JP2886704B2 - Iconization device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus such as a workstation, and more particularly to an icon processing apparatus which operates in a desktop environment supporting icons and windows.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, information processing apparatuses, such as workstations and word processors, which provide a so-called desktop environment that supports icons and a window system (hereinafter referred to as desktop systems) are becoming popular. Among them, icons are symbols that visually represent desk tools such as documents and folders as pictograms, and are associated in advance with predetermined functions, information resources, and the like. Further, the window is a virtual one in a state in which “a desk tool such as a document or a folder is opened”, and is associated with windows (windows) that divide the screen of the bitmap display into several sections. . The user can perform different tasks in each window.

In such a desktop system, a user operates a mouse or the like to select an icon displayed in a window on a bitmap display with a graphic cursor. Thereby, the user can perform desired processing visually and easily.

On the other hand, in a development information processing apparatus such as an engineering workstation which operates under an operating system (OS) such as UNIX, various window systems are provided, but icons are also supported. Such desktop systems are not usually provided, and users input commands one by one to perform necessary processing. For example, when editing an existing file, a predetermined command is input to start an editor program, and further necessary commands are input on this editor to load and edit various files. .

[0005]

By the way, it is often desired to share a file created by a so-called non-desktop window system that does not support such icons with another desktop system. In this case, in order for a user of another desktop system to access the target file, it is necessary to input necessary commands one by one as described above, and it is necessary to know the file name. For this reason, a user who is accustomed to the desktop environment feels that the operation is complicated, and there is a disadvantage that the shared file cannot be sufficiently used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an iconizing apparatus that can adapt a file already created in a non-desktop environment to a desktop environment.

[0007]

According to the present invention, (i) a display for displaying various information, and (ii) icons as pictograms for visually representing desk tools such as documents and folders are still associated with each other. File reading means for reading a file which has not been read, (iii) selecting means for selecting a desired file from a group of files read by the file reading means and displayed on the display, and (iv) a file selected by the selecting means. An icon name assigning means for assigning an icon name as a name of an existing icon to the file,
(v) an icon type assigning means for assigning an icon type indicating an icon type to the selected file;
(vi) Registering means for registering the name of the selected file together with the icon name given by the icon name giving means, the icon type given by the icon type giving means, and other necessary information to the iconifying device. To equip it.

In the present invention, a file created in a non-desktop environment is read and displayed on a display, a desired file is selected from the files, an icon name and an icon type are given, and these are associated with each other. By registering it, it will be adapted to the desktop environment.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an iconizing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This device is provided with a system bus 11 and is connected to the following various device circuits.

(I) CPU (Central Processing Unit) 12: It performs information processing such as creation / editing of a document and controls the operation of the entire apparatus.

(Ii) Main memory 13: It is composed of a random access memory (RAM) and stores a control program read from the hard disk 18, document data, and the like.

(Iii) Bitmap display 14: Displays various data input from the keyboard 16 or mouse 17 and document data read from the hard disk 18, and also displays various messages from the CPU 12.

(Iv) Keyboard 16: Used for inputting commands for executing various processes to the CPU 12, document data, and the like.

(V) Mouse 17: It has a plurality of button switches, and is used for moving a graphic cursor on the screen of the bit map display 14, selecting a processing item, and the like.

(Vi) Hard disk 18: A control program for this iconizing device is stored, and this is stored in the main memory 13 to control each part of the device. Various document data and the like are also stored.

(Vii) Network file system interface (NFSI / F) 25: dedicated cable 26
And an interface control with a network file system (not shown) connected through the. The network folder system is a system that provides an environment in which each desktop machine or non-desktop machine in the network can use all resources in the network as if they existed in its own system.

FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the iconifying apparatus shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the bitmap display 14 is connected to the main body cabinet 19 by a dedicated cable 21. This body cabinet 1
9 stores device circuits (FIG. 1) such as a CPU 12, a main memory 13, and a hard disk 18. The keyboard 16 and the mouse 17 are connected to the main body cabinet 19 by dedicated cables 22 and 23, respectively. The main body cabinet 19 has a dedicated cable 26
Connected to the network file system.

The operation of the iconifying apparatus having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG. When the apparatus is started by a predetermined operation (step S101 in FIG. 3), a window 31 as shown in FIG. 4 is opened on the bitmap display 14, and a desktop screen is displayed (step S10).
2). At the top of this screen, the directory name 32 on which the desktop has been started is displayed, and below this, a menu 33 is displayed.

In the menu 33, "reference" is a command for performing processing for adapting an existing file created in a non-desktop environment to a desktop environment, as described below.

"Icon registration" is an icon operation definition command for newly creating an icon as a bitmap image and associating it with a predetermined function or information resource.

The "desktop property" is a command for setting the attributes of the desktop environment possessed by each person. For example, the contents of the work to which the desktop environment is assigned belong to any system, subsystem, or group. It is for describing the thing.

“Refresh” is a command having a so-called redisplay function for refreshing the source itself by writing the contents of the file being edited from the memory to the hard disk.

In the lower area of the menu 33, various icons indicating a document file (hereinafter, simply referred to as a document), a folder, a drawer, and the like stored in the hard disk 18 (FIG. 1) and supporting devices are provided. Is displayed. Here, the drawer is a conceptual “drawer”
, And the folder indicates a conceptual “paper shears”. The following briefly describes these icons.

Icons 34, 35: Icon 34
Indicates that a shared remote printer connected to the network is supported, and the icon 35 indicates that a local printer dedicated to this device is connected.

Icons 36 and 37: Indicates that two floppy disk drives 1 and 2 are supported.

Icons 41 to 43: Show programs 1 to 3 prepared or created in advance. By moving the graphic cursor 38 to the position of these icons by operating the mouse 17 and pressing the click button, the program can be executed or copied.

Icons 44 to 49, 51: indicate various documents already stored in the hard disk 18. By selecting these icons with the graphic cursor 38, various operations can be performed on the document.

Icon 52: Indicates that an e-mail box is supported on the communication network.

Icons 53 to 57: Folders for storing documents and other folders according to fields and uses. By selecting these icons, the contents can be viewed and other operations can be performed.

Icons 58 and 59: Drawers for classifying a plurality of folders and the like. By selecting any of these icons, the contents of the drawer can be viewed and other operations can be performed.

Icon 61: Indicates a list in which titles of all created and registered documents and folders are stored.

Icons 62 to 64: Show the emulators supported by this device.

The arrow 6 in the right end area of the window screen
Reference numerals 5 and 66 designate the case where the window screen is scrolled up and down, and arrows 67 and 68 in the lower end region designate the case where the window screen is scrolled left and right respectively.

While this desktop screen is being displayed, the CPU 12 (FIG. 1) monitors the clicking of the mouse 17 button, and executes the selected process when the mouse button is clicked.

Here, after clicking the mouse button to display a menu, the selection cursor 3 is moved to "Reference".
9 and release the mouse button (step S10
3; Y), the reference program stored in the hard disk 18 is loaded into the main memory 13 and activated. As a result, a window 71 as shown in FIG. 5 is opened in the window 31, and a reference screen is displayed (step S104). If any other is selected (step S103; N), the corresponding other processing is performed.

The reference screen shown in FIG. 5 will be described. At the top of this screen, a “reference” 72, which is the name of the currently displayed screen, is displayed. In the lower part, “reference” 73 as processing items that can be selected with the graphic cursor 38,
“Display” 74, “Clear” 75, and “End” 76 are displayed. Further, an input area 77 for inputting the name of a reference file as a target file to be iconized is provided in the lower area.

In the lower area, a list of all file names belonging to the directory where the current desktop is located is displayed. These files include directories, device files, and the like in addition to ordinary data files and program files, all of which are to be iconified. These files are files stored in a file server (not shown) or the like in the connected network file system or files stored in the hard disk 18 of the user, and are usually non-desktop environments that are not yet iconified. This is the file below. However, the file may be an iconized file.

The input to the input area 77 can be selected from a group of files displayed therebelow by a selection cursor 78 (FIG. 6) or directly from a keyboard.

The process item "reference" 73 is for designating the file input to the input area 77 when the icon is actually executed. The "display" 74 is the content of the file input to the input area 77. This is used when confirming. When this is a directory name, files and the like belonging to a further lower directory can be displayed.

The processing item “clear” 75 is entered in the input area 77.
The "end" 76 is used to end the reference program.

Here, as shown in FIG. 6, a file "/ home / usr /
saito / diskuse.c "(Step S10
5) This file is displayed in the input area 77. CP
U12 (FIG. 1) monitors the clicking of the button of the mouse 17, and when the graphic cursor 38 is clicked in a state where it is aligned with the "reference" 73 (step S12).
106; Y), the display of this item is reversed as shown in FIG. 7, and the screen shifts to the icon type selection screen shown in FIG. 8 (step S107). Then, the file name portion “di” of the selected file “/home/usr/saito/diskuse.c”
skuse.c "is extracted as the default value of the reference icon name and displayed in the input area 79 of the icon type selection screen (FIG. 8).

On the other hand, when another item is clicked (step S106; N), the corresponding other processing is executed. For example, when "display" 74 is clicked (step S106; N, step S108; Y), the contents of the selected directory or file are displayed in the input area 77 (step S109). When other items are selected, the corresponding processing is performed.

Next, the icon type selection screen shown in FIG. 8 will be described. In the uppermost area of this screen, “icon type” 8 which is the name of the screen currently displayed is displayed.
1 is displayed, and a graphic cursor 38
"Confirm" 82 as a process item that can be selected in
“Cancel” 83 and “End” 84 are displayed.

As described above, in the input area 79, the reference icon name “diskuse.
c ”is displayed.

In the lower area, various icon types are displayed. These icon types are
It is already registered in an icon list file (not shown) in the hard disk 18 and is read and displayed according to an instruction of the CPU 12. The following briefly describes these icon types.

Document: An icon indicating a normal document file created by a word processor or the like.

Calc note: An icon indicating a tabular data file created by a so-called spreadsheet program.

Graph sheet: An icon indicating a graph data file created by the group creation tool.

Drawer: An icon indicating a conceptual “drawer” for storing a plurality of folders, documents, and the like.

Folder: An icon indicating a conceptual “paper shears” for storing a plurality of documents and other folders.

Text file: An icon indicating a disk file consisting of only text data.

Document Exchange: Icon indicating a so-called convert program file used to convert document formats between different document files.

Floppy disk: An icon indicating a floppy disk as a device file.

Although the reference icon name "diskuse.c" is already displayed as a default value in the input area 79, if another name is to be entered, the name is input from the keyboard 16 (FIG. 1) (step S110). . Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the reference icon name is “new icon” and the icon type is “document”.

After inputting "new icon" in the input area 79 (step S110), the selection cursor 86 is moved to the icon type "document" (step S11).
1) Click “Confirm” 82 (step S11)
2; Y), the reference file “/ home / usr / saito /
diskuse.c ”is an icon whose icon type is“ document ”and whose reference icon name is“ new icon ”
Icon information management file 88 on hard disk 18
(FIG. 10) (step S113). Then, this registered reference file is
Is displayed as a “new icon” 87 on the desktop screen shown in FIG. This reference icon is displayed with a broken line to distinguish it from other normal icons.

On the other hand, when another item is selected in step S112, the corresponding other processing is performed. For example, if "Cancel" 83 is clicked, the processing up to that point is canceled, the screen returns to the reference screen, and if "End" 84 is clicked, the icon type selection processing ends and the window 71 is closed.

FIG. 10 shows an icon information management file 88 on the hard disk 18, which is provided for each desktop environment. As shown in this figure, the newly registered reference icon “new icon” is assigned “101” as the icon type ID, and the icon display position, the entity file name, the comment file name, and the size are registered in association with each other. Is done. Of these, the icon display position indicates the display position (x, y) of the icon on the desktop screen (FIG. 11) in dot units, and the actual file name is the referenced source (here, the file on the network file system). Server)). The comment file name indicates the comment file that briefly describes the function of the icon.
Indicates the size of the file.

The reference icon thus created and displayed on the desktop screen is selected by designating it with the graphic cursor 38. Then, the actual access to the entity file is executed with reference to the icon information management file (FIG. 10).

[0060]

As described above, according to the present invention, a file created in a non-desktop environment is read and displayed on a display, and a desired file is selected from the read file and associated with an existing icon. Since the file is registered in the non-desktop environment, the file can be easily adapted to the desktop environment. Therefore,
Even an existing file created in a non-desktop environment can be handled as a normal iconized file in a desktop environment, and there is an effect that resources can be easily and effectively used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an iconifying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the iconifying device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the iconifying device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a desktop screen immediately after activation.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a reference screen.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of a reference screen when a reference file name is selected.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state when a process item “reference” is clicked with a mouse.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an icon type selection screen.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an icon type selection screen when a reference icon name is input and an icon type “document” is selected.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of an icon information management file.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a desktop screen immediately after inputting a reference icon name and selecting an icon type “document”;

[Explanation of symbols]

11: System bus, 12: CPU, 13: Main memory, 14: Bitmap display, 16: Keyboard, 17: Mouse, 18: Hard disk, 25: Network file system interface unit, 88: Icon information management file

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A display for displaying various information, a file reading means for reading a file which is not yet associated with an icon for visually expressing a desk tool such as a document or a folder as a pictogram, and a file reading means for reading the file. Selecting means for selecting a desired file from a group of files read out and displayed on the display; and icon name assigning means for assigning an icon name as a name of an existing icon to the file selected by the selecting means An icon type assigning means for assigning an icon type indicating the type of an icon to the selected file; and an icon name assigned by the icon name assigning means to the name of the selected file, the icon type The icon type provided by the providing means, and any other necessary An iconizing device comprising: a registration unit for registering information together with information.