JPH02259921A - Error reporting system by icon movement - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To omit the interruption of user work and the labor of window redisplay by checking whether or not an icon can be accepted in the window, moving the icon to an original position, and reporting an error. CONSTITUTION:An icon moving device 6 detects the moving direction and moving distance of a mouse 9, moves the icon with the current icon position as a reference, stores the position before the movement into a storage 1, and when the position is applied as a parameter, the device 6 moves the icon to the position before the movement. An icon judging device 7 compares the class ID of a class structure obtained by chained-linking the data structure of the icon with the acceptable class ID of the window class structure obtained by chained-linking a pair of the window data structure on the storage 1, and when the window cannot accept the icon, the device 7 instructs the icon moving device 6 to move the icon to the original position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an error notification system using icon movement, and more particularly to an error notification system using icon movement in a system having a multi-window user interface.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in a system that uses a multi-window as a user interface and incorporates means for controlling icons with a mouse, when notifying an error, it is necessary to either open an error message window and use the mouse to respond to the message. The process was interrupted until a key at the top of the keyboard was pressed, and the message was either checked or the icon was replaced in its original position.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Among the conventional methods described above, in the method of opening an error message window, a confirmation process is required for the window, which causes a interruption in the thinking of the system user, and , the disadvantage is that the error message window must be erased and the original window must be redrawn.

Also, in the method of redrawing the icon to its original position,
The disadvantage is that the user cannot confirm whether an error has occurred because the icon instantly appears in its original position.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The error notification method by moving icons according to the present invention includes a window display means for displaying a window according to window designation and display instructions, and displaying all icons included in the window within the window. an icon display means for dragging an icon in the window between windows with a mouse or when the position of the icon is given as a parameter, an icon moving means for moving the icon to that position; and icon data for the moved icon. Check whether the icon can be accepted in the window by comparing the class ID of the icon indicated by the structure with the acceptable class ID indicated by the window data structure for the window to which the icon has been moved. However, if this is not possible, an icon determining means is provided which instructs the icon moving means to move the icon to its original position, and an error is notified by moving the icon to its original position.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and a storage device 1 stores data 2 for window A and data 3 for window B.

The window display device 4 displays a window on the display device f8 by giving the window type, display position, and size as parameters. The icon display device 5 displays the designated icon structure at the designated position on the display device 8. The icon moving device 6 also detects the moving direction and moving distance of the mouse 9,
The icon is moved based on the current position of the icon, and the position before movement is stored in the storage device 1, and when the position is given as a parameter, the icon is moved to the position before movement. Icon judgment device 7
is the class ID of the class structure to which the icon data structure is chained, and the acceptable class I of the window class structure to which the window data structure is chained.
D on the storage device 1, and if the window cannot accept the icon, the icon moving device 6 is instructed to move the icon to its original position.

The data of window A in FIG. 1 is the window structure 10 and icon structure 11 of window A in FIG.
．． 12, a window class structure 13 that is chain-coupled with the window structure 10, and a class structure 14 that is chain-coupled with the icon structures 11 and 12, respectively.
．． 15.

Window structure 10.16 is a data group consisting of a window name, next icon address, original icon address, number of icons in the window, and window class address. The zero-order icon address is the first icon in window A or window B. The memory address of the icon structure 11.17 corresponding to the icon structure 11.17, the original icon address is the memory address of the icon before it is expanded into a window, and the window class address is the memory address of the window class structure 13 that indicates the type of the window. be.

The icon structure 11.12 in window A is a data group consisting of an icon name, a flag, an internal ID, a next icon address, and a class address.The flag indicates whether the icon is being expanded in the window, and the internal ID is a system is the ID that uniquely identifies the icon, the next icon address is the memory address of the icon structure of the next icon expanded in window A, and the class address is the memory address of the class structure that indicates the type of the current icon. .

The chain connection of a window structure and an icon structure is performed by entering the memory address of the next icon structure into the next icon address of the window structure or icon structure to form an address pointer.

The window class structure 13.18 is a data group consisting of a window class ID indicating an ID that uniquely identifies a window within the system, and an acceptable class consisting of a class ID of an icon that is acceptable to the own window.

The class structures 14, 15, and 19 are a data group consisting of a class ID indicating an ID that internally identifies the icon type, and a mouse value for determining whether the window can accept this class. .

Window A displayed on display device 8,
When the icon of window B is clicked with the mouse 9, the window display device 4 determines the window display position based on the icon display position, determines the type and size of the window based on the type of icon, and displays the window on the display device S. A window A20 and a window B21 are displayed respectively.

Next, the icon display device 5 displays the next icon address of the window structure 10 of the window A20 in the storage device 1,
The next icon address of the icon structure chained to the next icon address is traced one after another until it becomes NULL, the icon name and internal ID are read from the icon structure 11.12 registered in window A, and the window A is displayed as an icon 22.23.

Similarly, the next icon address in the window structure 16 of window B in the storage device 1 and the next icon address of the icon structure chained to the next icon address are taken one after another until they become NULL.
The icon name and internal ID are read out from the icon structure 17 registered in the icon structure 17 and displayed as the icon 24 in the window B.

Next, the flow when moving the icon 23 to the window 21 will be described on the premise that the window 21 cannot accept the icon 23.

Using the mouse 9, move from window A20 to window B.
When the icon 23 to be moved is selected at 21 and the mouse 9 is moved, the icon moving bag M6 detects the moving direction and distance of the mouse and moves the icon. This moves the selected icon 23 into window B21. At this time, the position of the icon before movement is stored in the storage device 1. Detects the position of mouse 9 and opens window B
When it is detected that the icon 23 has moved into the window B by comparing the coordinates with the coordinates of the icon 23, the icon 23 is newly displayed in the window 21. At the same time, the mask value of the class structure 15 connected to the icon class address of the icon structure 12 corresponding to the designated icon 23, and the window connected to the window class address of the window structure 16 corresponding to window B21. The acceptable classes of the class structure 18 are developed on the storage device 1.

Next, the icon determination device 7 compares the mask value of the class structure 15 with the acceptable class of the window class structure 18, and determines that the icon 23 cannot be accepted in the window 21.
On the other hand, the movement of the icon 23 is specified based on the position of the icon 23 stored on the storage device 1 before the icon 23 is moved. The icon moving device 6 is the icon determining device 7.
Follow the instructions to move the icon.

In this way, from window B21 to window A2
An error can be notified by moving the icon 23 to 0.

Next, referring to FIG. 4, the operation when an attempt is made to put an envelope stored in a cabinet into a receiving mailbox will be described as an applied example of the present invention.

It is assumed that the reception mailbox does not store anything directly from the cabinet, but only the envelopes received through mail reception.

■Assume that document 1 and envelope 1 are stored in the cabinet. In a system using multiple windows and icons, this is indicated by the display of a document icon 26 and an envelope icon 27 within the cabinet window 25. As described in the function description, this includes the window structure 10 of the cabinet window 25, the icon structure 11 of the document icon 26, and the envelope icon 27.
icon struct 12 and window class struct 1
3 and the class structure 14,
C by the window display device 4 and icon display device 5
Displayed on RT8. On the other hand, in the receiving mailbox,
Assume that envelope 2 is included. This is indicated by the display of an envelope icon 29 within the receiving mailbox window 28. In the same way as above, these are also expressed by a chain connection of the window structure 16 of the receiving mailbox window 28, the icon structure 17 of the envelope icon 29, the window class structure, and the class structure, and the window display device and the icon display device displayed on the CRT8. Now, to put the envelope into the incoming mailbox, click the envelope icon 27 with the mouse.
Select.

(2) When the mouse 9 is dragged, the icon moving device 6 detects the moving direction and distance of the mouse, and the envelope icon 27 is moved. At the start of movement, the icon moving device 6 stores in the storage device 1 the coordinates of the envelope icon 27 on the CRT before the movement.

The envelope icon 27 is thus moved to the receiving mailbox window 28. When the movement is completed, the mask value of the class structure chained to the icon structure of the envelope icon 27 and the acceptable class value of the window class structure chained to the window structure of the destination receiving mailbox window are set. The icon determining device compares the icons, determines that the envelope icon 27 cannot be placed in the receiving mailbox window 28, and instructs the icon moving device to move the envelope icon to its previous position.

(2) The icon moving device moves the icon based on the coordinates of the envelope icon before movement.

(2) When the movement is completed, the process returns to the normal state and enters the state of waiting for user input.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the present invention notifies the user of an error by moving an icon, so that the user's work is interrupted by checking the display of the error message window, and the window is redisplayed after the error message window is displayed. This has the effect of saving time and effort.

Furthermore, since investigations can be carried out using a consistent user interface consisting of icon display and mouse control, a series of processes can be carried out smoothly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an error notification method by moving icons according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing an example of an operation using the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a detailed diagram of the present invention. FIG. 1... Storage device, 2... Window A data, 3
. . . Window B data, 4. Window display means, 5. Icon display means, 6. Icon moving means, 7. Icon determination means, 8. Display device, 9..・Mouse, 10...Window structure of window A, 16...Window structure of window B, 11, 12.17...Icon structure, 1
3.18...Window class structure, 14.15.
19...Class structure, 20...Window A, 2
1...Window B, 22.23.24...Icon, 25...Cabinet window, 26...Document icon, 27...Envelope icon, 28...Receiving mailbox window, 29...・Envelope icon.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A window display means for displaying a window in accordance with window designation and display instructions; an icon display means for displaying all icons included in the window within the window; and a mouse for dragging icons within the window between windows. When the position of an icon is given as a parameter, an icon moving means that moves the icon to that position and the icon class ID indicated by the icon data structure for the moved icon.
and the acceptability class ID pointed to by the window data structure for the window to which the icon has moved, to check whether it is possible to accept the icon in the window, and if not, to An error due to icon movement, characterized in that the icon moving means is provided with an icon determining means for instructing the icon to move to the original position, and an error is notified by moving the icon to the original position. Announcement method.