The Recursive Disk Metaphor - A Glyph-based Approach for Software Visualization

Abstract

In this paper, we present the recursive disk metaphor, a glyph-based visualization for software visualization. The metaphor represents all important structural aspects and relations of software using nested circular glyphs. The result is a shape with an inner structural consistency and a completely defined orientation. We compare the recursive disk metaphor to other state-of-the-art 2D approaches that visualize structural aspects and relations of software. Further, a case study shows the feasibility and scalability of the approach by visualizing an open source software system in a browser.