Versions are presented below in sets of three, with a Venn diagram for visualization. Numbers refer to the quantity of characters that diverge from common, shared text (that is, shared by all three, regardless of any other version).

The diagrams are useful for thinking about how a document was revised. The narrative presumes that versions A, B, and C represent consecutive editing stages in a document, and an interest in the position of B relative to the path from A to C. The diagrams also depict wasted work. Whatever is in B that is in neither A nor C represents text that B added that C deleted. Whatever is in A and C but not in B represent text deleted by B that was restored by C.

Although ideal for describing an editorial path where A, B, and C stand in direct relation to each other, the scenarios can be profitably used to study three versions whose relationship is unknown.

Note, some data combinations are impossible to draw accurately with a 3-circle Venn diagram (e.g., a 3-circle Venn diagram for items in the set {[a, z], [b, z], [c, z]} will always incorrectly show overlap for each pair of items).

The colors are fixed according to the A, B, and C components of the Venn diagram, not to the version labels, which change color from one Venn diagram to the next.