JPH02240689A - Multiwindow system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily locate a desired window or icon by displaying the identification information of all the windows and icons on a desk top screen in an active list menu. CONSTITUTION:An active list menu control section 5 which displays the active list menu 18 in which all identification informations of the windows 11 to 14 and icons 15 to 17 registered on the desk top screen 10 are displayed on the desk top screen 10 is provided. There is, therefore, no need for an operator to view the entire surface of the desk top screen 10 and the operator is merely required to view only the active list menu 18 and to select the necessary window and icon in the menu by a corner 1 at the time of locating the desired window and icon from the windows 11 to 14 and icons 15 to 17 displayed on the desk top screen 10. The easy location of the desired window and icon is possible in this way.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention relates to a multi-window display system for workstations, and in particular, it is possible to open multiple windows on the desktop and perform work using the windows. Regarding the possible multi-window war system.

(Prior Art) In a workstation, multiple windows can be opened on the desktop, and tasks such as document editing can be performed on each window.

For example, in an example of a conventional multi-window system, when the cursor is placed on a window displayed on the desktop and the mouse is clicked, the window is brought to the forefront.

Therefore, the operator can perform editing operations such as adding necessary data to the window, or deleting or changing the data displayed on the window.

(Section to be Solved by the Invention +

Furthermore, when the user wants to work on a window that he has previously worked on, there is a problem in that it is difficult to immediately work on that window.

Note that, as a known publication related to the above-mentioned prior art, there is, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-99788.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the problems of the prior art described above,
To provide a multi-window system in which a necessary window can be quickly found and work can be easily performed even when windows are displayed overlapping each other.

(Means and Effects for Solving the Problem) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an active list menu in which all identification codes of windows and icons displayed on the desktop screen are registered. It is unique in that it has an active list control section that is displayed at the top.

According to the present invention, when searching for a desired item among the windows and icons displayed on the desktop screen, there is no need to look at the entire desktop screen as in the past, and only the active list menu is looked at. Since it is only necessary to select the desired item from the menu with the cursor, the desired window and icon can be easily searched for.

Further, according to the present invention, since the selected window is displayed at the top, operations can be easily performed on it.

(Example) The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of the present invention. In the figure,
1 is a human powered device such as a keyboard and a mouse; 2 is a window manager that manages windows displayed on the desktop; 3 is a display control section; and 4 is a display section. Also,
5 is an active list control unit that displays the active list menu proposed by the present invention on the desktop, and 6 is an active list menu storage unit. In addition,
As the devices 1 to 4, devices similar to conventional devices can be used.

FIG. 3 shows an active list menu displayed on the desktop by the operation of the active list control unit 5 of the present invention.

In the figure, 10 indicates a desktop screen, and there are four windows 11 to 14 and 3 windows on the desktop screen 10.
icons 15 to 17 and an active list menu 18 are displayed. The active list menu 18 displays identification information for all windows and icons displayed on the desktop screen 10. The identification information may be a window name and icon name as shown, or a number. In short, any code that can identify the window and icon may be used.

Next, an example of the operation of the active list control section 5 will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The active list control unit 5 first determines whether a new window has been created based on information from the window manager 2 (step S1). Next, it is determined whether an active list has been created (step S2), and if the answer is yes, an operation is performed to add the identification information of the new window to the active list (step S3).

As a result, the identification information of the new window is added to the active list menu on the desktop screen, and is also added to the active list menu storage section 6.

On the other hand, if the answer is negative, the window created in step S1 is the first window, so an operation is performed to create an active list (step S4). Through this operation, a new active list menu is displayed on the desktop screen, and data regarding the active list menu is stored in the active list menu storage section 6.

Next, the active list is sorted and the order is arranged for easy viewing (step S5). Next, it is determined whether something in the active list has been selected (step S6). Here, when the icon is selected,
An operation is performed to open a window corresponding to the icon (step S7).

Furthermore, when a window is selected in step S6, it is determined whether the window is at the top (step S8), and if it is not at the top, a process is performed to display the window at the top. do. Furthermore, when the window is opened in the step S7, an operation is performed to open it to the top (step S9).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing changes in the desktop display when the identification information "Window B" in the active list menu is selected in the state shown in FIG. 3. As is clear from the figure, according to the present invention, the selected window B is displayed at the top on the desktop.

In this way, the operator can select active list menu 1
By searching for 8, a desired window or icon can be easily found.

Furthermore, when a window or icon in the active list menu is selected, the window corresponding to the selected window or icon will be displayed at the top. Therefore, the operator can easily add necessary data to the window, delete or change data displayed on the window, etc.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, the identification information of all windows and icons on the desktop screen is displayed in the active list menu displayed on the desktop screen. Instead of searching the entire desktop screen, the user can search for a necessary window or icon from the active list menu.

Therefore, a desired window or icon can be easily searched for.

Also, even if the windows overlap and cannot be seen on the desktop screen, if you look at the active list menu,
This can be easily found.

Furthermore, when you select a required window or icon in the active list menu, the window corresponding to the selected window or icon will be displayed at the top, making it easy to add necessary data to the window. You can perform tasks such as deleting, changing data, etc.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the active list control unit shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are respectively FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display displayed on a desktop screen. Figure 1: Input device, 2: Window manager, 3
...Display control unit, 4...Display device, 5...Active list control unit, 6...Active list menu storage section Many storage section Agent: Patent attorney Michito Hiraki and 1 other person

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a multi-window system that has the function of simultaneously displaying multiple windows, icons, etc. on the desktop screen of a workstation, an active display is displayed on the desktop screen that lists the identification codes of the multiple windows, icons, etc. A multi-window system comprising an active list control unit that displays a list menu and, when one of the list menus is selected, displays the corresponding window at the top.