Abstract: Automation of retrieval of stored graphs in a multi-user system having a central processing facility with processes that create and translate graphical representation into varying levels of readable expression. The created, translated representations are stored in system storage in the form of graph files. The invention is expressed as a method that tabularizes stored graph files by table entries, each identifying a specific graph and including a listing of the corresponding graph files produced for the graph. When a user of the system identifies a graph by table entry and specifies a machine output or modification function to be performed on the identified graph, the tabularized entries are searched to locate an entry for the identified graph.