Abstract: Provided is a framework supporting presentation of help information via a computer system user interface in response to the proximity of an input device pointer to an interface area associated with a user interface component. The framework provides generic methods which remove from user interface components much of the task of managing the presentation of help information. The framework supports presentation of help information for a platform-independent component programming environment and supports presentations in a plurality of different styles (such as text, audio, animating graphics, etc) by means of selectable presentation methods.

Abstract: A method of displaying clustered data points in detail and in context within a data set. The method includes the step of identifying one or more clustered sets of data points within a data set. The data set includes a plurality of data points. The method also includes the steps of determining a respective data range segment for each cluster of data points, where each data range segment has a boundary and a scale interval, and displaying the data points in each segment such that each segment is mutually distinguishable. Where two or more data range segments are determined, the scale interval value for one of the data range segments is modifiable to differ from one or more of the other data range segments.

Abstract: A user interface component, gauge, is adapted to present a changing value according to a pre-determined behavioral and presentational characteristic. The component includes a kernel which is adapted to display a presentation value; a control interface through which an external system communicates the changing value to the kernel; a presentation interface through which the presentation characteristic of the user interface component is determined; and a behavior interface through which an external system communicates with said kernel to determine the behavioral characteristic of the user interface component.