Elsevier

Handbook of Statistics

Volume 9, 1993, Pages 825-855
Handbook of Statistics

25 Graphics as visual language

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Publisher Summary

This chapter explains the concepts of visual elements in interactive computing and refines the definition that the visual elements of a language are the graphical alphabet, interaction alphabet, graphical syntax, interaction syntax, and structure of that language. These elements define the language and are analyzed as part of its design. Visual language is the systematic use of visual presentation techniques to convey meaning. A visual alphabet is made up of a set of spatial and temporal characters used in a visual language; iconic systems and visual objects have similar definitions. To interpret a picture or graphical presentation rendered, visual alphabet characters are parsed for their meaning by the viewer or program. It is evocative to draw parallels between visual syntax and natural language syntax. Visual parsing distinctions can be separated into syntactical categories: positional, size, time, and rule. To talk about interactive systems, the way a visual language's alphabetic primitives are placed and moved in a visual utterance is described in the chapter.

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