twosigma / goll-e

Graph Object Language and Layout Editor

GOLL-E

The Graph Object Language and Layout Editor is a javascript graph visualization and layout tool. The graph is generated by parsing graph content data (using the GOLL-E Content Language specifications) that is input through a file and laying out the graph contents using a layout algorithm. The graph is then rendered and visualized and the user is able to modify the layout. by dragging the graph elements around. The user will also be able to edit the graph content while using the visualizer by using the in-line editor. The system consists of three core parts:

• The GOLL-E Content Language
• The Visualizer
• The Editor

GOLL-E Content Language

The GOLL-E Content Language specifies the content of the graph, and any data pertaining the graph. That is the list of vertices contained in the graph, with each vertex detailing the data specific to itself, and a list of edges, with each edge detailing the data specific to itself. The content language is specified in greater detail here.

The Visualizer

The visualizer plays a key role in this system because it has to support user modification (i.e. dragging vertices to modify the layout).

The Editor

The final key component of the GOLL-E system is the in-line editor. It allows the user to edit the graph content while looking at the visualized graph.

Installation

For installation instructions, see the wiki.

goll-e's Issues

Should specify 'sudo' for the global install

Not sure if 'sudo npm run bootstrap'
would have been better, but briefly looking at the output and seeing '-g',
and then that the instructions said '... to install Gulp, Bower, and Jison globally'
I just did 'sudo npm install -g bower gulp jison'
and continued to 'npm install',

... which oddly failed, because the above left ~/.npm/through2 owned by root somehow.
After fixing ownership install / build / start seems to work.

Add a REST API and a database to the back end for modifying and persisting hosted graph content.

A use case proposed for this product is that while a document is being "watched" by the graph editor in a browser, another machine would update the graph by, for instance, adding or removing a style class on a vertex. To this end, the Express server component of the product should expose a REST API for editing documents, and should also persist those documents (whereas currently the express server only hosts a static page where the user must enter the contents of a document into the editor).