Consider the Numbers is meant to help you find and graph a variety of data ranging from US Gross Domestic Product to Olympic Medal counts. Most datasets are multidimensional. Consider the Numbers allows you to choose which dimensions to use as the X and Series axes, and how to filter and aggregate values along the other dimensions. Datasets that have common dimensions can be combined on the same graph.
The following sections describe the Consider the Numbers user interface.
The site is made up of two main pages: Browse and Graph. Switch between them with the tabs at the top left.
The Browse page is for finding datasets. It is made up of three columns. The left column provides two ways to get started: either enter search terms, or click on a tag. Performing either action will add dataset buttons to the the middle column. Clicking on a dataset button in the middle column will display details about that dataset in the right column. Clicking the Add this dataset button in the right column will make all of that dataset's dimensions available to be graphed on the Graph page. It will also automatically switch to the Graph page. Clicking the Browse tab will switch back to the Browse page.
The Graph page is for building graphs. The left column contains a list of dataset dimensions which have been added from the Browse page. These dimensions can be dropped onto the table at the bottom of the page to create a graph. Move a dimension by clicking on it to pick it up, then click on a destination box to drop it. Valid destination boxes will be highlighted when a dimension is selected. Dropping a dimension into the remove box will remove it from the page.
There are six boxes at the bottom of the page, where dimensions can be placed. Different graphs can be created by moving dimensions between these boxes.
The dimensions in the available dimensions box are all dependent variables. Dependent variables can only be dropped in the Y axis boxes. When a dimension is dropped in one of the Y axis boxes, the independent variables associated with that dataset are automatically placed in valid boxes. One is place in the X axis box and the rest are placed in a Flatten box.
The X axis box indicates which dimension's values will be used for the x axis. There must always be exactly one dimension in the X axis box for each dataset in the graph. If there are multiple datasets, then the X axis dimension for all datasets must match. For example, two datasets can be graphed together if they both have a "Year" dimensions in the X axis box.
The Series box indicates which dimension will be used to create multiple lines (for a line graph) or multiple groups of bars (for a bar chart). For example if "State" is dropped in the Series box, a separate line will be drawn for each state. The Series box can be empty, but if it is not, the same rules that apply to the X axis apply to it.
The Flatten box contains dimensions that will be aggregated. By default, all values on this axis will be totaled, but other aggregation methods can be used, and the list of values to include in the aggregation can be filtered. These options are available in a dialog that is brought up by clicking on the links inside the dimension button.
Setting a dimension as the Scatter axis causes the graph to be changed to a scatter plot. Scatter plots must be made up of exactly two datasets with at least one common dimension. The common dimension from each dataset must be set as the Scatter axis.