Manipulating Visual Representations of Data

Abstract

Technologies relating to manipulating visual representations of data. A method is provided that includes displaying a first visual representation including a zoom parameter having a first value; receiving a first input while maintaining a first position of a cursor relative to the first visual representation; modifying the zoom parameter to have a second value, where the first visual representation of the document is adjusted according to the second value to provide a second visual representation; identifying a change in position of the cursor to a second position relative to the second visual representation; receiving a second input to modify the zoom parameter of the second visual representation; and modifying the zoom parameter to have a third value, where the second visual representation of the document is adjusted relative to the second position of the cursor according to the third value to provide a third visual representation of the document.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 displaying, in a user interface, a visual representation of a document at a first zoom level as a first visual representation, the visual representation having one or more representation parameters including a zoom parameter having a first value;   receiving a first input while maintaining a first position of a cursor relative to the visual representation;   modifying the zoom parameter to have a second value in response to the first input, the visual representation of the document being adjusted according to the second value of the zoom parameter to provide a second visual representation in the user interface of the document at a second zoom level, the second value of the zoom parameter being determined according to a width of the document, the second visual representation being zoomed out relative to the first visual representation;   displaying, in the user interface, a visual guide in the visual representation, the visual guide identifying a first portion of the visual representation corresponding to the first visual representation;   identifying a change in position of the cursor to a second position relative to the second visual representation;   receiving a second input to modify the zoom parameter of the visual representation; and   modifying the zoom parameter to have a third value, where the visual representation of the document is adjusted relative to the second position of the cursor according to the third value of the zoom parameter to provide a third visual representation in the user interface of the document at a third zoom level, wherein the third visual representation is zoomed in relative to the second visual representation.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual guide identifies the first visual representation relative to the second visual representation. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 moving the visual guide in response to identifying the change in position of the cursor, the visual guide indicating a second portion of the second visual representation in response to the change, the third visual representation including only the second portion of the second visual representation without displaying the visual guide in the user interface.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an input to modify a size of the visual guide to provide a modified visual guide; and   using the modified visual guide to determine the third value of the zoom parameter.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , where modifying the zoom parameter to have a second value further comprises:
 determining a first target zoom level for zooming out.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , where modifying the zoom parameter to have a third value further comprises:
 determining a second target zoom level for zooming in.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , where receiving a first input includes receiving an input to an input device and determining whether a threshold time has elapsed without an additional input to the input device. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 automatically scrolling the second visual representation when the position of the cursor moves to specific areas or across specific areas in the user interface.   
     
     
         9 . A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage device, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 displaying, in an application window, a visual representation of a document at a first zoom level as a first visual representation, the visual representation having one or more representation parameters including a zoom parameter having a first value;   receiving a first input while maintaining a first position of a cursor relative to the first visual representation;   modifying the zoom parameter to have a second value in response to the first input, the visual representation of the document being zoomed out relative to the first visual representation according to the second value of the zoom parameter to provide a second visual representation, in the application window, of the document at a second zoom level;   displaying, in the application window, a visual guide in the visual representation, the visual guide identifying a first portion of the second visual representation corresponding to the first visual representation;   identifying a change in position of the cursor to a second position relative to the visual representation;   receiving a second input to modify the zoom parameter of the second visual representation; and   modifying the zoom parameter to have a third value, the visual representation of the document being zoomed in relative to the second visual representation relative to the second position of the cursor according to the third value of the zoom parameter to provide a third visual representation, in the application window, of the document at a third zoom level.   
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the visual guide identifies the first visual representation relative to the second visual representation. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , further operable to perform operations comprising:
 moving the visual guide in response to identifying the change in position of the cursor, the visual guide indicating a second portion of the second visual representation in response to the change, the third visual representation including only the second portion of the second visual representation without displaying the visual guide in the application window.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , further operable to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an input to modify a size of the visual guide to provide a modified visual guide; and   using the modified visual guide to determine the third value of the zoom parameter.   
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , where modifying the zoom parameter to have a second value further comprises:
 determining a first target zoom level for zooming out.   
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , where modifying the zoom parameter to have a third value further comprises:
 determining a second target zoom level for zooming in.   
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , where receiving a first input includes receiving an input to an input device and determining whether a threshold time has elapsed without an additional input to the input device. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , further operable to perform operations comprising:
 automatically scrolling the second visual representation when the position of the cursor moves to specific areas or across specific areas in the user interface.   
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a processor and a memory operable to perform operations including:   displaying, in a user interface, a visual representation of a document at a first zoom level as a first visual representation, the visual representation having one or more representation parameters including a zoom parameter having a first value;   receiving a first value input while maintaining a first position of a cursor relative to the visual representation;   modifying the zoom parameter to have a second value in response to the first input, the visual representation of the document being zoomed out relative to the first visual representation according to the second value of the zoom parameter to provide a second visual representation, in the user interface, of the document at a second zoom level, the second visual representation replacing the first visual representation in the user interface;   displaying, in the user interface, a visual guide in the visual representation, the visual guide identifying a first portion of the second visual representation corresponding to the first visual representation;   identifying a change in position of the cursor to a second position relative to the second visual representation;   receiving a second input to modify the zoom parameter of the visual representation; and   modifying the zoom parameter to have a third value, the visual representation of the document being zoomed in relative to the second visual representation relative to the second position of the cursor according to the third value of the zoom parameter to provide a third visual representation, in the user interface, of the document at a third zoom level, the third visual representation replacing the second visual representation in the user interface.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the visual guide identifies the first visual representation relative to the second visual representation. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , further operable to perform operations comprising:
 moving the visual guide in response to identifying change in position of the cursor, the visual guide indicating a second portion of the second visual representation in response to the change, the third visual representation including only the second portion of the second visual representation without displaying the visual guide in the user interface.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , further operable to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an input to modify a size of the visual guide to provide a modified visual guide; and   using the modified visual guide to determine the third value of the zoom parameter.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , where modifying the zoom parameter to have a second value further comprises:
 determining a first target zoom level for zooming out.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 17 , where modifying the zoom parameter to have a third value further comprises:
 determining a second target zoom level for zooming in.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 17 , where receiving a first input includes receiving an input to an input device and determining whether a threshold time has elapsed without an additional input to the input device. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 17 , further operable to perform operations comprising:
 automatically scrolling the second visual representation when the position of the cursor moves to specific areas or across specific areas in the user interface.   
     
     
         25 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 displaying, in an application window, a first portion of a document at a first zoom level, the first portion of the document being less than the entire document;   receiving a first input while maintaining a first position of a cursor relative to the first portion of the document;   in response to the first input, zooming out to display a second portion of the document to a second zoom level in the application window, the second portion of the document including a greater amount of the document than the first portion, the second portion including the first portion of the document;   displaying, within the second portion of the document, a visual guide identifying the first portion of the document relative to the second portion of the document;   receiving an input to change a position of the visual guide with respect to the second portion of the document;   receiving a second input to display a third portion of the document, the third portion of the document comprising a portion of the document within the visual guide; and   in response to the second input, zooming in to display the third portion of the document at a third zoom level in the application window, the third portion of the document being less than the second portion of the document.