VIOS Dev — Navigating Data Space

If all s are along the vertical axis, and all p are along the horizontal axis, then we can use a planar graph to navigate the known components of {s,p}.

The third component is a subset of all o, so a third axis can be used, where certain of the indices are potentially omitted (i.

e.

, the line {s,p} is piecewise).

Thus, Data Space is cubic in structure.

This seems to imply that three, linear directions are sufficient for Data Space exploration (if only this were true, then a Data Space browser would be trivial to implement, since it would only entail back and forward histories, i.

e.

arrays, in three directions).

Now let’s take a moment to consider the statement “[the root of Data Space] is a point containing… [points]”.

This means the unknown component of the atom’s identity endows the atom with a fractal structure.

This fractal structure introduces a fourth, n-dimensional structure, which is the source of our challenge.

We can move laterally from one point to reach another point, and then move into that point to reach another point.

We can also expand out from a point to reach an encompassing point.

This suggest the atom (or point) in Data Space is cubic in structure, and each cube contains a piecewise plane, a piecewise point, or a single, terminal point.

We will refer to these 8 cube-types as Data Subspaces, or Data Space (and Data Subspace) coordinates (i.

e.

Smart Folders).

The root node of the following smart folder is a Data Space containing three planes:The “links to” point adds a cube to the breadcrumbs which contains a single plane {links to}.

The “homepage*” point adds a plane to the cube derived from “links to”, and the “subject” point adds a plane to the cube derived from “homepage*”.

Thus, the tabular view of the Data Space should list the subject axis of {} in the first column, and list each plane {p} as a column with rows {o} of {p,o}.

Furthermore, the columns not involved in the breadcrumb path should be hide-able for each descendant of root.

Visiting the root should hide all columns unless user chooses to show them.

In the mPoC, the subject axis of {} is the Group By panel.

NavigationIn VIOS, the components of the identity of the atom are traversed in a directed path from its s component (the relative origin).

The subjects (the subject axis, i.

e.

focus) of a Data Subspace are the objects of all triples in which the subspace serves as the object identity (the object axis of the encompassing Data Space), forming a linked path in the inward direction, where the edge of the path is the equals relation.

This yields the following navigation options from the 8 coordinate types in Data Space:{} — forward into s, or forward into p, or forward into o{s} — increment to s, or forward into p, or forward into o{p} — back into s, or increment to p, or forward into o{o} — back into p, or back into s, or increment to o{s, p} — increment to s, or increment to p, or forward into o{p, o} — back through s, or increment to p, or increment to o{s, o} — increment to s, or back or forward into p, or increment to o{s, p, o} — increment to s, or increment to p, or increment to oHence, as long as there are 2 or more triples in a Data Space, the user should always be able to move from their current coordinate in Data Space.

A Data Space browser must support these various degrees of freedom.

In VIOS Network, these navigation paths are supported by the following UI features:{} —keyword and explore, or Show me: Fields, or Smart Folder{s} — Bind Record at /root, or Show me: Fields, or Smart Folder{p} — Select Previous Breadcrumb, or Select a Field, or Smart Folder{o} —Select Previous Breadcrumb, or Show me: Used As, or Bind Record at non-/root{s, p} — Bind Record at /root, or Select a Field, or Smart Folder{p, o} — Select Previous Breadcrumb, or Select a Field, or Bind Record at non-/root{s, o} — Bind Record at /root, or Show me: Fields or Used As, or Bind Record at non-/root{s, p, o} — Bind Record at /root, or Select a Field, or Bind Record at non-/rootThese constraints entail that:If the /root is bound to a Record, then there is no notion of back into along the breadcrumb trail, thus the user must remain at /root and move forward into Data Subspace through p and oThe Smart Folder menu must simultaneously support lateral navigation (incrementing), which means the subjects of the Smart Folder must somehow remain available unfiltered when a Record is bound to the Smart Folder.

One solution is the allow up/down arrow action to highlight records and serve as lateral control, binding the Smart Folder value on each highlight, without changing the list in Group byIf o is bound to a Record, then there is no notion of forward into from that Smart Record (the Smart Folder is terminal, i.

e.

it behaves like a Record)SolutionA VIOS smart folder is a point in Data Space, and behaves quite as such.

Each change to the data canvas query appends a new (derivative) /root cube to the user’s navigation path.

Binding a value to a smart folder “increments” laterally across Data Space.

Clicking a smart folder moves you into Data Space.

Removing a smart folder moves you into the encompassing Data Space.

When the lower area of a facet is clicked, it takes focus, and clicking the lower area of any breadcrumb node will re-execute the smart folder query.

Clicking the upper area of a facet or breadcrumb performs successive “clears” on that node, the last of which is the remove action.

(These controls may be modified in later releases, depending on user feedback.

)In order to provide the user “joystick-like” navigation control, the VIOS Network beta version will implement four features:Undo/Redo — actions that modifies the canvas query are undoable and redoable.

These two actions are represented by back-cycle, and forward-cycle icons, respectively.

Back/Forward — actions that change the focus are undoable and redoable.

These two actions are represented by back and forward icons, respectively.

Up/In — the up action moves the user up to root by successively performing the clear action on the trail of the smart folders, until the /root is reached.

The resulting change can then be undone using the In button, or the Undo button.

These two actions are represented by the up and down icons, respectively.

Lateral Controls — TBAIn addition, the beta will feature a Guided Mode which decorates the UI with labels, icons and tooltips to help the user become accustom to exploring Data Spaces using VIOS Network.

Users may toggle Guided Mode on or off according to preference.

Guided Mode will be turned on by default when user logs in after registration.

.. More details

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