Abstract: An electronic device has a display, one or more processors, and memory. The memory stores one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors. The device displays a graphical user interface having a viewport of a canvas containing a plurality of graphical information units. Each graphical information unit has (i) a respective location on the canvas, (ii) a respective size, and (iii) respective information content independent of size, displayed according to a current location of the viewport and a current scale of the viewport. The device displays the graphical information units according to relative size determination using a specific size metric, including displaying each smaller graphical information unit in front of each fully or partially overlapping larger graphical information unit, thereby displaying a visual hierarchy of the graphical information units on the canvas.

Abstract: An electronic device has a graphical user interface that displays a viewport of a canvas containing positioned and sized graphical information units. Smaller units are displayed in front of overlapping larger units. Relative size determination uses a specific-size-metric such as unit width. The device uses parentage determination rules to deduce a current hierarchical relationship between two units according to current sizes and positions. When there is full or partial overlap, the larger unit of each pair is deduced as the parent; otherwise there is no direct relationship. Clusters of decreasingly sized descendants result. User input adjusts the size and/or position of a selected unit while concurrently applying the adjustment proportionally to all descendants. Throughout continuous input, each adjusted and other canvas units are independently displayed with smaller in front of overlapping larger units.