We introduce a generalized similarity analysis which grants a qualitative
description of the localised solutions of any nonlinear differential equation.
This procedure provides relations between amplitude, width, and velocity of the
solutions, and it is shown to be useful in analysing nonlinear structures like
solitons, dublets, triplets, compact supported solitons and other patterns. We
also introduce kink-antikink compact solutions for a nonlinear-nonlinear
dispersion equation, and we construct a basis of finite wavelength functions
having self-similar properties.Comment: 18 pages Latex, 6 figures ep