User Interface Incorporating Waterfall Chart
A user interface to a data warehouse includes an interface engine that is configured to present data in the format of a waterfall chart. Based upon data received from the data warehouse and input from the user (e.g. color schemes, the order of the columns), the interface engine is configured to display a waterfall chart. In such a waterfall chart, data may be presented in the form of vertical (or horizontal) bars growing in different directions from different zero points, rather than in a uniform direction from the same zero point (e.g. from an axis origin). The interface engine may employ color and/or other techniques to present the data of the waterfall chart. Embodiments may be particularly suited for the presentation of certain types of business information, for example data relevant to a profit margin decomposition analysis.
1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
causing an interface engine to receive an instruction to display data retrieved from a database, in waterfall chart format;
causing the interface engine to create from the data, a waterfall chart comprising,
a first axis,
a second axis orthogonal to the first axis,
a first entry having a first growth range and a first growth point relative to the first axis, and
a second entry having a second growth range and a second growth point different from the first growth point; and
causing the interface engine to communicate the waterfall chart for display on a user device.
2 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the first entry is displayed with a first color, and the second entry is displayed with a second color different from the first color.
3 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the first entry is displayed with a first type of cross-hatching, and the second entry is displayed with a second type of cross-hatching different from the first type of cross-hatching.
4 . A method as in claim 1 wherein a polarity of the first growth range determines a direction of growth of the first entry from growth point along the second axis.
5 . A method as in claim 1 wherein a first portion of the first entry located below the first axis, is colored differently from a second portion of the first entry located above the first axis.
6 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the second axis is vertically oriented.
7 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the first entry comprises a first component of a profit margin, and the second entry comprises a second component of the profit margin.
8 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying a computer program for performing a method, said method comprising:
causing an interface engine to receive an instruction to display data retrieved from a database, in waterfall chart format;
causing the interface engine to create from the data, a waterfall chart comprising,
a first axis,
a second axis orthogonal to the first axis,
a first entry having a first growth range and a first growth point relative to the first axis, and
a second entry having a second growth range and a second growth point different from the first growth point; and
causing the interface engine to communicate the waterfall chart for display on a user device.
9 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the first entry is displayed with a first color, and the second entry is displayed with a second color different from the first color.
10 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the first entry is displayed with a first type of cross-hatching, and the second entry is displayed with a second type of cross-hatching different from the first type of cross-hatching.
11 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein a polarity of the first growth range determines a direction of growth of the first entry from growth point along the second axis.
12 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein a first portion of the first entry located below the first axis, is colored differently from a second portion of the first entry located above the first axis.
13 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the second axis is vertically oriented.
14 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the first entry comprises a first component of a profit margin, and the second entry comprises a second component of the profit margin.
15 . A computer system comprising:
one or more processors;
a software program, executable on said computer system, the software program configured to:
cause an interface engine to receive an instruction to display data retrieved from a database, in waterfall chart format;
cause the interface engine to create from the data, a waterfall chart comprising,
a first axis,
a second axis orthogonal to the first axis,
a first entry having a first growth range and a first growth point relative to the first axis, and
a second entry having a second growth range and a second growth point different from the first growth point; and
cause the interface engine to communicate the waterfall chart for display on a user device.
16 . A computer system as in claim 15 wherein the first entry is displayed with a first color, and the second entry is displayed with a second color different from the first color.
17 . A computer system as in claim 15 wherein the first entry is displayed with a first type of cross-hatching, and the second entry is displayed with a second type of cross-hatching different from the first type of cross-hatching.
18 . A computer system as in claim 15 wherein a polarity of the first growth range determines a direction of growth of the first entry from growth point along the second axis.
19 . A computer system as in claim 15 wherein a first portion of the first entry located below the first axis, is colored differently from a second portion of the first entry located above the first axis.
20 . A computer system as in claim 15 wherein the first entry comprises a first component of a profit margin, and the second entry comprises a second component of the profit margin.