INTUITIVE VISUALIZATION OF BOOLEAN EXPRESSIONS USING FLOWS

• US 20110004834A1
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martino, Jacquelyn A., Uceda-Sosa, Rosario A., Matchen, Paul M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,381,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

The system and method in one aspect allow understanding of Boolean expressions by representing them graphically as a flow of information. NOTs are represented as switches in the flow, capturing the original structure of the expression as written by the user. Verification of those expressions with live data is also enabled.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of visualizing Boolean expressions, comprising:

identifying one or more Boolean operators in a Boolean expression;

representing Boolean operators in the Boolean expression as graphical symbols;

representing one or more NOT operators in the Boolean expression as one or more switches respectively; and

building a visual flow of path representing the Boolean expression using the graphical symbols and said one or more switches.

2. The method of claim 1, further including

validating the Boolean expression with live data

3. The method of claim 1, further including:

displaying the visual flow of path using visual effects.

4. The method of claim 1, further including:

deriving the Boolean expression from a natural language expression.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the natural language expression is a business rule.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of building a visual flow of path includes:

grouping AND operators nested within a NOT operator horizontally.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of building a visual flow of path includes:

grouping OR operators nested within a NOT operators vertically.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of building a visual flow of path includes:

grouping AND operators vertically.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of building a visual flow of path includes:

grouping OR operators horizontally.

10. The method of claim 1, further including:

presenting data instances associated with the Boolean expression;

allowing a user to select one or more of the data instances and associate said selected one or more of the data instances with the visual flow of path;

receiving said one or more user selected data instances; and

indicating one or more nodes in the visual flow of path whose conditions are satisfied by said one or more user selected data instances.

11. A system of visualizing Boolean expressions, comprising:

a processor;

a module executable on the processor and operator to identify one or more Boolean operators in a Boolean expression, represent Boolean operators in the Boolean expression as graphical symbols, represent one or more NOT operators in the Boolean expression as one or more switches respectively, and build a visual flow of path representing the Boolean expression using the graphical symbols and said one or more switches.

12. The system of claim 11, further including:

a user interface module operable to display the visual flow of path using visual effects.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface is further operable to present data instances associated with the Boolean expression, allow a user to select one or more of the data instances and associate said selected one or more of the data instances with the visual flow of path, receive said one or more user selected data instances, and indicate one or more nodes in the visual flow of path whose conditions are satisfied by said one or more user selected data instances.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the module builds a visual flow of path by grouping AND operators nested within a NOT operator horizontally, grouping OR operators nested within a NOT operators vertically, grouping AND operators vertically, or grouping OR operators horizontally, or combinations thereof.

15. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of visualizing Boolean expressions, comprising:

identifying one or more Boolean operators in a Boolean expression;

representing Boolean operators in the Boolean expression as graphical symbols;

representing one or more NOT operators in the Boolean expression as one or more switches respectively; and

building a visual flow of path representing the Boolean expression using the graphical symbols and said one or more switches.

16. The program storage device of claim 15, further including

validating the Boolean expression with live data

17. The program storage device of claim 15, further including:

displaying the visual flow of path using visual effects.

18. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the step of building a visual flow of path includes:

grouping AND operators nested within a NOT operator horizontally,

grouping OR operators nested within a NOT operators vertically,

grouping AND operators vertically, or

grouping OR operators horizontally, or

combinations thereof.

19. The program storage device of claim 15, further including:

presenting data instances associated with the Boolean expression;

allowing a user to select one or more of the data instances and associate said selected one or more of the data instances with the visual flow of path;

receiving said one or more user selected data instances; and

indicating one or more nodes in the visual flow of path whose conditions are satisfied by said one or more user selected data instances.

20. The program storage device of claim 19, wherein the step of indicating includes highlighting said one or more nodes in the visual flow of path whose conditions are satisfied by said one or more user selected data instances.