I have a sample data structure like so -- 

%d = (
  a => [b,c,d,],
  b => [a,d,],
  c => [b,d,e,],
);
and so on...

[download]

I would like to create a directed graph (I believe I am using the term correctly) and visualize it such that... 

makeGraph('a');

[download]
will create a "picture" with 'a' as the origin and arrows to b, c, and d... clicking on, say, 'b' will call makeGraph('b'), and so on.

I believe I can accomplish this with Graphviz family of modules, but there are two problems with Graphviz... one, the output is pretty, how shall I say this politely, not nice. Maybe that can be adjusted with further exploration. But, more than that, it is really a static picture. Ideally I would like one of those springy network visualizations that one sees on Amazon and C|Net, etc. (www.touchgraph.com has a nice WikiBrowser that does something like this, except, in a standalone app... eventually I want this to work in a browser). I realize this would have to be done in something like Java (www.processing.org comes to mind), but perhaps I can do the coding in Perl, and then send off the data to the Java applet.

In any case, I am looking for some starting directions here.

Many thanks,

--

when small people start casting long shadows, it is time to go to bed

In reply to drawing (visualizing) directed graphs by punkish

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