JPH02165223A - Realization system for object-oriented mode man-machine interface - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To modify the function of a window with a general language by finding a function name which is selected among menu items corresponding to the attributes of window data to be accessed and executing the program corresponding to the function name. CONSTITUTION:When one of windows on the screen of a display 4 is accessed, that is detected by an access monitoring means 6 through a window server 3. At this time, the identification symbol, i.e. window ID of the accessed window is passed from the window server 3 to the monitoring means 6 and the attribute of the window ID is taken out of a window control means 5 and passed to a menu display means 7. Then a display means 7 displays menu data consisting of the menu items corresponding to the attributes of window IDs on the display 4 and the function name corresponding to the menu item selected by a user is found. Further, the function name and window data are passed to a function executing means 8 and the program corresponding to the function name is executed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] This invention relates to a method for realizing an object-oriented man-machine interface with a user in a terminal device having a bitmap display, a keyboard, a mouse, and a window server or window manager. The purpose is to realize a man-machine interface that handles windows as objects in a terminal device having a multi-window display function using a language such as C language, and in a terminal device having a multi-window display function and a window server. A window management means for managing the data of a window displayed on the display of the device and the attributes of the data, and monitoring access from a user to the window displayed on the display via the window server. , an access monitoring means for extracting data of the window to be accessed and attributes of the data from the window management means; and a menu consisting of a plurality of menu items corresponding to the attributes of the window data extracted by the access monitoring means. a menu display means for displaying data on the display and obtaining a function name corresponding to a menu item selected by a user from among the menu data; and a program corresponding to the function name obtained by the menu display means; and a function execution means for executing on the window data extracted by the access monitoring means, first selecting an object and then performing an operation on the object, with each window of the multi-window as an object. The interface is configured to be realized without using an object-oriented language.

[Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a terminal device having a multi-window display function, and more specifically, to a terminal device having a bitmap display, a keyboard, a mouse, and a window server or window manager, in which object-oriented communication between the user and the terminal device is provided. Concerning a wind man-machine interface implementation method.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, many workstations have a multi-window display function. Generally, different functions are set for each window of a multi-window. An example of such a multi-window display screen is shown in FIG. In the figure, a first window 1 displays a directory display for searching for files in the file system using directory paths. Further, the second window 2 displays data in the file searched using the directory path.

In FIG. 11, the first window 1 displays that there are directories A and B under the parent directory. Here, if the user clicks the mouse on the A directory, for example, child directories a and b under the A directory will be displayed, and the directory display changes from top to bottom as A, a, and b.

When attempting to change or add functions to each window in such a multi-window system, it is convenient to use an object-oriented language with the windows as objects, since the functions are defined for each window. For this reason, conventionally, an object-oriented man-machine interface has been used that changes the window display function using an object-oriented language in response to a function change request from a user.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, the construction of a man-machine interface in a terminal device having a multi-window function was performed using an object-oriented language.

Object-oriented languages have a special programming style compared to general procedural languages, and there is a problem in that it generally takes time to learn.

An object of the present invention is to realize a man-machine interface that handles windows as objects in a terminal device having a multi-window display function using a general procedural language such as the C language.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 is a principle block diagram of the object-oriented man-machine interface implementation method of the present invention. In the figure, it is assumed that the display 4 has a multi-window display function, and a keyboard and a mouse are connected to it, for example. The window server 3 monitors the user's keyboard and mouse operations.

In FIG. 1, the window management means 5 is the display 4.
manages the data of the window currently displayed and its attributes. The data managed here is displayed on the display 4 of data stored in a device that stores all data to be displayed in a multi-window and the attributes of that data, for example, a window information storage device. Only part.

The access monitoring means 6 monitors the user's access by keyboard or mouse through the window server 3, and extracts the attributes and window data of the window to be accessed from the window management means 5.

The menu display means 7 obtains menu data consisting of a plurality of menu items from a menu data storage device, for example, a menu information storage device, in accordance with the attributes of the window to be accessed by the user extracted by the access monitoring means 6, and displays the window. Display 4 via server 3
display on top. Then, the function name corresponding to the menu item selected by the user is obtained from the storage contents of the menu information storage device.

The function execution means 8 obtains a program corresponding to the function name obtained by the menu display means 7 from a program storage device corresponding to each function name, for example, a function information storage device, and the program is extracted by the access monitoring means 6. The program is executed on the window data, that is, the window data of the window accessed by the user.

[For production]

The operation when the user accesses the window on the screen of the display 4 of the terminal device will be explained using FIG. In the figure, when a user accesses one of the multiple windows on the screen of the display 4 using, for example, a keyboard or a mouse, the access is detected by the access monitoring means 6 via the window server 3. . At this time, the window server 3 passes the identification symbol of the window accessed by the user, for example window 10, to the access monitoring means 6. Then, the access monitoring means 6 retrieves the attribute of the window ID from the window management means 5,
The attributes and window data are passed to the menu display means 7.

Next, the menu display means 7 displays the window management means 5.
Menu data consisting of a plurality of menu items corresponding to the attribute of the window ID extracted from is displayed on the display 4 via the window server 3. Then, a function name corresponding to the menu item selected by the user from among the plurality of menu items is determined.

Furthermore, the function name and window data are the function execution means 8.
passed to. Window data is window management means 5
It may be passed from Then, the function execution means 8 executes the program corresponding to the function name. The specific contents of the program include, for example, changing the window screen, changing the storage contents of the window information storage device, and changing the contents of the window management means 5.

When the user wants to change the function of each window in the multi-window, he/she only needs to change or add, for example, the contents of the menu information storage device and the program stored in the function information storage device. That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily change the function of a window as an object by describing it in a general language.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the overall configuration of a system using the object-oriented man-machine interface of the present invention. This system includes a window server 3, a bitmap display 4, a keyboard 9 and a mouse 10 connected thereto for multi-window display.

As described above, the window information storage device 11 stores all the data to be displayed in each window of the multi-window and the attributes for the data. The menu information storage device 12 stores menu data corresponding to all attributes of data, that is, a plurality of menu items corresponding to each attribute and function names corresponding to each menu item. Further, the function information storage device 13 stores programs to be executed corresponding to each function name stored in the menu information storage device 12.

The window management table 14 corresponds to the window management means 5, and the access monitoring device 15 corresponds to the access monitoring means 6. Further, the menu display device 16 and the menu information storage device 12 correspond to the menu display means 7, and the function execution device 17, the function information storage device 13, and the window information storage device 11 correspond to the function execution means 8.

User access to a window displayed on display 4 via keyboard 9 or mouse IO is handled in exactly the same manner as described above.

That is, menu data corresponding to the attributes of the displayed window data is retrieved from the menu information storage device 12 by the menu display device 16, and a plurality of menu items are displayed on the display 4.

When a user selects a certain menu item, the function name corresponding to that item is sent from the menu display device 16 to the function execution device 17. The function execution device 17 retrieves the program corresponding to the function name from the function information storage device 13, and
run it. The function execution device 17 changes the screen display of the display 4 and changes the storage contents of the window information storage device 11 and the window management table 14 according to the execution content of the program.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the storage contents of the window information storage device. As described above, the window information storage device 11 stores window data and their attributes in a corresponding format. That is, for example, the first line in FIG.
'', 'DIR3', and DIR4', indicating that the attribute of these data is Dir.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the contents of the window management table 14, which stores window data and attributes of the window currently displayed on the display 4, and a window ID as an identification symbol of the window. Among the storage contents of the window information storage device 11 described above, the window data and its attributes in the first row are window ID "1".
23゛, and the parent directory ``DIRI'', child directories ``DIR2'', ``DIR3°'', and ``DIR3'' are displayed on the window of the display 4.
This shows that R4° is displayed.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the operation algorithm of the access monitoring device 15. In the same figure, 318 indicates window server 3.
event information from the user, e.g. mouse 1
It is determined whether there is information that the window was accessed by 0. If the event information exists, the window ID of the accessed window, that is, the window identification symbol, is checked from the information sent in step 319.

Next, in step 320, the access monitoring device 15 searches the window management table 14 based on the window ID, and examines the attribute of the data of the window ID. Then, in S21, information on the attributes and window data is sent from the access monitoring device 15 to the menu display bag 216, and the process ends.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the operation algorithm of the menu display device 16. First, in S22, it is monitored whether there is information from the access monitoring device 15.

If there is information, the menu information storage device 12 is accessed based on the attribute sent from the access monitoring device 15 in S23, and menu data consisting of a plurality of menu items corresponding to the attribute is read.

Here, an example of the storage contents of the menu information storage device 12 is shown in FIG. As mentioned above, the menu information storage device 12
Stores menu data consisting of attributes and a plurality of menu items corresponding to the attributes, and function names corresponding to each menu item of the menu data, with correspondences attached. In the figure, for example, the menu data for the attribute Dir consists of three menu items: directory open, directory delete, and directory add. A function name corresponding to each menu item is stored.

At 324 in FIG. 6, the menu display device 16 displays menu data on the screen of the display 4 via the window server 3. Then, it is monitored in step 325 whether or not the user has selected a menu, and if the user has selected a menu, the function name corresponding to the selected menu item is read from the menu information storage device 12 in step S26. In S27, the function name and access monitoring device 1
The window data information sent from 5 is sent to the function execution device 17, and the processing ends. Note that the window data may be sent from the window management table 14.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the operation algorithm of the function execution device 17. In the figure, 32B indicates the menu display device 16.
It is monitored whether there is any information from. If there is information, the contents of the function information storage device 13 are searched based on the function name sent from the menu display device 16 in S29, the program corresponding to the function name is executed, and processing is performed. ends.

FIG. 9 is an example of a display screen image when the man-machine interface of the present invention is used. Same figure (
In a), "DIR1" is the parent directory and three directories 'DIR1' are its child directories.
R2'"DIR3' and "DIR4' are displayed on the window showing the directory.

In the same figure (b), when the user places the mouse on "DIR2°" and accesses this window, the menu data for directory operations shown on the right side is displayed.The menu data consists of three menu items: directory open, Consists of directory deletion and directory addition.

In FIG. 2C, when the user moves the mouse to a directory open menu item in the directory operation menu data and accesses it, for example, the directory open item is displayed in reverse video. Then, as shown in FIG. 3D, "DIR21' and "DtR22", which are lower directories of "DIR2", are added to the directory display and displayed on the screen.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the contents of the window management table 14 after the window display is changed as shown in FIG. 9. In the same figure, in addition to the window data and attributes corresponding to the window rD123'' in FIG. and DIR22 further stores Dir as an attribute of the data.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a window information storage device 11 and a menu information storage device 12 are used.
, and the function information storage device 13 are each independent, but it is also possible to store these information on the main memory of the system, thereby speeding up the processing.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, an object-oriented man-machine interface can be realized without writing a program using an object-oriented language, and functions of each window in a multi-window can be easily changed. Furthermore, the interface can be easily extended by using a general language.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a block diagram of the principle of the present invention. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a system using the object-oriented man-machine interface of the present invention. Figure 3 is an example of the storage contents of a window information storage device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the window management table. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the operation algorithm of the access monitoring device. FIG. 6 is an example of the operation algorithm of the menu display device. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the storage contents of the menu information storage device, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the operation algorithm of the function execution device, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the man-machine interface of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the window management table after the change, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-window display screen. 3... Window server, 4... Display, 11... Window information storage device, 12... Menu information storage device, 13... Function information storage device, 14... Window management table, 15. ...Access monitoring device, 16...Menu display device, 17...Function execution device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a terminal device having a multi-window display function and a window server (3), a window that manages data of a window displayed on a display (4) of the terminal device and attributes of the data. a management means (5), and the display (via the window server (3));
4) access monitoring means (6) for monitoring user access to the window displayed above and extracting data of the window to be accessed and attributes of the data from the window management means (5); , displaying menu data consisting of a plurality of menu items on the display (4) in accordance with the attributes of the window data extracted by the access monitoring means (6);
A menu display means (7) for obtaining a function name corresponding to a menu item selected by the user from among the menu data, and a program corresponding to the function name obtained by the menu display means (7) are monitored for access. and a function execution means (8) for executing the function execution means (8) on the window data to be extracted by the means (6), each window of the multi-window being an object, first selecting an object, and then selecting the object. An object-oriented man-machine interface realization method characterized by realizing an interface for executing operations without using an object-oriented language.