Post Processing of Relational Data User's Guide.

by Jana Diesner

  1. Open PostProcessor
  2. Load Relational Data
  3. Attribute Thesauri
  4. Exit PostProcessor

How to cite the software
Further Information
Report questions, bugs and comments

AutoMap User's Guide

Post Processing of Relational Data

Functionality DyNetML files generated with AutoMap, any other software, or any editor can be post-processed with this package.
Purpose Refine and/or enhance relational data. This is comparable to an Expert System.
Input A single DyNetML file (mandatory). A thesaurus in .txt format (optional).

Note, in DyNetML an attribute consists of a name and a value. Example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
- <DynamicNetwork>
- <MetaMatrix>
- <nodes>
- <nodeset id="Agent" type="Agent" name="Agent">
- <node id="Steve" title="Steve">
- <properties>
  <property name="gender" type="string" value="male" />
  <property name="attribute1" type="string" value="croatian" />
  </properties>
  </node>
- <node id="Chris" title="Chris">
- <properties>
  <property name="Gender" type="string" value="male" />
<property name="attribute2" type="string" value="32" />
  </properties>
  </node>
  </nodeset>
- <nodeset id="Resource" type="Resource" name="Resource">
  <node id="database" title="database" />
  </nodeset>
- <nodeset id="task" type="task" name="task">
  <node id="information_retrieval" title="information_retrieval" />
  </nodeset>
  </nodes>
- <networks>
- <graph id="Agent---Agent" sourceType="Agent" targetType="Agent" isDirected="true">
- <edge source="Chris" target="Steve" type="double" value="1">
- <properties>
  <property name="relationship" type="string" value="colleagues" />
  </properties>
  </edge>
<edge source="Steve" target="Chris" type="double" value="1">
- <properties>
  <property name="relationship" type="string" value="colleagues" />
  </properties>
  </edge>
  </graph> 
- <graph id="Agent---task" sourceType="Agent" targetType="task" isDirected="true">
  <edge source="Chris" target="information_retrieval" type="double" value="1" />
  </graph>
- <graph id="task---Resource" sourceType="task" targetType="Resource" isDirected="true">
  <edge source="information_retrieval" target="database" type="double" value="1" />
  </graph>
    </networks>
  </MetaMatrix>
  </DynamicNetwork>

The resulting network looks like this:

Output

DyNetML. Thesaurus.

How does it work?
  • Thesaurus 1. to 5. (see table below for details):
    Only elements (nodes and/or edges) that are already associated with attributes as well as the related attributes are loaded into the related panel.
    What happens?
    Attributes (property name, typically attribute 1, attribute 2, etc.) in the property specification section of edges and/ or nodes in a DyNetML can be interpreted. Interpretation here means that the property name will be translated into a meaningful category. The value of an attribute remains unchanged.
    Existing interpretations (attributes) can be changed or removed.
    Attributes that were not covered with the translation thesaurus or by the translation process remain unchanged. Those could be considered in further interpretation processes.
    When to use it?
    Make a datafile more . See example below.
    If the data from the resulting DyNetML file is stored in a relational database the meaningful category could serve as the key for a search, and the value could serve as the result.
  • Thesaurus 6. and 7. (see table below for details):
    All elements (nodes and/or edges) are loaded into the related panel, whether they are associated with an attribute or not.
    What happens?
    Same as above Plus:
    Elements not yet associated with attributes can be enhanced with attributes.
    Both, the attribute and the value can be edited or dropped.
    From new interpretations a new interpretation thesaurus can be derived and saved.
    When to use it?
    Same as above Plus:
    Enhance information with a specific attribute type (e.g. code all links that represent a social relation can be coded as attribute = social and value = specific type of social relationship, such as kinship or friendship)
Example
  • Thesaurus 1 to 7:
    original code sample:
    <    property name="attribute1" type="string" value="croation" />
    <property name="attribute2" type="string" value="32" />

    interpretation thesaurus:
    croatian/ nationality
    32/ age

    resulting code sample:
    <    property name="nationality" type="string" value="croation" />
    <property name="age" type="string" value="32" />
  • Thesaurus 5 to 7:
    original code:
      <node id="information_retrieval" title="information_retrieval" />
      </nodeset>
    ...
    <graph id="task---Resource" sourceType="task" targetType="Resource" isDirected="true">
      <edge source="information_retrieval" target="database" type="double" value="1" />
      </graph>
    resulting code sample:
    <node id="information_retrieval" title="information_retrieval" />
    <property name="input" type="string" value="key words" />
      </nodeset>
    ...
    <graph id="task---Resource" sourceType="task" targetType="Resource" isDirected="true">
      <edge source="information_retrieval" target="database" type="double" value="1" />
    <property name="output" type="string" value="search result " />
      </graph>
Further info

Sample data and a predefined interpretation thesaurus available from AutoMap Sample data page http://www.casos.cs.cmu.edu/projects/automap/sample.php

A predefined interpretation file is also included in the AutoMap installer (you find it in the utilities folder under the directory where you installed AutoMap)

1. Open Post Processor
In order to open the Post Processor, click the Tools menu in AutoMap and select Map Processor. The Post Processor GUI will pop up.

2. Load Relational Data
To edit a DyNetML file, first select the appropriate type of thesaurus.
To load single DyNetML file: Click the File menu and select the appropriate type of Thesaurus, load single DyNetML file. A file chooser will pop up.
a) Double click on the file that you wish to analyze or
b) Single click on the file. Hit the Open button.
The file will be loaded and displayed on the related tabbed pane.

3. Types of Attribute Thesauri

Seven different types of thesauri are supported:

Type of Thesaurus Portion of DyNetML to that changes should be applied Relate interpretation to specific ontological category Add attributes and attribute values to elements that are have no attribute yet
1. General Thesaurus
node set and edge set No No
2. General Node Thesaurus
 node set only No No
3. General Edge Thesaurus
edge set only No No
4. Detailed Node Thesaurus
 node set only Yes No
5. Detailed Edge Thesaurus
 edge set only Yes No
6. Node Attribute Thesaurus
 node set only Yes Yes
7. Edge Attribute Thesaurus
 edge set only Yes Yes

Work Flow:

1. Load in a single DyNetML file.
The file will be loaded and displayed on the related tabbed pane.
The Table is sorted alphabetically.

2. You now have two options, depending on whether you have a pre-defined attribute interpretation thesaurus available or not:

2.1. If a pre-defined attribute interpretation thesaurus is available:

(Note: A predefined interpretation file is also included in the AutoMap installer (you find it in the utilities folder under the directory where you installed AutoMap)

Click the File menu and select the related Load Thesaurus option. A file chooser pops up. Select a thesaurus and hit the Open button. The software searches the loaded thesaurus for associations between attributes and related associations. When it finds a match it puts the association term in the Translation column next to the related attribute.

The Translation column can be further edited within AutoMap (see below for how to instructions) or externally (see instructions under point below ("If pre-defined attribute interpretation thesaurus is NOT available")).

A) To associate an Attribute with an interpretation, enter the interpretation term in the Translation column next to the word it should be associated with. Hit enter every time you finished a self-defined interpretation.

B) If you are unhappy with an interpretation you can edit the related field in the Translation column. Hit enter every time you finished a self-defined interpretation.

C) In order to interpret the node attributes or edge attributes that you worked on in Thesaurus 6. or 7., use the related Thesaurus type 1. to 5. (load in the DyNetML file and interpret the attributes).

D) To save an applied Thesaurus of Thesaurus type 1. to 5., click the File menu select Save applied Thesaurus as for the type of thesaurus that you have applied. A file chooser pops up. Select a location and filename of your choice (the file will be saved as a coma separated).

2.2 If pre-defined attribute interpretation thesaurus is NOT available:

(Note: A predefined interpretation file is also included in the AutoMap installer (you find it in the utilities folder under the directory where you installed AutoMap)

Edit the thesaurus within AutoMap (see instructions under the point above ("If a pre-defined attribute interpretation thesaurus is available") or create a thesaurus externally:

  1. Every line contains attribute/ interpretation
  2. An attribute is one word.
  3. An interpretation Concept is one word.
  4. Make sure to separate the words by a slash.
  5. The Thesaurus is case insensitive. 

In order to interpret the node attributes or edge attributes that you worked on in Thesaurus 6. or 7., use the related Thesaurus type 1. to 5. (load in the DyNetML file and interpret the attributes).

To save an applied Thesaurus of Thesaurus type 1. to 5., click the File menu select Save applied Thesaurus as for the type of thesaurus that you have applied. A file chooser pops up. Select a location and filename of your choice (the file will be saved as a coma separated).

3. Apply the attribute interpretation thesaurus and save the modified DyNetML file by hitting the Apply Translation and save DyNetML file as button on the bottom of the panel.

A file chooser file pop up. Enter a file name, use .xml as file extension and select a storage location. It is recommended to select a filename that indicates the type of conversion that has been performed and a unique identifier (e.g. the original filename).

4. Exit
To exit the Post processor, click the File menu and select Exit.
The Post Processor will be closed.

How to cite the PostProcessor

Since the Post Processor is a part of the AutoMap package, this reference can be used:

Carley, K.M., & Diesner, J. (2005). AutoMap: Software for Network Text Analysis. CASOS (Center for Computational Analysis of Social and Organizational Systems), ISRI, CMU.

Further Information

For further information on CompareMap please visit: http://www.casos.cs.cmu.edu/projects/automap

On this web page you will find:

We also provide a online discussion forum for AutoMap, which also covers the PostProcessor. The purpose of this forum is to:
- Discuss questions related to the AutoMap software.
- Get help from other AutoMap users and the developers of the software with using the tool.

Questions, Bugs, and Comments

Please contact us:
Dr. Kathleen M. Carley ([email protected])
Jana Diesner ([email protected])

Carnegie Mellon University
School of Computer Science
Institute for Software Research International (ISRI)
Center for Computational Analysis of Social and Organizational Systems (CASOS)
5000 Forbes Avenue
1325 Wean Hall
Pittsburgh, PA, 15213