JPH01128089A - Layout of window - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reduce window moving operation and improve its operability by dynamically determining the generation position of a window to be generated so that the overlap between the window to be generated and a window which needs to be viewed and operated at the same time becomes small. CONSTITUTION: A window relative table 110 contains a relative window number corresponding to the window to be generated as an initial value. A window display position table 120 contains a calculation expression for calculating a reference point for displaying the window so that the calculation expression is represented logically in consideration of which position the window needs to be generated so as to make its overlap small. Therefore, the window can be generated at a position where the overlap with the window which is already generated and needs to be viewed and operated at the same time becomes small. When there is no free position, the position is found from a window display state table 130. Consequently, the influence of overlapping on a user is reducible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for arranging windows in a multi-window system.

[Conventional technology]

A multi-window system is a system that improves the man-machine interface by dividing the screen of a display device into multiple windows and displaying different information in each window.

In order to make this system easy to use, where to display it when creating a window is an important factor, and the conventional method of arranging windows is to program the parameters of the window creation macro provided by the window management system. The position is determined by inputting it from within, or by using command parameters when creating the window. This method is 1, for example HITACHI
It is described in the ES Series CAE Workstation Graphic Support Package Window Management Manual (manual number ES-3-123PPB2-86).

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the above-mentioned conventional technology, when designing a system program, the optimal window generation position is determined, and the position is statically incorporated into the program.

By the way, the window display area is limited, and when the number of windows to be generated increases to a certain extent, multiple windows will be placed overlapping each other, but in this case, only one window's screen will be visible in the overlapping area. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange the windows in such a way that it is easy to display them at the same time and compare them (simultaneous viewing), or to pick the two windows using a mouse or the like (simultaneous operation). However, conventional methods do not take into consideration the fact that the generation of windows and their order are dynamically changed by user operations. Therefore, depending on the user's operating procedure, windows that need to be viewed or operated at the same time may overlap even though there is sufficient free space in the window display area, or windows that do not want to overlap may overlap. There was a problem that they overlapped.

An object of the present invention is to position the window so that when creating a new window, there is less overlap with windows that need to be viewed and operated at the same time as the window to be created, among the windows that have already been created. The purpose is to provide a window placement method that can dynamically determine the location of windows.

[Means for solving problems]

The purpose of the above is to create an inter-window relationship table that indicates whether simultaneous viewing or simultaneous operation is necessary between windows that can be generated, a window display position table that determines the order and display position of each window, and A window display status table is provided that records the position of the window being generated and displayed, the last operation time for that window, etc., and when generating a window, it is necessary to check the windows that need to be viewed and operated at the same time as the generated window. is determined from the inter-window relationship table. Next, the current positions of these windows are determined from the window display status table. Finally, the window display position table is sequentially searched according to their priority order to find free windows. This is achieved by displaying a new window here.

[Effect]

The window display position table is stored in a logically expressed order, taking into consideration which position should be created to reduce overlap when windows that require simultaneous viewing and simultaneous operation are sequentially generated. It is something. Therefore, by calculating the empty position searched here and outputting it to this position, it is possible to generate the window in a position where the overlap with the already generated window that requires simultaneous viewing and simultaneous operation is reduced.

In addition, if the above-mentioned vacant position does not exist, the oldest operated window that requires simultaneous viewing and simultaneous operation is found from the window display state table, and by overlapping it with the generated position of this window, it is possible to It is possible to reduce the influence on the user caused by windows that need to be viewed and operated simultaneously overlapping each other.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a processing system that performs multi-window display, in which a CPU is centrally connected to a main memory, a graphic display, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. through a bus. In addition to various programs, the main memory stores various window management tables, data to be displayed on each window, etc., which will be described in detail later.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of windows on the screen of a graphic display. There are six window positions in total, three on the top and three on the bottom. The lower left of each window is the reference point, and its coordinates are at b
Let e ct dt et f.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of each table that is a feature of the present invention. A window related table 110 includes window numbers corresponding to windows that can be generated, the necessity of simultaneous viewing of the windows, and the necessity of simultaneous operation. Stores the relevant window number as the initial value. In Figure 1,
For example, a window with window number 1 will have windows with the same numbers 2 and 3.
．． This indicates that there is a possibility that this window will be viewed or operated at the same time as window 4, and that these windows should not be overlapped to a large extent. Furthermore, the meaning of a window in which - is stored in the related window number column indicates that it is an independent window that is not related to other windows.

The window display position table 120 stores calculation formulas for calculating reference points for displaying windows. This table is arranged in the priority order of 1 display in the order of a ” f. Also, in the same table, X wr & X v Y m & I are the coordinate values of the upper right corner of the screen when the coordinates of the lower left corner of the screen are (0, 0). Yes, ax, by, etc. are the sizes of each window and their values are set in the window display table 130.

The window display status table 130 includes the currently displayed window number, the output position of that window, the last time the window was accessed,
and the window size (specified by the user) are stored. When -1 is stored in the window number column, it indicates that the entry is unused.

The above various window management tables 110°120.
Window generation processing using 130 will be described next.

(1) First, with no window created,
FIG. 4 shows a method for generating a window with window number 1. In this case, since all windows are empty, the position a with the highest priority in the window display position table 120 is selected.

At that time, the window sizes ax and ay are registered in the window display state table.

(2) The procedure for generating a window with window number 4 when windows with window numbers 1, 2, and 3 have already been generated will be explained with reference to FIG. First, windows that require simultaneous visibility and simultaneous operation with window number 4 to be generated are determined from the inter-window relationship table 110 in FIG. In the case of Figure 11, this window number is 1,
2 and 3. Next, it is checked from the window display state table 130 whether the windows with window numbers 1, 2, and 3 have been generated, and if so, in which positions they have been generated. In this example, window numbers 1 and 2
and 3 have been generated, and their generation positions are:
a on the display screen in Figure 1.

b and d. Next, the window display position table 120 in FIG. 1 is sequentially searched. At the first display position a, window number 1 is displayed, and at the next display position 1b,
Window number 2 is displayed. Next display position itc
Since window numbers 1, 2, and 3 that need to be viewed or operated at the same time as window number 4 to be generated are not displayed, window number 4 can be generated at this position. The display reference point at this position is determined from the display table 120 (X, low CX, Y+
max Q'/), which is the maximum value of the X coordinate
The X coordinate is determined by subtracting the size Cx in the X direction of the window displayed at window display position C, that is, window number 4, from a This shows that it can be found by subtracting the size cy in the X direction. After window number 4 is generated as described above, data regarding window 4 is written and updated in the window display state table 130.

(3) In the explanation of (2) above, Fig. 6 shows a display position determination method when all window display positions are occupied by windows that need to be viewed and operated at the same time as the window to be generated. Explain using.

In FIG. 6, six windows with window numbers 1 to 6 have already been generated on lay b, ... f, respectively, and the window with window number 7 to be generated will be created in layers 1 to 6. It shows windows with window numbers and the status when simultaneous viewing and simultaneous operation are required.

At this time, the window with window number 7 to be generated must be displayed overlapping any of the windows with window numbers 1 to 6 that are already displayed, but in the present invention, the window with window numbers 1 to 6 is Of these, the one operated earliest in terms of time is assumed. this is,
The window display state table 130 stores the time at which the currently displayed window was generated, so it can be easily determined.

In this example, assuming that the relationship between window numbers 1 to 6 and the above-mentioned time t1 is t4<tt<ta<tz<ts<ts, the window display position of window number 4 and the window number to be generated this time are 7 windows are displayed in the same position.

After window number 7 is generated as described above, the window display state table is updated. As a result, two types of windows are managed in duplicate at the window display position d, but from now on, this logic is applied to the window with the latest window generation time or window operation time.

(4) When a window is deleted, the window number of the deleted window is set to -1 on the window display state table 130.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, windows can be arranged and generated within a display screen so that windows that need to be viewed simultaneously or windows that need to be operated at the same time are less likely to overlap, so that they can be used after window generation. This has the effect of reducing window movement operations by the operator and improving operability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a window management table that is a feature of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing system to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 3 is a display using a window. An explanatory diagram of the screen, Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the processing method when generating a window for the first time, Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the window generation processing method when five or less windows are already displayed, Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a processing method when it is necessary to display windows in an overlapping manner. 110... Inter-window relation table, 120...
Window display position table, 130... Window display state table.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In the window arrangement method of a multi-window system that can display multiple windows on the display screen,
An inter-window relationship table that stores whether simultaneous viewing or simultaneous operation is necessary, a window display position table that stores the order in which each window should be used and display position coordinates, and the display position and generation of the currently displayed window. In addition to providing a window display status table that stores information including time, when a window is generated, related windows that need to be viewed or operated simultaneously with the generated window are determined from the inter-window relationship table, and then the windows are determined. The display position of the related window is determined from the window display state table, and then it is checked with reference to the window display position table whether there is any unrelated or empty window position other than the determined display position, and the window display position is determined by referring to the window display position table. If there is an empty window position, the one with the fastest rank among them is set as the display position for the generated window, and if there is no unrelated or empty window position, the window position that was generated earliest in time is set as the window display state. A method for arranging windows, characterized in that the position is determined from a table and determined as the display position for the generated window.