JP4941605B2 - Graphic display program and graphic display method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for facilitating the association between elements while reflecting the user's intention as much as possible in a graphic display technology for system development in a visual environment using graphics.

  In recent years, UML (Unified Modeling Language) tools as graphic editors have become widespread in order to efficiently perform system development in a visual environment. The UML tool provides a function for creating and editing a use case diagram, an activity diagram, a state machine diagram, a sequence diagram, a class diagram, etc. in which various elements are connected as a basic design diagram of the system. In the operation, since it is necessary to relate the elements, it is necessary to specify the two elements by using an input device such as a mouse after arranging the elements. For this reason, in order to facilitate the relationship between elements, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-325690 (Patent Document 1), elements existing within a predetermined distance from newly arranged elements are identified. Therefore, a technique for automatically associating between them has been proposed.

JP 7-325690 A

  However, in the conventionally proposed technology, since the association is performed based on the distance relationship between the elements, there is a possibility that the intention of the user is not necessarily reflected when the association is performed between the elements that are distant from each other. As a specific example, in the process of creating a flowchart, when an element indicating the other process is placed close to an element indicating one process branched by the determination process, between them, The association will be done.

  In view of the above-described problems of the prior art, the present invention uses the actual state in which elements having a series of relationships are continuously arranged in time, and performs the correlation between elements according to the time relationship. Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a graphic display technique that makes it easy to relate the elements while reflecting the intention of the user as much as possible.

  In one embodiment of the present technology, after the first graphic element and the second graphic element are displayed, the computer performs the third operation without accepting an operation of selecting either the first graphic element or the second graphic element. The graphic element of is displayed. At this time, the computer displays a line element indicating a connection relation between the second graphic element and the third graphic element which are displayed later, among the first graphic element and the second graphic element.

  According to the graphic display technique according to the present invention, when a new element is arranged, the element arranged immediately before is specified based on the temporal relationship with the arranged element. Then, the identified element and the newly arranged element are associated with each other, and the relationship is displayed on the display device. For this reason, elements that have a series of relationships use the actual state of being arranged in time, and the elements are correlated according to the time relationship, while reflecting the user's intention as much as possible. You can make the relationship between them easy.

Overall configuration diagram of a graphic display device embodying the present invention Illustration of element relation table Explanation of relationship connection table Illustration of arrangement time table Flow chart showing processing contents of graphic display program Explanatory drawing showing an outline of the operation of the graphic display device Explanatory drawing of element relation table updated with new element arrangement Explanatory drawing of relational connection table updated with new element placement Explanatory drawing of the arrangement time table updated with new element arrangement Explanatory drawing of arrangement order table applicable as time relationship between elements Explanatory diagram of the latest element variable table applicable as a time relationship between elements Illustration of the latest element table applicable as a time relationship between elements

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a graphic display device as an example of the graphic display technology according to the present invention.
The graphic display device is constructed by installing a graphic display program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM in a general-purpose computer such as a PC (Personal Computer). Specifically, the graphic display device includes an input device 10 having a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, a display device 20 such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and a hard disk. A storage device 30 and a control device 40 including a memory and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) are included.

  In the storage device 30, in addition to properties describing the type and arrangement position as information of elements constituting the basic design drawing of the system, an element relation table as shown in FIG. A relational connection table and an arrangement time table as shown in FIG. 4 are registered. The element relation table describes the relation in association with each element, and the relation connection table describes the connection state between elements in association with each relation. The arrangement time table describes the arrangement time in association with each element.

  On the other hand, in the control device 40, an element arrangement unit 40A, an element specifying unit 40B, an element relationship editing unit 40C, and an element information storage unit 40D are realized by executing a graphic display program. The element placement unit 40A cooperates with the input device 10 and the display device 20 to provide a function of placing elements interactively. The element specifying unit 40B provides a function of specifying the element arranged immediately before based on the time relationship with the arranged element when a new element is arranged by the element arranging unit 40A. The element relationship editing unit 40C provides a function of associating the element arranged immediately before with the newly arranged element according to the identification result by the element identification unit 40B. When a new element is arranged by the element arrangement unit 40A, the element information storage unit 40D sequentially registers the properties in the storage device 30, and when the element relation editing unit 40C associates the elements. The function of sequentially updating the element relation table, the relation connection table, and the arrangement time table registered in the storage device 30 is provided. The element arrangement unit 40A also provides a function of displaying the relationship on the display device 20 when the element relationship editing unit 40C associates the elements.

  Here, an element arrangement function, an element arrangement unit, a relationship display function, and a relationship display unit are realized by the element arrangement unit 40A, and an element specification function and an element specification unit are realized by the element specification unit 40B. In addition, the element relation editing unit 40C realizes an association function and an association means, and the element information storage unit 40D realizes an arrangement time storage function.

FIG. 5 shows the processing contents of the graphic display program executed in the control device 40 when a new element is interactively arranged.
In step 1 (abbreviated as “S1” in the figure, the same applies hereinafter), the arrangement time table registered in the storage device 30 is referred to as the time relationship with the arranged elements, and the arrangement is made immediately before the arrangement time. Identify the element (hereinafter “latest element”).

In step 2, the element relation table is updated by adding a new relation to the element relation table registered in the storage device 30 as the relation of the latest element.
In step 3, the latest element and the newly arranged element (hereinafter referred to as “new element”) are connected in a new relationship, thereby creating a relationship between them.
In step 4, the association between the latest element and the new element is additionally stored in the element relation table and the relation connection table registered in the storage device 30.

In step 5, the association between the latest element and the new element is displayed on the display device 20.
In step 6, the arrangement time of the new element is additionally stored in the arrangement time table registered in the storage device 30.
According to such a graphic display device, when a new element is interactively arranged in cooperation with the input device 10 and the display device 20, the latest element is specified based on the temporal relationship with the arranged element. Then, the latest element and the new element are related by a new relationship, and the relationship is displayed on the display device 20.

Here, in order to facilitate understanding of the process of associating the elements by the graphic display device, as shown in FIG. 6, the element 3 is assigned to the graphic in which the relation 1 that associates the elements 1 and 2 is set. The processing when newly arranged will be described in time series.
When element 3 is newly arranged, the arrangement time table shown in FIG. 4 is referred to, and the latest element is specified as element 2 from the arrangement time. When the latest element can be specified, a new relation 2 is added as the relation of the element 2 in the element relation table shown in FIG. Further, the element 2 as the latest element and the element 3 as the new element are related by the relation 2, and as shown in the figure, the relation 2 of the element 3 is added to the element relation table, and as shown in FIG. The connection state of relation 2 (connecting element 2 and element 3) is added to the relation connection table. Thereafter, the relationship 2 between the element 2 and the element 3 is displayed on the display device 20, and the arrangement time of the element 3 is added to the arrangement time table as shown in FIG.

For this reason, elements with a series of relationships use the fact that they are arranged sequentially in time, and the relationship between elements will be performed according to the time relationship, while reflecting the intention of the user as much as possible, The relationship between elements can be made easy.
In order to identify the latest element based on the time relationship with the arranged element, instead of the arrangement time table, as shown in FIG. 10, an arrangement order table in which the arrangement order is described in association with each element, FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the latest element variable table describing variables indicating whether or not the element is the latest element in association with each element, as shown in FIG. 12, the latest element sequentially overwriting information for identifying the latest element A table can also be used. At this time, the element information storage unit 40D functions as an arrangement order storage function, a variable storage function, and a specific information storage function, and sequentially updates each table registered in the storage device 30, while the element specification unit 40B The latest element may be specified by referring to the table.

  In addition, in order to be able to specify whether or not to associate elements, it is provided with a specifying function for arbitrarily specifying whether to enable or disable the element specifying function provided from the element specifying unit 40B. Is desirable. At this time, as the designation function, when a new element is arranged while pressing a predetermined key on the keyboard, or when a menu displayed on the display device 20 is selected, the element specifying function is switched between valid and invalid. You can do it.

  In this way, for example, it is possible to contribute to the convenience of arrangement of elements that do not need to be related to other elements, such as the elements to be arranged first, and it is possible to meet various requests of users. . In addition, when a new element is placed while pressing a predetermined key on the keyboard, if the element specifying function is switched between valid and invalid, whether or not the association is performed flexibly and dynamically according to the arrangement state of the element. Can be specified.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the “UML tool”, but can also be applied to software for creating a flowchart, CAD, and the like.

  (Supplementary note 1) Based on the element arrangement function for interactively arranging elements in cooperation with the input device and the display device, and when a new element is arranged by the element arrangement function, the time relationship with the arranged elements The element specifying function for specifying the element arranged immediately before, the associating function for relating the element specified by the element specifying function and the element arranged by the element arranging function, and the relation by the relating function A graphic editing program for causing a computer to realize a relation display function for displaying a relation between attached elements on the display device.

  (Additional remark 2) It has the arrangement time storage function which memorize | stores sequentially the arrangement time of the element arrange | positioned by the said element arrangement function in a memory | storage device, The said element specific function refers to the arrangement time of the element memorize | stored in the said memory | storage device The graphic editing program according to appendix 1, wherein an element arranged immediately before is specified.

  (Supplementary Note 3) An arrangement order storage function for sequentially storing the arrangement order of the elements arranged by the element arrangement function in a storage device, and the element specifying function refers to the arrangement order of the elements stored in the storage device. The graphic editing program according to appendix 1, wherein an element arranged immediately before is specified.

  (Supplementary Note 4) A variable storage function for sequentially storing in a storage device a variable indicating whether or not the element is the latest one in association with the element arranged by the element arrangement function, and specifying the element The graphic editing program according to appendix 1, wherein the function refers to a variable stored in the storage device and identifies an element arranged immediately before.

  (Supplementary Note 5) When an element is arranged by the element arrangement function, a specific information storage function is provided for sequentially overwriting and storing information for specifying the element in a storage device, and the element specifying function is stored in the storage device. The graphic editing program according to supplementary note 1, characterized by referring to stored element specifying information and specifying an element arranged immediately before.

  (Supplementary note 6) The graphic editing program according to any one of supplementary notes 1 to 5, further comprising a designation function for designating whether to enable or disable the element specifying function.

  (Supplementary note 7) The input device includes a keyboard, and the designation function enables or disables the element specifying function when a new element is placed while pressing a predetermined key of the keyboard. The graphic editing program according to appendix 6, which is characterized.

  (Supplementary note 8) The graphic editing program according to supplementary note 6, wherein the designation function enables or disables the element specifying function when a menu displayed on the display device is selected.

  (Supplementary Note 9) When an element is arranged interactively and a new element is arranged by the element arrangement means, the element arranged immediately before is specified based on the time relationship with the arranged element. An element specifying unit that performs correlation, an association unit that relates the element specified by the element specifying unit and the element arranged by the element arranging unit, and a relationship between the elements related by the association unit A graphic editing apparatus characterized by comprising a relationship display means.

  (Supplementary Note 10) Based on an element arrangement function for interactively arranging elements in cooperation with the input device and the display device, and a time relationship with the arranged elements when a new element is arranged by the element arrangement function The element specifying function for specifying the element arranged immediately before, the associating function for relating the element specified by the element specifying function and the element arranged by the element arranging function, and the relation by the relating function A computer-readable recording medium on which a graphic editing program for causing a computer to realize a relation display function for displaying a relation between attached elements on the display device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Input device 20 Display apparatus 30 Storage apparatus 40 Control apparatus 40A Element arrangement | positioning part 40B Element specific | specification part 40C Element relation edit part 40D Element information storage part

Claims (4)

On the computer,
After displaying the first graphic element and the second graphic element, when displaying the third graphic element without accepting an operation of selecting either the first graphic element or the second graphic element, Displaying a line element indicating a connection relationship between the second graphic element and the third graphic element displayed later among the first graphic element and the second graphic element;
A graphic display program that makes things happen. The line element is a line element that connects the second graphic element and the third graphic element.
The graphic display program according to claim 1. On the computer,
After displaying the first graphic element and the second graphic element, when displaying the third graphic element without accepting an operation of selecting either the first graphic element or the second graphic element, Displaying a line element indicating a connection relationship between the second graphic element and the third graphic element displayed later among the first graphic element and the second graphic element;
A graphic display method that makes things happen. The line element is a line element that connects the second graphic element and the third graphic element.
The figure display method according to claim 3.

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