What StackSymbol Can Do For You

1. It plots data in three-dimensional stacked symbols, enabling you to have a good overview about "where", "how many" and "what" of your data, as shown in Figures 1A to 1C.

Figure 1A: 2007 Crimes In Washington, DC (34,743 records)      Figures 1A and 1B are plots of Washington, DC's 2007 crime data. Figure 1A shows one year (34,743 records) of crimes while Figure 1B shows the first 1,000 records of crime.      In both figures, one symbol represents one crime, and the symbols are plotted at the location corresponding to where the crimes occur. Hence you can see "where" the crimes are. If a location has two or more crimes, it plots two or more symbols at that location, and it stacks the symbols up, creating a three dimensional view. A location with a higher stack of symbols indicates that location has more crimes. Hence you can see "how many" (in terms of frequency) crimes are occurring at each location.     In the data, each record consists of over twenty fields, including date, time, crime type, location, etc. To help you see "what" about the data, it uses "StackSymbol FreqPlot" to plot the data, and it selects crime type field as the field to be plotted with symbols. It uses different symbols to represent different crime types (See "Legend" in Figure 1B). For example, a red "B" symbol represents burglary, a green "T" symbol represents theft, etc. Hence you see "what" regarding the crimes.      As a result, it provides a good overview of: o Where (i.e. where the crime locations are). o How many (i.e. how frequent crimes occur at each location). o What (i.e. what type of crime) about the data.

Figure 1B: 2007 Crimes In Washington, DC (first 1,000 records)      Figure 1B is the same as Figure 1A, except that Figure 1B shows the first 1,000 records, while Figure 1A shows 34,743 records. The description in Figure 1A also applies to Figure 1B here.

Figure 1C: Swine Flu Cases And Deaths In USA - 2009      Figure 1C shows the number of swine (H1N1) flu cases and deaths by state in USA, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of June 12, 2009. The data consist of a table with three columns: States, Cases and Deaths. It uses "StackSymbol ValuePlot" to plot the data, and it selects Cases and Deaths as the columns to be plotted with symbols.      In the plot, symbols are plotted at the state where there are swine flu cases and/or deaths. Hence it helps you see "where". If a state has two or more symbols, it stacks the symbols up, creating a three dimensional view. A state with a higher stack of symbols indicates that state has more cases or deaths. Hence it helps you see "how many". It uses yellow "C" symbols to plot cases and uses red "D" symbols to plot deaths. Hence it helps you see "what" about data.     To determine how many symbols are to be plotted for a state, it assigns 1 yellow "C" symbol to represent 100 cases and 1 red "D" symbol to represent 2 deaths. For example, California has 1094 cases and 6 deaths, so it uses 10 yellow "C" symbols and 3 red "D" symbols respectively to plot them*.      As a result, it provides a good overview of: o Where (i.e. where the states are with swine flu). o How many (i.e. how many cases and deaths at each state). o What (i.e. whether they are cases or deaths) about the data. *The quotient of 1094 divided by 100 is 10.94. It ignores the fraction if the quotient is greater than 1. It equals 1 if the quotient is less than 1.

Figure 2A: Displaying Details of Database Type of Data     Figure 2A shows the details of the original data, after you click a plotted symbol in Figure 1A.     In Figure 2A, an arrow is pointed to a plotted green "T" symbol. It means that when the green "T" symbol is clicked, it displays the field names and the field contents, in the box to the right of the arrow. The field names include NID, CNN, REPORTDATETIME, SHIFT, OFFENSE, etc., and the field contents include "515092", "7000588", "1/2/2007 12:00:00 AM", "MID", "THEFT", etc. These field names and field contents are from a record of the original data. The record is linked to the plotted green "T" symbol. If you click another plotted symbol, it will display the field names and field contents of another record that is linked to clicked symbol. Similarly, every plotted symbol is linked to a record from the original data. As a result, StackSymbol enables you to see the details of every record from the original data.     When using StackSymbol, the default is to display every field and field content as shown in Figure 2A. However, user can choose to display none, any, or all of the fields and field contents. This allows user to filter out sensitive information.

Figure 2B: Displaying Details of Summary Type of Data     Figure 2B shows the details of the original data, if you click a plotted symbol in Figure 1C.     In Figure 2B, an arrow is pointed to a plotted yellow "C" symbol. It means that when the yellow "C" symbol is clicked, it displays the column names and column contents of a row in a table, in the box to the right of the arrow. The column names are State, Cases and Deaths; and the column contents are "California", "1094", and "6". These column names and contents are from a row of a table in the original data. The row is linked to the plotted yellow "C" symbol. If you click another plotted symbol from another stack (or state, in this example), it will display the column names and column contents from another row in the original data. Similarly, every plotted stack of symbol is linked to a row from the original data. As a result, StackSymbol enables you to see the details of every row in the original data.     When using StackSymbol, the default is to display every column name and column content, as shown in Figure 2B. However, user can choose to display none, any, or all of the column names and column contents. This allows user to filter out sensitive information.

Figure 3A: Adding A Picture To Data     Figure 3A shows the same field names and field contents as those in Figure 2A. However, a picture has been added.     You can add a picture by adding an "img src" tag (HTML tag) to the record in the original data. If you add an "img src" tag, when you click a plotted symbol, it displays the field names and field contents as usual, while at the same time, it executes the "img src" tag and displays the picture.     As a result, StackSymbol enables you to add other information, such as a picture, to supplement your data.     Note: The picture in Figure 3A is to illustrate how it works only. The picture itself does not have any meaning. However, in real use, you can replace it with a related picture, such as a picture of the criminal, the criminal's finger print, etc.

Figure 3B: Adding Columns To Data     Figure 3B is smilar to Figure 2B, except that some column names and column contents have been added.      The added columns are Date, Country, CountryTotalCases, DataSource, and UsefulLinks. The added column contents are "As of June, 12 2009, 11:00 AM ET", "USA", "17855", "45", "http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu" and "State health dept: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/states.htm; WHO: http://www.who.int". When you click a plotted symbol, it displays these added column names and column contents.     Note that you can add texts and/or HTML tags as column contents. For example, the "http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu" is a HTML tag which links to a web page. That is, if you click the "http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu" in Figure 3B, it will display the web page, as shown in Figure 3C.     As a result, StackSymbol enable you to add other information, such as new columns with texts and HTML tags, to supplement your data.

Figure 3C: Adding Web Link To Data     Figure 3C displays a web page along with plotted symbols in the background. The plotted symbols are the same as those in Figure 3B. This web page appears when you click the HTML tag, "http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu", in Figure 3B. This web page is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's web site.     As a result, StackSymbol allows you to add other information, such as a web page, to supplement your data.

Figure 4A: Displaying Two Data Sets In Different Stack Angles     Figure 4A shows the 2006 and 2007 crimes from Washington, DC. The 2006 data are plotted with square symbols and have a stack angle of 135 degrees* while the 2007 data are plotted with circle symbols and have a stack angle of 45 degrees*.     * 0 degree = hour hand at 3 o'clock position; 90 degrees = hour hand at 12 o'clock position; and so on.

Figure 4B: Displaying Three Data Sets In Different Positions     Figure 4B shows three different data sets. Data set A uses red circle symbols and the symbols are located at the center of the original position. Data set B users square green symbols and the symbols are located at an user-specified distance to the right of the original position. Data set C uses yellow circle symbols and the symbols are located at an user-specified distance to the left of the original position. (The data are created for illustrations only.)

5. You can geocode the same data in different aggregate levels for different purposes.
     To geocode means to convert the location information in your data into coordinates (latitudes and longitudes). StackSymbol plots symbols on a map according to coordinates. If your data already has coordinates, StackSymbol will use them for plotting. If you data do not have coordinates, it will geocode or convert your data's location information into coordinates and then plot symbols according to the coordinates. The ability to geocode data allows you to determine how you would like to aggregate your data to suit your purpose.
    For example, Figure 5A is a plot of the number of Nobel laureates per university. The aggregate level here is individual university - your purpose is to see where and how many laureates per university. When geocoding this example, it converts the location information of address, city, zip and state of each university into coordinates. Hence Stanford University and University of California - Berkeley, for instance, will have different coordinates. When StackSymbol plots them, a stack of symbols will be plotted in Palo Alto (where Stanford University is located) while another stack of symbols will be plotted in Berkeley.
    If the purpose is to see where and how many laureates per state (see Figure 5B), during geocoding, you only need to use the state information. Since Stanford University and University of California - Berkeley are in the same state, they will have the same coordinates. When StackSymbol plots them in Google Earth, one stack of symbols will be plotted in (or about) the centoid area of California, and the number of symbols within the stack will include the number of laureates from both Standard University and University of California - Berkeley.

Figure 5A: Nobel Laureates In US Universities      Figure 5A shows Nobel laureates in United States' universities. Each plotted symbol corresponds to a record (or a Nobel laureate) in the data. If a university has two or more laureates, it stacks two or more symbols up at that university. A university with a higher stack of symbols means that university has more Nobel laureates.     The data are compiled from Nobel Foundation.

Figure 5B: Nobel Laureates In Universities By State     Figure 5B shows the Nobel laureates in U.S. universities per state. It uses the same data as those in Figure 5A, except that during geocoding, it uses the location information of state only (while Figure 5A uses the location information of address, city, state and zip code). As a result, a stack of symbols is plotted at each state that is referred to in the data. The number of symbols within a stack is equal to the total number of laureates of all universities in that state.

6. You can use StackSymbol's output as a starting point (similar to a dashboard) for data management, then link the data to other related information (images, files, reports, records, data, etc.) in the internet, local computer and local area network.
     For example, Figure 1B above contains all the 2007 crime incidents. Since it displays the contents of a record when clicking a plotted symbol, and it allows you to add any HTML tags to link to other information, you can add a column called "Other_Info" to the original data. Under this "Other_Info" column you can add HTML tags that links to other information. Other information may include a scanned copy of the original police report (in PDF or JPG or other format), a photograph of the offender, a recorded voice message from a 911 call (saved in a standard sound format),  a link to the file name of FBI's criminal record (because the offender also has record there), a link to the file name of another state's gun registration record (because the offender purchase a gun there), a Word document containing a witness' description, a copy of an email (saved as a text file) from the offender to the victim, a note from a police officer about the offender (saved in JPG format),  and so on. Therefore when you click a plotted symbol that is associated with this offender, the links to all these information will be displayed, along with the contents of the original record for this offender. If you click another plotted symbol, the contents of the original record of another offender will be displayed, along with another set of related information, and so on.
     We use crime data as an example only, it can be applied to other data. The advantage of managing data this way is that the related information can be in any format, as long as it is acceptable to a browser and HTML tag. Another advantage is that you do not need to add the information to the original data, but just add a link to it; or just make a copy and then link to the copy, hence not much manual input is required. Furthermore, you can use StackSymbol to filter out any fields from displaying, so that the same original data can be used both internally and externally. 

Go To Top | Return To Previous