Re: [xml-dev] Visualization of XML Data trees

[Liam R E Quin <liam@w3.org>]

On Tue, 9 Sep 2014 15:34:04 +0000 William Velasquez <wvelasquez@visiontecnologica.com> wrote:

[...]

> I have a particular use case: Navigating the collection of schemas in the UBL specification (is a long hierarchy of processes, documents, agreegates, entities, etc), but maybe is extensible to other use cases, like navigating documents, extense product catalogs, organization charts, or something similar.
> 
> 
> The problem with the Tree View (in desktop or Web enviroments) is that it requires too many user clicks to get where he wants to go. The more deep the hierarchy, the more clicks the user has to perform.

Maybe a faceted search would be useful? E.g. a tag cloud, or a group of tag clouds if that makes more sense.

Trees are always arbitrary, you can organize information in multiple hierarchies.

This may be the subject of Bob Glushko's book, The Discipline of Organizing, but not having seen a copy I am not certain - it might also be about woodworking to construct tidier cabinets from the title :-) which goes back to the problem with abstract labels, and why a tag cloud or divisions into more concrete categories can work much better.

-- 
Liam Quin - XML Activity Lead, W3C, http://www.w3.org/People/Quin/
Pictures from old books: http://fromoldbooks.org/