the Colored & Aligned Texts view
by Marcus Pöckelmann,
Paul Molitor and
Jörg Ritter
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
# What is CATview?
CATview is an interactive visualization tool offering effective functionalities for navigating and exploring the textual differences of the variants of a manuscript. It processes data generated by collation tools such as LERA, CollateX or Juxta. CATview is meant to be embedded in websites as a powerful add-on for digital editions and web-based frameworks for the editing process.
CATview has been developed by the working group on eHumanities of the Computer Science Institute of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. It has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research under grant number 01UG1247.
# Why using CATview?
CATview offers multiple, easily usable functionalities for exploratory analysis of the genesis of a manuscript, in particular:
# Macro-Level View of the Text Differences
CATview represents text segments (which can be lines, sentences, or paragraphs) as rectangles in a tabular manner whereat (in horizontal mode) a row corresponds to a text witness and a column to aligned segments of the different text witnesses, i.e., segments that are related to each other.
CATview allows to identify spots with relevant portions of text that have been added or removed.
# Different Levels of Detail
CATview has a built-in zoom that is activated by scrolling with the mouse wheel.
CATview allows a fast and intuitive switching between different levels of detail.
# Clear Visualization of Textual Differences
CATview illustrates the degree of dissimilarity between aligned
segments by the rectangles' color.
The darker the color of a segment the more different the segment is with
respect to the other aligned segments.
CATview gives assistance for locating hot spots of revisions.
Learn more in the documentation: Set and change the basic data - Edges and set_color_scale
# Effective Navigation
CATview links the rectangles of the overview bar to the respective
text segment.
The current scroll position in the text is marked by a scroll spy in
the overview bar.
CATview allows effective navigation within representations of the text witnesses and their differences.
Learn more in the documentation: Click on Edges Callback and Adding a Scrollspy
# Highlighting Search Results
CATview visualizes search hits by coloring (yellow) the segments matching the search request.
CATview gives assistance for estimating the distribution of a subject within the text witnesses.
Learn more in the documentation: Highlighting of Search Results
# Easy Restriction of the Text under Consideration
CATview offers a comfortable selection of consecutive text segments by drawing a box around them.
CATview allows statistical analysis with respect to text excerpts.
Learn more in the documentation: Use the Brush
# All in all
All in all, CATview is a powerful add-on for web-based editions and tools for their creation.
# Publications on CATview
• M. Pöckelmann, A. Medek, P. Molitor, and J. Ritter (2015): "CATview - Supporting The Investigation Of Text Genesis Of Large Manuscripts By An Overall Interactive Visualization Tool". DH2015, 26. international annual conference of Digital Humanities, Sydney, 29.06.-03.07.2015.
• T. Bremer, P. Molitor, M. Pöckelmann, J. Ritter und S. Schütz (2015): "Zum Einsatz digitaler Methoden bei der Erstellung und Nutzung genetischer Editionen gedruckter Texte mit verschiedenen Fassungen - Das Fallbeispiel der Histoire philosphique des deux Indes von Guillaume Thomas Raynal". In: R. v. Nutt-Kofoth, B. Plachta & W. Woesler (eds.) Editio, 2015;29(1):29-51. https://doi.org/10.1515/editio-2015-004
# Where to get CATview?
• Download the latest version of CATview right here catview.zip
or see the project on GitLab
• For an installation guide see installation
• For quick start instructions see quickstart
• For the documentation of all features see documentation
# Authorship and Funding
CATview was developed within project SaDA - Semi-Automatic Difference Analysis of complex text variants. SaDA is a cooperative project of colleagues of Computer Science, Romance and German Studies of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant no: 01UG1247). For more information, please see SaDA's Homepage or contact us per ✉ electronic mail