Visually exploring implicit features of hierarchical graphs based on attributes of nodes of the graphs

Abstract

A computing system, program products and computer-implemented method of exploring data comprises accessing data structures and executing an interaction loop. Data structure captures connected graph nodes associated with attributes containing human-readable data. Interaction loop receives user-selected attributes associated with focal nodes and executes subroutines to determine layouts of an arborescence extending from focal nodes. The subroutines use starting nodes and pivot attributes as arguments. Identifying nodes of subroutines are connected to starting nodes by walking the graph and comparing pivot attributes with attributes associated with connected nodes, obtaining distance-dependent quantities. Subroutines compute layout data, including coordinates of the connected nodes. Coordinates are determined in accordance with the distance-dependent quantities. Interaction loop displays arborescence according to the layout data. Subroutines can be recursively executed, whereby, at each recursion level of execution, it is called with the selected attribute and each node of a selection of nodes, as a starting node.