Automatic graph drawing and readability of diagrams

The state of the art in automatic graph drawing is reviewed, with special attention to the readability of information system diagrams. Existing results in the literature are compared, and a comprehensive algorithmic approach to the problem is proposed. The algorithm presented draws graphs on a grid and is suitable for both undirected graphs and mixed graphs that contain as subgraphs hierarchic structures. Several applications of GIOTTO, a graphic tool that embodies the aforementioned facility, are shown.<
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