Generating Euler diagrams

Abstract

This article describes an algorithm for the automated generation of any Euler diagram starting with an abstract description of the diagram. An automated generation mechanism for Euler diagrams forms the foundations of a generation algorithm for notations such as Harel's higraphs, constraint diagrams and some of the UML notation. An algorithm to generate diagrams is an essential component of a diagram tool for users to generate, edit and reason with diagrams. The work makes use of properties of the dual graph of an abstract diagram to identify which abstract diagrams are "drawable" within given wellformedness rules on concrete diagrams. A Java program has been written to implement the algorithm and sample output is included.