ABSTRACT
Text literally encodes data, which can increase information content, aid identification, and reduce search. Text is language dependent, requiring translation for diverse audiences. Text can be formatted with attributes such as size and hue to convey data. Typographic attributes can convey a few levels of data, for example, font weight is effective at encoding a few ordered levels, whereas oblique can encode a diverging scale, and typeface can indicate categories. Text scope ranges from individual characters, alphanumeric codes, and words used as points in a visualization; to longer sequences of text that can be used to form lines or areas. Text-specific layouts include prose, tables, lists, and indices. Text affords interactions such as sort, search, and autocomplete, which can be complemented with interactive natural language processing.
