JPH0228182B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to interactive text processing systems, and more particularly to a method for assisting an operator in interacting with the system when a binding program and work diskette are used with the system. Description of the Prior Art A number of interactive text or word processing systems have been disclosed in the prior art. These systems generally consist of a display device, keyboard, microprocessor, printer, and one or more diskette drives. The function of a diskette drive is to run one or more microprocessor programs that correlate the various hardware components of the system and enable one or more text processing applications to run on the system. is to transfer the data to non-permanent memory. Some systems have modem equipment for communicating with other word processing systems or data processing systems. Most systems present the operator with one displayed menu. One or more selections are made from the menu by the operator simply typing a single letter or symbol on the keyboard and actuating the "ENTER" key. Depending on the characters entered into the system, the operator may display more menus. The process is repeated until all data required by the system to accomplish the desired text processing task has been entered into the system. The portion of the program placed into the system from the diskette is primarily concerned with configuring the proper interaction of the various components of the system. For example, a subroutine is provided to take the signal represented by a single keystroke and transfer that data byte to the microprocessor. Another subroutine causes the character to be displayed on the screen at the location specified by the display cursor. Subroutines and programs that provide such functionality are generally referred to as system control programs, while programs specific to a particular text processing application, such as document creation, are referred to as application programs. As basic text processing systems become more widespread and installed, the ability to economically support new application programs with features that enhance the basic programs will be limited to most currently installed text processing systems. A large number of different feature programs and options for the system have become available and new feature programs have been refined to the point that they have become standard. As these new feature programs are introduced to the market and corrective updates are processed to existing programs, the amount of diskettes required by operators increases and the number of diskettes required increases. This caused errors to increase in proportion to the number of cases, resulting in a decrease in efficiency. Furthermore, the proliferation of feature diskettes adds to the confusion for unskilled operators. The problem stemmed primarily from the system hardware, as most early systems had diskette drives operating diskette cartridges (1S1D) that recorded on only one side of the disk. Later, diskette drives and cartridges were sold that doubled the amount of data stored on one side of the diskette. More recently, diskette drives and cartridges have been sold with double density recording on both sides of the diskette (2S2D), resulting in a storage capacity four times the capacity of the earlier diskettes. Each new feature program is priced separately, so one feature
It is better to record the program and the necessary control programs to bring it into the system, display the various menus, and interact with the basic text processing program. I understood. As a result, the operator is given one diskette for each feature, so if the text processing task the operator is running makes use of many features, the operator can spend considerable time swapping diskettes. be done. For example, assume that in addition to the basic text processing program, an operator has three different feature programs on three separate diskettes. For example, assume that a program provides communication functions that are performed interactively with the system by an operator. That feature provides the ability to communicate with other terminals specified by the operator. Another diskette contains a program for recording typed text on a magnetic card for printing on a magnetic card typewriter. The third diskette contains a third feature program that allows the operator to set up data processing type files such as lists of names and addresses. If the microprocessor's memory could store all the data on three diskettes, no significant problem would arise. However, this is not economical in that non-permanent memory, which operates at microprocessor speeds in reading and writing data, is currently too expensive for the amount of data that must be stored. Therefore, operators are faced with the problem of changing programming diskettes when a running text processing application requires different program applications. The problem is further complicated if the system must share a single diskette drive for work diskettes and program diskettes. The invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 57-135815 (Japanese Patent Application No. 58-72247) allows an operator to combine desired programming and other data from a number of separate diskettes into one new diskette, ie, a combined program diskette. The present invention relates to a method for reducing the amount of diskette handling by an operator by creating a diskette. The method for creating a combined program diskette begins with the step of displaying to the operator a menu reflecting all of the processing tasks that the system can perform. The menu is displayed as a result of reading the IPL program into the system along with a "bind program" that displays the menu and guides the operator through a series of diskette insertions and removals. Depending on the various processing tasks that the operator selects from its menu, the program
Sent from source diskette to 2S2D destination diskette. Various sources/
In addition to transferring special task programs from the diskette to the destination diskette, information previously placed into the system by the operator and stored on the individual source diskettes, such as format and setup information, can also be transferred to the 1S1D source diskette. transferred from the diskette to the 2S2D destination diskette. By using combined program diskettes, the number of diskette changes required by an operator of an interactive text processing system is significantly reduced. Details of the system are given in the aforementioned patent application. Although the 2S2D combined program/work diskette described above solves the problem of operator time consumption for changing diskettes, it exists on individual 1S1D diskettes and the 2S2D
It merely has the ability to display the menu transferred to the diskette to the operator. Therefore, the operator must remember what features and dictionaries have been transferred to the 2S2D's combined program and work diskette. If the operator is not familiar with the diskette, trial and error using prompts and existing menus may be used for certain tasks such as when nothing is on the diskette used for IPLing the system. It involves considerable operator time and expertise in translating the responses given by the system when a request is made to the system. The present invention relates to a method for avoiding the above problems. The method includes displaying to the operator one or more menus indicating to the operator feature tasks that are present on the combined program diskette and that are presented as separate selectable options by the newly created menu. This includes: A new menu specific to the special 2S2D combined program/work diskette
The diskettes are created dynamically by a subroutine that uses identification data about each program transferred, so they are displayed with the appropriate options. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for displaying to an operator of an interactive text processing system a menu listing only special tasks whose program sets are stored on one combined program work diskette. It is about providing. Yet another object of the present invention is to allow an operator to interact with task selection data in an interactive text processing system such that the combined program and work diskette is a source of programs for performing a plurality of different text processing tasks. The purpose is to provide a method for entering expressions. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a representative interactive text processing system in which the method of the present invention may be advantageously employed is shown. The main components of the system shown in FIG. 1 are a display device 10, a keyboard 11, a printer 13, and a diskette storage device 1.
4L, 14R and a microprocessor 15 having an internal memory for storing programs and data entered from the keyboard 11 or from the diskette storage devices 14L, 14R. The device 14L, 1
4R works to store data on one single-sided (1S) diskette with only density (1D) or on one double-sided (2S) diskette with double density (2D). Therefore, a 2S2D diskette can store approximately four times the information stored on a 1S1D diskette. Also shown in FIG. 1 is a modem 16, which serves to enable the system to communicate with other similar text or data processing systems. The system is operable by programs for individual text processing tasks stored in each of a plurality of 1S1D program diskettes. Alternatively, the system may have programs from a 1S1D diskette selectively transferred to a 2S2D diskette.
It is also possible to operate from program and work diskettes that have been combined on a diskette and are subsequently combined, ie, what is called a combined program and work diskette. The various programs are actually packaged as part of the highest version of the basic program and are combined onto the 2S2D diskette according to the combining program that is entered into the system from the 1S1D program. The combining program interactively guides the operator through a series of menus through which selections are made, and the task program set corresponding to the task selected from the displayed menu is the 2S2D datening program.
appropriate housekeeping data is generated by the system and stored in the 2S2D diskette so that the transferred program is subsequently selected from a single 2S2D combined program diskette. The operator is instructed to insert and remove the particular identified 1S1D diskette at the appropriate times to allow entry into the system. Because the selected task program subset for a given text processing application often leaves a significant amount of working storage space on the 2S2D combined diskette,
The 2S2D combination program diskette is also used as a working diskette. To understand how the menus shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are created by the system, a brief description of menu format and functional parts will be provided in conjunction with FIG. The simple menu shown in FIG. 2 has three main functional areas or fields. The first is a name field, in this case containing the menu name "TASK SELECTION". The second major area is called the options area or option field and contains data that occupies the center of the menu in FIG. The last area is the text information area and the instruction “Type ID letter to choose Item; press
ENTER (Type the identifying character to select the item. Press ENTER).
This area is specified at the bottom of the menu. Menu options areas can take several forms. The parameter option format shown in Figure 2 has at least two required fields: an ID field and an ITEM (name, task, function).
Consists of columns. The option area is for the operator to view and select one item therein. The ID field has a one-character graphic,
Usually an alphanumeric character, it is used by the operator to type the character on the keyboard to display the selection of the corresponding option on the system. Strictly speaking, the Item field is an information field for identifying the nature of the option. The "Your Choice" field, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is used in some menus, and is typically used when there are two possible choices, as shown below. ID Item g Ring bell Your Choice 1 Possible Choices 1 = Yes; 2 = No Another form of menu option is used to provide another menu or extend an existing menu. is a directive option list. The format uses only two fields. FIG. 2 is a typical example of a menu format. Other format options are also provided, but are not relevant to this application. A text information area is placed between the options area and the prompt line. It contains one or more lines of text instructions or information. The information area is followed by a prompt line. The information presented on the screen of the display device of an interactive text processing system is the result of text characters transferred from predetermined locations in the display buffer under the control of a microprocessor. The data to be displayed originates from the keyboard or from data stored on the diskette and is also transferred to the buffer under control of the microprocessor. The transfer of menu-type data from the program diskette to the display buffer is the basic system control program that is loaded into the system after the system is powered on and the initial program is loaded by the appropriate disk. controlled by appropriate subroutines that are part of the . COMBINED PROGRAM shown in Figure 3
DISKETTETASK program diskette task menu
When the initial program is loaded from the combined program/work diskette of FIG. 2, it is displayed as a result of the operator selecting option C from the task selection menu of FIG. The initial task selection menu displayed when the system is initial program loaded from the 1S1D basic program diskette is also the same as the task selection menu shown in FIG. The program task option is selected by the operator in the initial task selection menu of FIG. 2 when the operator wishes to modify a basic programming task or a feature programming task in some way. Third
If option a is selected by the operator from the menu shown in the figure, the following menu will be displayed.

【table】

[Table] On the other hand, if option b is selected by the operator from the menu shown in Figure 3, a feature program diskette task menu unique to the selected feature will be displayed, and the Data is 1S1D feature
Occurs in the program diskette.
It was transferred to the 2S2D combined program diskette during the creation of that diskette. When option c is selected by the operator from the menu shown in FIG. 3, a feature program diskette task menu unique to that feature is displayed as for option b. Whenever a program diskette task option is selected from each of these menus, the system continues to execute that task. The menu shown in Figure 3 includes option d, which allows the operator to select the 1S1D feature diskette and the feature 2S2D
If it is not attached to the diskette, it now provides the means to insert it into the system. Details of how to achieve this can be found in the patent application
-143533 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58-72236). Also, Japanese Patent Application No. 1982-135815 (Japanese Patent Application No. 1983-72247)
The combined program disclosed in Figure 4 includes special subroutines for generating additional menus unique to the 2S2D combined program diskette. The menus in Figures 3 and 4 provide information on various data related to the data and join operations that are interactively entered into the system by the operator.
The data transferred from the 1S1D diskette to that system is used by the system to operate when an option from a previous menu is selected, using the table entries stored when creating the 2S2D combined program diskette. is generated. The menu shown in Figure 4 is displayed when the operator
Option e “Feature” in the menu shown
Although the information displayed on each special menu can be stored in memory and transferred to the display buffer as a whole, multiple menus may use the same phrase. Therefore, creating each menu from a set of tables is more efficient from a memory storage standpoint.Using tables also allows additions and changes to be made with minimal negative impact on other areas of the system. The menu shown in Figure 3 is displayed to the operator when option c is selected from the task selection menu. is generated and displayed in a similar manner to other menus, where the entries are transferred from the various tables in memory that actually store the text, and are displayed in the ITEM column as option a in Figure 3. The literal text displayed is the menu name that appears in the table of menu names. The program that generates this menu transfers the literal text from that table to the display buffer, where it appears as option a. The descriptions for b and c do not actually appear on the menu. These two lines change depending on which programs were previously combined in the 2S2D's combined program diskette. In fact, the 2S2D's The list of menu names stored in the combined program diskette is the text that appears as options b and c in menu 3.
The addresses of these menu names in the menu name table are supplied to the control block for this menu when the menu is to be displayed. The text for options d and e in FIG. 3 remains unchanged. However, the ID numbers for these options vary depending on the number of previously bound feature programs. Therefore,
These ID numbers are dynamically assigned to each combined program/work diskette under program control as it is dynamically created. The functions of Menu 3 are as if the system were
1S1D feature program diskette task menu to be displayed as being operated under control of the feature program diskette. In other words, selecting options b and c in the menu of Figure 3 will result in the display of a menu that is exactly the same as each feature program diskette task menu displayed from the 1S1D feature program diskette. . The functionality of Menu 4 is such that the operator can select the displayed options from the menu as if the feature task menu were displayed from the 1S1D feature program diskette.
To allow one of the task menus to be selected for display. The menu displayed in Figures 5 and 6 is
Also created dynamically during creation of the 2S2D program/work diskette. These menus are special requests made in 1982.
It is only displayed during an "update" task as disclosed in No. 135816 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-72248).
COMBINE FEATURE shown in Figure 5
SELECTION (combined feature selection) allows the operator to first select option c in the task selection menu, i.e. the program diskette task, and then select the latest combined program from the basic i.e. textpack program diskette task menu.・Displayed in response to selecting an option. The menu in Figure 5 lists all features available to the system. Dynamically created fifth
The part shown in the figure specifically includes the text "second choice" in the "POSSIBLE CHOICES" field. This text "second choice" is not actually displayed, but instead a one or two character text message is displayed. The first message is "Retain from 2D" which is an indication that the corresponding program is on the 2S2D diskette. The feature of the second message is 2S2D.
“Do Not Combine” is an indication that the data was not transferred to the diskette. The selection of which messages are displayed is based on information created during the creation of the 2S2D diskette regarding the features transferred to the 2S2D diskette. The menu is created based on that data. FIG. 6 is displayed immediately after the menu shown in FIG. 5 when the system is in update mode and is unique to the update task. The function of FIG. 6 is to display the combined dictionary on the 2S2D diskette to the operator. This is accomplished in a manner similar to FIG. That is, "second choice" displays "Retain from 2D" when the dictionary is on the 2S2D diskette, and
“Do Not” when not connected above
In summary, the method of the present invention seeks to dynamically create menus to assist the operator in the interactive selection of processing tasks from a combined program/work diskette. 1
In one example, a menu is provided to assist the operator through the task of updating programs stored in one combined program diskette. In a second example, a menu is dynamically generated to assist the operator in selecting tasks stored in the combined program diskette. Both sets of menus improve operator efficiency and system throughput.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an interactive text processing system in which the method of the present invention may be used; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the schematic format of a typical menu displayed in the system shown in FIG. ,
3 is a diagram illustrating a program diskette task menu displayed to an operator in accordance with the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a program diskette task menu conditionally displayed to an operator of the system shown in FIG. Figure 5 shows a combined feature selection menu created by the system for use by an operator during an update task; Figure 6 shows a combined feature selection menu for use during an update task. It is a figure which shows a language selection menu.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An operator-controlled text processing system having a keyboard, a display device, and a diskette drive, the system comprising: an operator-controlled text processing system having a keyboard, a display device, and a diskette drive; the combined program diskette is created by previously transferring text processing task programs selected from among the programs in the plurality of program source diskettes from the program source diskette; and a data table representing the transferred program, a first menu having a plurality of options defined by ID characters and character text and corresponding to a menu stored in the program source diskette; displaying a menu on said display device; and an operator selecting an option from said first menu displayed;
information format and content for a second menu having a plurality of options defined by an ID character and character text, such that the second menu represents options valid for a text processing task in the combined program diskette; , a step occurring in response to keying one of the ID characters in the first menu from the keyboard and in accordance with data in the data table. .