Information Visualization: The Need for a Data Base Approach

Information visualizations data base technology. This is because the explosion in computer-stored information requires new ways to visualize information. We can no longer ask users to work with low-level graphics tools to create information presentations. Rather, we want users to be able to ask, at a high level, for visualizations which will help with a particular task, or will emphasize a certain trend. In order to automatically create such presentations, meta-data about the data will be needed. We give two examples of systems in which meta-data enables automatic generation of visual views: a dialogue-box generation tool for user interfaces and data entry, and a WWW visual navigation tool.