System and method for creating a value-based stacked bar chart

1. A computer readable medium having code stored thereon, the code stored thereon comprising:

code adapted to sort a plurality of data entries by transaction value, wherein the plurality of data entries correspond to a stack type;

code adapted to assign each of the plurality of data entries to one or more cells associated with the stack type, wherein the code adapted to assign each of the plurality of data entries is further adapted to assign multiple data entries to a single cell if a value of one of the multiple data entries is less than a cell value;

code adapted to assign a color to the one or more cells; and

code adapted to shade the color of a subset of the one or more cells based on the transaction value of the data entries assigned to the cells in the subset.

2. The computer readable medium, as set forth in claim 1 , the code stored thereon comprising:

code adapted to partition the data entries into a plurality of data groups based on an attribute, wherein each of the data groups comprises data entries associated with one or more stack types.

3. The computer readable medium, as set forth in claim 1 , the code stored thereon comprising code adapted to sort the partitioned data entries by stack type into a plurality of stacks.

4. The computer readable medium, as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the code adapted to assign the color is configured to assign a different foundation color to each of the plurality of stacks.

5. The computer readable medium, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the code adapted to assign each of the plurality of data entries is adapted to assign multiple cells to a single data entry if a value of the single data entries is greater than a value of the cell.

6. The computer readable medium, as set forth in claim 1 , the code stored thereon comprising code adapted to display the one or more cells as a stacked bar chart on a display.

7. The computer readable medium, as set forth in claim 6 , the code stored thereon comprising code adapted to produce another bar chart if a user selects one of the cells displayed on the screen, wherein the another bar chart contains information associated with the selected cell.

8. The computer readable medium, as set forth in claim 6 , the code stored thereon comprising code adapted to produce display a box containing information associated with one of the cells displayed on the screen if a user selects one of the displayed cells.

9. The computer readable medium, as set forth in claim 6 , the code stored thereon comprising code adapted to calculate a cell space value for the one or more cells, wherein the cell space value corresponds to a ratio of a total value of the cell's stack divided by an area of the cell.

10. A computer system comprising:

a processor for executing code adapted to

sort a plurality of data entries by transaction value, wherein the plurality of data entries correspond to a stack type;

assign each of the plurality of data entries to one or more cells associated with the stack type, wherein the code adapted to assign each of the plurality of data entries is adapted to assign multiple cells to a single data entry if a value of the single data entries is greater than a value of the cell;

assign a color to the one or more cells; and

shade the color of a subset of the one or more cells based on the transaction value of the data entries assigned to the cells in the subset;

a graphical interface coupled to the processor; and

a display, coupled to the graphical interface, the display displaying an image comprising a value-based stacked bar chart that includes one or more bars that each include one of more stacks, wherein the stacks include the one or more cells that represent one or more transactions from a data set with the plurality of data entries, wherein each of the one or more cells are shaded with the color that is indicative of the transaction value.

11. The computer system, as set forth in claim 10 , comprising:

a computer readable medium comprising code adapted to create the image.

12. The computer system, as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the computer readable medium comprises a memory.

13. The computer system, as set forth in claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality bars includes at least one stack with a stack type common to the other bars.

14. The computer system, as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the stacks with the common stack type have the same foundation color.

15. A method, comprising:

sorting, performed by a computer system, a plurality of data entries by transaction value, wherein the plurality of data entries correspond to a stack type;

assigning, performed by the computer system, each of the plurality of data entries to one or more cells associated with the stack type;

assigning, performed by the computer system, a color to the one or more cells;

shading, performed by the computer system, the color of a subset of the one or more cells based on the transaction value of the data entries assigned to the cells in the subset; and

calculating, performed by the computer system, a cell space value for the one or more cells, wherein the cell space value corresponds to a ratio of a total value of the cell's stack divided by an area of the cell.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 15 , comprising:

sorting the partitioned data entries by stack type into a plurality of stacks.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 16 , comprising:

assigning a different foundation color to each of the plurality of stacks.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 15 , comprising:

displaying the one or more cells in a graphical bar, wherein the one or more cells are ordered from a lower left section of a bar to an upper right section of the graphical bar.