At 23:01 29.04.99 +0200, Torsten Bergmann wrote:
>Some weeks ago the squeak list mentioned a new technology for navigating
>complex data structures with a hyperbolic tree. The hyperbolic tree 
>is a commercial product of Inxight software (http://www.inxight.com)
>and I haven't found any free sources all over the web.
>
>Using such a tree would be cool. 
>Can anyone point me to a location where I can find more informations
>about the implementation of this tree? Is anyone working on a squeak 
>version ?

You certainly rang a bell here.

Until about a year ago, there was a tool that displayed Java profiling
information using hyperbolic trees (HyperProf by Vladimir Bulatov, see
http://www.physics.orst.edu/~bulatov/). As far as I can recall (or can
research with DejaNews, try "+Xerox +patent" on comp.lang.java.*), Xerox
seems to have contacted Mr. Bulatov and at least notified him of their
patent #5,619,632 (see http://www.platibus.com/hyperprof/xeroxpatent.html
for a bit of background information). Whatever that exchange may have been,
it led to Mr. Bulatov taking down his (free) tool.

I am not a lawyer (nor do I play one on TV), but I think hyperbolic trees
are a potential minefield. Please let's *not* start an argument re the
validity of software patents here. It is a *shame* that HyperProf is dead,
as it was a cute tool. I know, I tried it.

Just be aware of the traps, before another great tool bites the dust.

Cheers,
Helge