JPH01185592A - System for displaying status row in multiwindow display - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the management of a status row by having an address table exclusive for a status row at every multiwindow screen, and selecting the display of the status row by means of a changeover with a hardware. CONSTITUTION:When a display row goes to the position of the status row, the status row corresponding to a window No. is displayed according to the contents of a setting register 17. For the arrangement of the address table stored in a refresh memory 12, a refresh memory 22 with 32 rows is provided at every window, a first row is used as an address table 23, and each half is used for the address table for a display and the address table for a status. In such a way, by the changeover by means of the hardware, the display of the status row is selected. Thus, the change of the display and a non-display and the change of the status row accompanying the change of an active window, etc., can be easily executed at high speed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a status line display method in a multi-window display used in a character display device which is an input/output terminal device of a computer.

[Conventional technology]

A computer (hereinafter referred to as a ``microcomputer'') that displays characters, patterns, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as ``figures'') on a character display device (hereinafter also simply referred to as ``display device'').
In the process of executing various data processing, the microcomputer memorizes the current state in which it is executing the data processing, and changes the control in various ways based on this information to complete the processing. ing. These stored conditions of the microcomputer are called "status", and the part where the contents are displayed on the actual screen is called "status line". Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(B), in the actual display screen (one window) 2, the status line 4 is next to the display line 3 (for example, 7 lines are used) that displays various information. Placed.

When a conventional general-purpose CRTC (display control unit) is used, since there is no function to display the status line by hardware, part of the display screen information stored in the refresh memory 1 is displayed as shown in FIG. is used as the status line. Note that 5 is an address table.

[Problems to be solved by the present invention]

When attempting to extend and apply the above-mentioned conventional technology to a microcomputer capable of multi-window display, the following problems arise.

+1) Since the address output of the CRTC is directly input to the refresh memory, processing of the address table during smooth scrolling becomes complicated.

This occurs because the apparent display line increases by one line during smooth scrolling, as shown in Figures 6 (B) and (C), and in the case of multi-window display, the number of displayed lines increases by one line. Because it exists. 6(A) and 6(B) show address tables during non-scrolling and during smooth scrolling, respectively, and FIG. 6(C) shows an actual display example on the display screen 2.

(2) As the number of multi-window screens increases, the software that manages the status line becomes more complex.

Therefore, it becomes necessary to manage the status line in an independent task.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing an address table dedicated to the status line for each multi-window screen and selecting the display of the status line by switching using hardware.

〔Example〕

The display method of the status line in the multi-window display of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a circuit that can realize the multi-window display method of the present invention. In this figure, 11 is a CRTC (display control unit), 12 is a refresh memory, 13 is a display circuit, 14 is a CPU (central processing unit), 15 is a ROM, and 16 is a RAM.The above configuration uses the conventional method. Since the configuration is the same as that of the display device described above, a detailed explanation of the operation will be omitted. 17 is a setting register, and 18 is an address switching circuit, and this configuration realizes the system of the present invention.

That is, when the display line reaches the position of the status line, the status line corresponding to the window number is displayed according to the contents of the setting register 17. The arrangement of the address table stored in the refresh memory 12 is, for example, as shown in FIG. That is, each window (No. 1 to N
04), the refresh memory 22 has 32 rows, and the first row is used as the address table 23.

This address table 23 has, for example, 256 bytes (digits), and as shown in FIG.
e is used for the display address table 24 and the status line address table 25.

The setting register 17 and address switching circuit 18 are specifically configured as shown in FIG. That is, the setting register 17 has eight 7-lip-flops Do to D7, and S
The 0N10FF instruction for the 1 status line and the S2 status line and the selection of which window's status line is to be displayed in each status line are performed. The address switching circuit 18 has a display row counter 19 . Sl/S2 selector 2
0. A 6-display line counter 19 consisting of an address selector 21, etc. inputs and counts horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals (H8YNC and VSYNC), generates switching signals S+/S2, and outputs them to the 31/S2 selector 20. and the address selector 21, and outputs the status address table continuous output timing signal to output the status 0N10F from the Sl/32 selector 20.
The 8 NO's with the F signal are taken and the result is supplied to the address selector 21. In this way, the display of the status line is selected by switching by hardware, and the status information is displayed on the status line 4 of the display section 2 (see FIG. 5(B)) via the display circuit 13. be. Note that if “Status line OFF” is set in register 17,
The address table for display is selected, and the display becomes normal without the status line.

〔effect〕

Since the display method of the status line in the multi-window display of the present invention is realized by the circuit as described above, it is possible to read the display section and the status line as completely independent displays, and the display of the status line, It has an excellent feature of being able to easily and quickly change the status line due to hiding or changing the active window.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a main block configuration diagram of an embodiment of a circuit that can implement the status line display method in multi-window display of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an example of the arrangement of an address table stored in the refresh memory in the method of the present invention. 3 is a configuration diagram of an address table in the method of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a specific circuit configuration of a setting register and an address switching circuit, which are the main parts of an embodiment circuit that can realize the method of the present invention. 5(A) and 5(B) are explanatory diagrams showing the storage contents of the refresh memory and the actual screen, respectively, in the conventional display method, and FIG. 6(A) and (B) are smooth scrolling in the conventional display method. The address table in non-scrolling state and during scrolling state in the same figure (
C) is an example diagram of an actual display on a display screen. 2...Display screen (window), 3...Display line, 4
...Status line, 5...Address table, 11
...CRTC (display control unit), 12...refresh memory, 13...display circuit, 14...CPU (central processing unit), 15...ROM, 16...RAM
, 17... Setting register, 18... Address switching circuit, 19... Display line counter, 20... S +
/S 2 selector, 21...address selector, 2
2... Refresh memory, 23... Address table, 24... Display address table, 25...
Address table for status line. Patent applicant: Victor Japan Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A status line display method for a character display device having a multi-window display function and an address table, in which each screen of the multi-window has an address table dedicated to the status line, and the status line display is selected by switching by hardware. A status line display method in a multi-window display characterized by: