Once queries have been processed, the results can be viewed in the Query Results Viewer, which is shown below, by selecting "Actions/Query Results Viewer" on the Main Menu.
Each of the five labelled areas on the screen has a specific function which is described below. Clicking in any area will hyperlink to the detailed description of that area.
The Map Viewer Pane embraces a number of tools for evaluating query results, and is tightly integrated with its surrounding windows.
Selection of a query or object in the map causes the query or the object's attributes to be displayed in the appropriate adjoining window. Likewise, selection of an object or query in an adjoining window can optionally select the object or display the query results in the map. In the case of an object being selected, the map can optionally be set to zoom in to, and/or centre on, the selected object.
A copy of the Map Viewer is presented below with each of its features labelled. Clicking on the feature number will hyperlink to a description of that feature.
<Return to Query Results Viewer>
Clicking on the drop-down arrow will display a list of all processed queries. Selection of any query in the list will display its scores in the map pane (Item 2) using the default number of classes (Item 10), default colours (Items 11 and 12), and object sizing (Item 13 - relevant only for points). The query will also appear in expanded form in the Query Semantic Net Viewer window (Area 3 of the Query Results Viewer).
The query scores will be mapped into this pane using the parameters set with the following tools:
(a) The
"Set Number of Score-Classes" Tool (Item
10)
(b) The
"Set Colour of Bottom Score Class" Tool (Item
11)
(c) The
"Set Colour of Top Score Calss" Tool (Item
12)
(d) The
"Set Size Breaks for Score Classes" Toggle (Item
13)
The scale and area of focus of the map display can be manipulated with the following tools:
(a) The
"Zoom In" Tool (Item
7)
(b) The
"Zoom Out" Tool (Item
8)
(c) The
"Pan" Tool (Item
6)
(d) The
"Show Entire Map" Tool (Item
5)
The corner coordinates of the displayed map are displayed in two corners (Item 4).
Additional shapefile layers may be added to the map, their colours edited, and they can be removed again, using tools labelled as Items 14, 15 and 16 in the illustration above.
Using the "Select" Tool (Item 9), objects in the query scores layer of the map may be selected, in which case the following actions will be triggered:
(a)
The object's
description will appear in the MapObjects Semantic Net Viewer window (Area
3 of the Query Results Viewer);
(b) The
shapefile record corresponding with the selected object will appear in
the "Tabulated Scores and Shapefile Attributes Viewer" (Area
4 of the Query Results Viewer). In its default setting, this window will
display the query scores in the leftmost column, sorted on the score -
although
these display settings may be adjusted by the user, as described in the
section below on the "Tabulated Scores and Shapefile Attributes Viewer".
(c) The
shapefile attributes corresponding to the selected object will also appear
in the"'In Focus' MapObject's Scores and Shapefile Attributes Viewer"
(Area 5 of the Query Results Viewer). This
allows inspection of all the attributes of the selected object without
losing sight of its score and other information in the "Tabulated
Scores Viewer".
Using the "Compare Selected Object with Query" Tool (Item 18), LegendBurster will compile a hierarchical comparison of the selected object's semantic net description with the currently selected query, and display it on the screen. As explained under Item 18 (below), this comparison can be annotated by the user, and stored in a Microsoft Excel file or an HTML file, either for forwarding to a research collaborator, or for display from an interactive map on the Internet, as described in Appendix 5.
The Map Legend displays the symbols or colouring used to represent query scores of different ranges, controls the order in which shapefiles are displayed on the map, and controls which layers are removed from the map.
Symbology and colours can be controlled by the following tools:
(a) The
"Set Number of Score-Classes" Tool (Item
10)
(b) The
"Set Colour of Bottom Score Class" Tool (Item
11)
(c) The
"Set Colour of Top Score Calss" Tool (Item
12)
(d) The
"Set Size Breaks for Score Classes" Toggle (Item
13)
When more than one shapefile layer is displayed (see Item 14), the order of display of the layers is determined by the order in which they appear in the legend: the layer at the top of the legend is displayed last (overplotting what is below it). The order of layers in the legend can be arranged by dragging and dropping layers with the mouse.
The "Remove Additional Map Layer" Tool (Item 16) will remove whichever layer is currently selected in the legend. (The currently selected layer in the legend is distinguished by a surrounding highlight and shadow.)
The coordinates of the corners of the portion of the map which is displayed are shown in these areas (Items 4 and 4 on the illustration above.) These are in the coordinate system of the projects original shapefile, and have been sized to be legible when a picture of the screen is sent to the printer
Clicking on this button will show the full coverage of the map, centred in the available plotting space of the Map Viewer.
At any time, you can pan the view by dragging it in any direction with the Pan tool.
Zooms in to the box you define on the map.
Zooms out from the position you click on the map.
This tool allows you to select an object in the map by clicking on it.
This tool allows a choice of how many classes of equal range to place between the best and worst scores achievable against the current query. How these scores are calculated is explained in Appendix 3: Query Scoring Methods.
This tool allows a choice of the colour to be used for the lowest achievable score against the current query. How these scores are calculated is explained in Appendix 3: Query Scoring Methods.
This colour will gradually be transformed to the colour of the "Top-Score Class" of the range of possible scores. Careful choice of colours can enhance the visibility of relatively small differences in score. The introduction of a third colour at mid-range considerably enhances the visibility of different classes, but is not possible in LegendBurster. It is, however, possible in ArcGIS 8, ArcView 3, and even in the free ESRI Viewer ArcExplorer 2 - all of which can read and plot the scores which are stored in the shapefile component of a LegendBurster project.
This tool allows a choice of the colour to be used for the highest achievable score against the current query. How these scores are calculated is explained in Appendix 3: Query Scoring Methods.
This colour will gradually be transformed to the colour of the "Bottom-Score Class" of the range of possible scores. Careful choice of colours can enhance the visibility of relatively small differences in score. The introduction of a third colour at mid-range considerably enhances the visibility of different classes, but is not possible in LegendBurster. It is, however, possible in ArcGIS 8, ArcView 3, and even in the free ESRI Viewer ArcExplorer 2 - all of which can read and plot the scores which are stored in the shapefile component of a LegendBurster project.
This tool toggles between (a) the use of larger symbols to plot higher scores for point objects, and (b) the plotting of all point objects at the same size.
LegendBurster allows the overlay or underlay of shapefiles together with the LegendBurster query results, which can provide useful context when interpreting query results.
This is achieved by selecting the "Layer from Other Shapefile" option in the drop-down menu produced clicking on the tool, and navigating to the desired shapefile (which must share the same coordinate system as the LegenBurster project).
The order in which layer are plotted to the screen can be set by dragging the layers into the right position in the legend area, as explained above for Item (3).
This tool allows manipulation of the colours of additional layers displayed beneath the query results.
This tool will remove from the map display the layer currently highlighted in the legend, as explained for Item (3) above.
This will activate the current HELP system.
Clicking on this tool will cause LegendBurster to compile a hierarchical comparison of the selected object's semantic net description with the currently selected query, and display it on the screen, as shown below.
This comparison can be annotated by the user, and stored in a Microsoft Excel file or an HTML file, either for forwarding to a research collaborator, or for display from an interactive map on the Internet, as described in Appendix 5.
<Return to Map Viewer>
<Return to Query Results Viewer>
The Scores Viewer below the Map Viewer displays query scores and other shapefile attributes in a highly customisable format - greatly facilitating the thorough evaluation of query results.
After selection of a query for display, the query's scores for each mapObject will always be displayed in the leftmost column of the Scores Viewer - although, as we will demonstrate below, these may be moved to another position. They will be sorted in descending order, as indicated by the small arrowhead in the column-header (Item (2)). Clicking in any column-header will sort all records on the data in that column. A second click will reverse the order of sorting.
Clicking on any object in the map will bring its score (shapefile record) into the Scores Viewer, and clicking on any record in the Scores Viewer will select the corresponding object in the Map Viewer (Item (1)). Whether or not the Map Viewer auto-centres the newly selected object is controlled by a toggle in the Main Menu "Options" selection.
Before selecting different objects on the map, click in any column (not the header, because that will sort it!) you wish to remain visible in the Scores Viewer (otherwise it may be moved horizontally out of the viewer when the map-focus changes).
The horizontal scroll bar (Item (3)) can be used to view shapefile columns which are off-screen, as can the vertical scroll bar (Item (4)) be used to view records that are off-screen.
To read the full contents of any narrow fields, rest the mouse cursor over the value of interest, and the full content will be temporarily displayed, as for "Laoelin" below. Alternatively, and particularly if the text needs to appear on a printout of the screen, columns can be widened by grabbing the column-dividers in the header-area (Item (5)) with the mouse and moving them to a different position. The mouse can also be used to grab a column (by holding down the left mouse button inside the column header) and move it to another position in the display (Item (6)). Fields displayed can also be changed using the drop-down menu shown below, accessed by right-clicking in the Scores Viewer window.
The drop-down menu offers the following options: (1) Show all fields - used to return all fields to the Scores Viewer if a number have been removed. (2) Remove all field - used as the first step to having only a few fields displayed, which can be quickly dragged onto the display from the "Custom" window (see (5) below). (3) Show only Query Results - which makes working with the results of many different queries simpler. (4) Show Query Results and Current Field - the current field referred to here is the "current shapefile field", as described in "Selecting a Shapefile Field to Work With". (5) Custom - Pops up a window showing the names of any fields not displayed. To remove fields from the display, drag their headers into the "Customise" window; to display hidden fields, drag them from the "Customise" window and drop them on any field-divider in the Scores Viewer header line. (Note: The "M_S_O_F_T" filed is an artifact of the Microsoft Jet database engine's access procedures into Borland's dBase files.)
<Return to Query Results Viewer>
Whenever a new query is selected in the Query Results Viewer, its semantic net is displayed in an expanded state in the Query Viewer.
The Query Viewer is, in fact, the Query Net Editor, with its toolbar hidden to provide more screen-space for query nets. (The toolbar can be displayed from the "View" menu.)
As its function in this context is simply to provide information about the query whose results are displayed in the Map Viewer, we will limit this discussion to its display capabilities.
Since important aspects of the query may appear in the comments section (including parameter settings under which the query was processed), making these visible is important.
|
Summary of Query Control (QC) Parameter Settings |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Normalised (0 - 100) |
x1=N => Normalised |
x1={blank} => Not Normalised |
|
Silence implies Absence |
x2=S => Implies |
x2={blank} => "Does not imply" |
|
Disable penalties for mapObject information outside scope of query |
x3=D => Penalties disabled |
x3={blank} => Penalties enabled |
This is especially so if screen-prints are to be made of maps of query results, in which case having a fully legible copy of the query on the screen is a necessity.
The following features for enhancing data layout in the Query Viewer are available:
(1) Column
widths may be changed <Find out how in a new
window>
(2) Word Wrap may be
turned on. <Find
out how in a new window>
In addition, if printed output is not important,
obscured text may be displayed temporarily with the "ToolTips"
feature. <Find out
how in a new window>
All processed and unprocessed queries may be reviewed in the Query Viewer. Display in the Map Viewer of the currently viewed query results may be triggered using the "Change Active Matched Query" option in the right-click drop-down menu available from the Query Viewer.
<Return to Query Results Viewer>
Whenever a new object is selected in the Map Viewer, its semantic net is displayed in an expanded state in the MapObject Viewer.
The MapObject Viewer is, in fact, the MapObject Net Editor, with its toolbar hidden to provide more screen-space for semantic net descriptions. (The toolbar can be displayed from the "View" menu.)
As its function in this context is simply to provide information about the object whose results are displayed in the Map Viewer, we will limit this discussion to its display capabilities.
Since important aspects of the selected object may appear in the comments column, making these visible is important.
This is especially so if screen-prints are to be made of mapped query results, as having a fully legible copy of the description of the selected object on the screen may be important.
The following features for enhancing data layout in the MapObject Viewer are available:
(1) Column
widths may be changed <Find out how in a new
window>
(2) Word Wrap may be
turned on. <Find
out how in a new window>
In addition, if printed output is not important,
obscured text may be displayed temporarily with the "ToolTips"
feature. <Find out
how in a new window>
Selection in the Map Viewer of the currently viewed mapObject may be triggered using the "Set Focus on MapObject" option in the right-click drop-down menu available from the MapObject Viewer.
<Return to Query Results Viewer>
Whenever a new object is selected in the Map Viewer, as well as being displayed in the Scores Viewer, its shapefile attributes are displayed in the "In-Focus" Fields Viewer in a vertical, rather than a horizontal layout.
The vertical order of the fields may be changed to suit the demands of the data interpretation exercise underway using the buttons to the left of the form.
Values which are wider than the available column-space can be viewed as pop-up "tool-tips" by simply resting the mouse over the field's name, as shown in the illustration above.
The purpose of this viewer is to allow the examination of all the selected object's shapefile fields without changing the layout of information in the Scores Viewer. This can be useful for various purposes during query results evaluation, or data validation, especially when the shapefile has a great many fields.
<Return to Query Results Viewer>