1 Introduction
Grammars of graphics span a gamut of expressivity. Low-level grammars such as Protovis [3], D3 [4], and Vega [22] are useful for explanatory data visualization or as a basis for customized analysis tools, as their primitives offer fine-grained control. However, for exploratory visualization, higher-level grammars such as ggplot2 [27], and grammar-based systems such as Tableau (née Polaris [24]), are typically preferred as they favor conciseness over expressiveness. Analysts rapidly author partial specifications of visualizations; the grammar applies default values to resolve ambiguities, and synthesizes low-level details to produce visualizations.