A method for displaying hierarchically related data, comprising: simultaneously displaying in a display window respective representations of a plurality of hierarchically related data records (205,207) in accordance with the hierarchical relationship; wherein: each of at least two of the representations includes a respective table, the respective table including a plurality of data columns; the at least two representations' represented data records depend from a common ancestor data record; and the respective tables are displayed nested in another table representing the ancestor data record; the method being characterized by the steps of: setting a display attribute of a first column of a first one of the respective tables based on a display attribute of a first column of a second one of the respective tables so that at least a portion of the first column of the first one of the respective tables and a portion of the first column of the second one of the respective tables are aligned when displayed in the displaying step; setting a width of a second column of the first one of the respective tables which is set for display to an immediate left of the first column of the first one of the respective tables as variable in accordance with a stored rule instructing to set as variable a column that is positioned to an immediate left of another column for which a display setting is set for column alignment with a column of another table; wherein, in accordance with the width's setting as variable, the width depends on a remaining display area of the first one of the respective tables after setting a position of the second column of the first one of the respective tables. simultaneously displaying in a display window respective representations of a plurality of hierarchically related data records (205,207) in accordance with the hierarchical relationship; wherein: each of at least two of the representations includes a respective table, the respective table including a plurality of data columns; the at least two representations' represented data records depend from a common ancestor data record; and the respective tables are displayed nested in another table representing the ancestor data record; the method being characterized by the steps of: each of at least two of the representations includes a respective table, the respective table including a plurality of data columns; the at least two representations' represented data records depend from a common ancestor data record; and the respective tables are displayed nested in another table representing the ancestor data record; the method being characterized by the steps of: setting a display attribute of a first column of a first one of the respective tables based on a display attribute of a first column of a second one of the respective tables so that at least a portion of the first column of the first one of the respective tables and a portion of the first column of the second one of the respective tables are aligned when displayed in the displaying step; setting a width of a second column of the first one of the respective tables which is set for display to an immediate left of the first column of the first one of the respective tables as variable in accordance with a stored rule instructing to set as variable a column that is positioned to an immediate left of another column for which a display setting is set for column alignment with a column of another table; wherein, in accordance with the width's setting as variable, the width depends on a remaining display area of the first one of the respective tables after setting a position of the second column of the first one of the respective tables.