6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the panels are declared by six to ten key-value property pairs.
1. A method of generating a dashboard that includes multiple panels from a declarative representation of queries, widgets, bindings and facets, the method including: accessing one or more configuration files that represent interaction among queries, widgets, bindings and facet property settings to generate multiple panels of a dashboard; parsing key-value properties in the configuration files to identify queries, wherein each query specifies a value or range of values of at least one dimension and, when processed, returns a data set that includes at least one dimension and at least one measure; providing a plurality of visualization widgets, wherein each visualization widget, when invoked on a computer including a processor, accepts as input the dimension returned in the data set as an independent variable and the measure as a dependent variable; generates a specified chart or graph from the dimension and the measure to form a first view of segments in the specified chart or graph, each segment of the segments having a starting position in the first view and each segment in the specified chart or graph illustrating a first measurement of data from the data set with respect to a first particular constraint; invokes a tweener to morph each of the segments to second view from the first view by morphing each of the segments from the starting position in the first view to multiple intermediate positions and then to an ending position in the second view, each segment in the second view of the specified chart or graph illustrating a second measurement of data from the data set with respect to a second particular constraint; and invokes the tweener to morph to a third view from the second view by morphing each of the segments from the ending position in the second view to multiple intermediate positions and then to an ending position in the third view; parsing key-value properties in the configuration files to identify panels, wherein each panel declares a binding that links an associated visualization widget to an associated query; wherein each panel declares the specified chart or graph into which the data set returned by the associated query will be rendered by the associated visualization widget; and wherein at least some of the panels set the facet property, wherein the facet property links operation of data filtering controls among the panels, whereby selection of a data filter control in one panel causes the selected data filter to be applied to additional panels that have the facet property set; and generating data representing a dashboard and the panels based at least in part on the configuration files.