Browsing hierarchical data with multi-level dynamic queries and pruning
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TL;DR
The PDQ Tree-browser showed that pruning significantly improved performance speed and subjective user satisfaction, and was used in Network Management and UniversityFinder applications.
Abstract
Users often must browse hierarchies with thousands of nodes in search of those that best match their information needs. ThePDQ Tree-browser(Pruning with Dynamic Queries) visualization tool was specified, designed and developed for this purpose. This tool presents trees in two tightly-coupled views, one a detailed view and the other an overview. Users can use dynamic queries, a method for rapidly filtering data, to filter nodes at each level of the tree. The dynamic query panels are user-customizable. Sub-trees of unselected nodes are pruned out, leading to compact views of relevant nodes. Usability testing of the PDQ Tree-browser, done with eight subjects, helped assess strengths and identify possible improvements. The PDQ Tree-browser was used in Network Management (600 nodes) and UniversityFinder (1100 nodes) applications. A controlled experiment, with 24 subjects, showed that pruning significantly improved performance speed and subjective user satisfaction. Future research directions are suggested.