7. The method of claim 1 wherein allocating step (c) includes: (a) measuring the lopsidedness of distribution of larger elements across columns and across rows; and (b) depending upon whether the lopsidedness is greater across columns or across rows, allocating column widths or row heights, respectively, as a first allocation and thereafter in a second allocation allocating row heights or column widths, respectively.
1. A computer executable method for displaying elements of an information array within a predetermined two dimensional display space, wherein the predetermined two dimensional display space is divided into cells formed at intersections of columns and rows, the elements of the information array have corresponding cells for display, and at least two of said elements include text, said method comprising the steps of: (a) determining display space requirement (DSR) for displaying the elements; (b) moderating the DSR value of at least one element to determine its moderated display space requirement (ModDSR) value, wherein said moderating step comprises: (i) selecting an element whose DSR value is larger than the DSR value of at least one element in the column or row to which said element corresponds; and (ii) reducing the DSR value of the selected element such that the amount of reduction depends on the difference between the DSR value of said element and a value representative of the DSR values of the elements corresponding to the column or row to which said element corresponds; (c) allocating column widths and row heights, based on the ModDSR values or on values obtained by using the ModDSR values, such that the total width of all the columns and the total height of all the rows do not exceed the width and height, respectively, of the predetermined two dimensional display space; and (d) displaying the elements in the space allocated to the corresponding cells.