Interactive Revision Exploration using Small Multiples of Software Maps

To explore and to compare different revisions of complex software systems is a challenging task as it requires to constantly switch between different revisions and the corresponding information visualization. This paper proposes to combine the concept of small multiples and focus+context techniques for software maps to facilitate the comparison of multiple software map themes and revisions simultaneously on a single screen. This approach reduces the amount of switches and helps to preserve the mental map of the user. Given a software project the small multiples are based on a common dataset but are specialized by specific revisions and themes. The small multiples are arranged in a matrix where rows and columns represents different themes and revisions, respectively. To ensure scalability of the visualization technique we also discuss two rendering pipelines to ensure interactive frame-rates. The capabilities of the proposed visualization technique are demonstrated in a collaborative exploration setting using a high-resolution, multi-touch display.