A prototype for the visualization of both geometrical and non­geometrical data is described. Special emphasis is given to flat structured or tabular data. Main features of this prototype are: a data independent architecture; filtering of information using degree of interest functions and establishing limits for the variation of one or more data attributes; interactive specification of attribute restrictions combining and and or operators; choice of representations using current scale factor and the result of the degree of interest function. The concept of information classes is introduced to associate a set of attributes with a spatial reference and a graphical representation. Derived information classes are used to combine attribute restrictions with and and or operators.

Keywords: visualization, degree of interest function, filtering, graphical representation