1. A method for displaying a selected portion of a data set within a display area of a display device, the data set comprising an element group, the element group including a higher-level element and one or more lower-level elements, the method comprising: processing layout information for the higher-level element to identify that a region occupied by the higher-level element does not correspond with a selected portion of the layout area of the data set; based on the identification, determining not to render the higher-level element for display within the display area; determining whether the higher-level element has a predefined spatial relationship with a first lower-level element of the one or more lower-level elements, the predefined spatial relationship indicating that the region occupied by the first lower-level element falls within the region occupied by the higher-level element of the element group; selecting, on the basis of the determination, whether or not to perform a first process, the first process being selected when it is determined that the higher-level element does not have the predefined spatial relationship with the first lower-level element, wherein: the first process comprises processing layout information for the first lower-level element to identify whether or not the region occupied by the first lower-level element corresponds with the selected portion of the data set, and, when it is identified that the region occupied by the first lower-level element corresponds with the selected portion of the data set, selecting to render the first lower-level element for display in the display area; and when it is determined that the higher-level element has the predefined spatial relationship with the first lower-level element, selecting not to render the first lower-level element for display in the display area.
1. A method for displaying a selected portion of a data set within a display area of a display device, the data set comprising an element group, the element group including a higher-level element and one or more lower-level elements, the method comprising: processing layout information for the higher-level element to identify that a region occupied by the higher-level element does not correspond with a selected portion of the layout area of the data set; based on the identification, determining not to render the higher-level element for display within the display area; determining whether the higher-level element has a predefined spatial relationship with a first lower-level element of the one or more lower-level elements, the predefined spatial relationship indicating that the region occupied by the first lower-level element falls within the region occupied by the higher-level element of the element group; selecting, on the basis of the determination, whether or not to perform a first process, the first process being selected when it is determined that the higher-level element does not have the predefined spatial relationship with the first lower-level element, wherein: the first process comprises processing layout information for the first lower-level element to identify whether or not the region occupied by the first lower-level element corresponds with the selected portion of the data set, and, when it is identified that the region occupied by the first lower-level element corresponds with the selected portion of the data set, selecting to render the first lower-level element for display in the display area; and when it is determined that the higher-level element has the predefined spatial relationship with the first lower-level element, selecting not to render the first lower-level element for display in the display area. 21. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: defining at least one new element group, resulting in modification of the grouping information associated with the data set.