and at least one measure;
• providing a plurality of visualization widgets, wherein each visualization widget, when invoked,
• accepts as input the dimension returned in the data set as an independent variable and the measure as a dependent variable;
• generates a specified chart or graph from the dimension and the measure;
• provides object positions of segments in the specified chart or graph to a tweener to use as ending positions when the tweener is invoked to generate a second view from a first view;
• provides the object positions to the tweener to use as starting positions when the tweener is invoked to generate a third view from the second view;
• parsing key-value properties in the configuration files to identify panels, wherein each panel declares a binding that links an associated visualization widget to an associated query;
• wherein each panel declares the specified chart or table data visualization into which the data set returned by the associated query will be rendered by the associated visualization widget;
• wherein at least some of the panels set the facet property, wherein the facet property links operation of data filtering controls among the panels, whereby selection of a data filter control in one panel causes the selected data filer to be applied to additional panels that have the facet property set;
• and
• generating data representing a dashboard and the panels based at least in part on the configuration files.