JPH03266115A - Screen display controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency of input operation for parameters, etc., by assigning a partial display area at a place where the area does not overlap with the current position of a cursor when information different from current information is displayed, then displaying th former information. CONSTITUTION:A cursor position detecting means 32 detects the position of the cursor on the current screen of a display device 1 when a user who is not familiar with a input method for an input field, etc., inputs a help indication. Then a partial display area determining means 3 determines the partial display area which does not overlap with the cursor on the current screen of the display device 11 according to the detected position of the cursor. Then a screen display means 34 displays help information, etc., corresponding to the input field where the cursor is positioned instead of information display in the partial display area among pieces of information displayed on the current screen of the display device 11. Consequently, the input field and help information can be displayed on the same screen without moving the position of the input field.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a screen display control device for a display such as a character display, and in particular, for prompting a user to input through a human power request screen and responding to a HELP instruction. The present invention relates to a screen display control device suitable for data input systems and the like that provide help information to users.

[Conventional technology]

In order to enable even users who are unfamiliar with operations and lack relevant knowledge to input necessary parameters, etc. into the computer system accurately and without omission, predetermined input items and input positions are specified. The input request screen is displayed on a display such as a character display to encourage users to input information, and help information explaining input methods is provided upon request to help users who do not know how to input information. Data human-powered systems that can be displayed on a display screen have been proposed or put into practical use. In such systems, the help information is displayed on the display using one of the following methods.

(1) Display a help screen containing help information in place of the input request screen currently displayed on the display.

(2) Move the input field where the cursor is currently placed on the input request screen displayed on the display to a predetermined location such as the bottom of the display screen,
Help information is displayed in a predetermined area such as the center of the screen.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Conventionally, help information has been displayed on the display as described above, but each method has the following problems.

■ In conventional technology (1) that displays a help screen in place of the current input request screen, the contents of the entire screen change, making it impossible to see the input field to be entered and the help information at the same time. It is not possible to input parameters etc. into the input field while referring to them.

■ Conventional technology (2) in which help information is displayed on the same screen as the input field solves the problem of conventional technology (1), but the position of the input field on the screen changes before and after the help information is displayed. This makes it difficult to perform input operations intuitively.

The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a method for inputting data without moving the position of the input field.
An object of the present invention is to provide a screen display control device that displays an input field and help information on the same screen.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the screen display control device of the present invention includes a cursor position detection means for detecting the position of the cursor on the current screen of the display, and a position of the cursor detected by the cursor position detection means.
partial display area determining means for determining a partial display area on the current screen of the display that does not overlap the cursor based on the information displayed on the current screen of the display; and screen display means for displaying other information in place of the information.

In a data input system that prompts the user to input parameters, etc. using an input request screen and provides help information to help the user, the input request screen is displayed on the current screen of the display, and the input request screen is displayed on the current screen of the display. Another information displayed in place of the information displayed in the partial display area is help information corresponding to the input field where the cursor is located on the input request screen.

(Function) In the screen display control device of the present invention, when the cursor is placed on an input field in the input request screen displayed on the display and the user is about to enter parameters etc. into the input field, When a user issues a help instruction because he or she does not know how to input into an input field, etc., the cursor position detection means detects the position of the cursor on the current screen of the display, and then the partial display area determination means detects the position of the cursor on the current screen of the display. Based on the position of the cursor, a partial display area on the current screen of the display that does not overlap with the cursor is determined, and the screen display means then displays the determined partial display area of the information displayed on the current screen of the display. Instead of the information displayed, help information, etc. corresponding to the input field where the cursor is located is displayed.

[Example] Next, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a terminal, which includes a character display 11 and a keyboard 12.

Portions other than the terminal l shown in FIG. 1, namely input key detection means 21 display screen control section 3. Input buffer 4° Output huffer 5. The magnetic disk 6 and the help information table 7 are provided on the host computer side to which the terminal 1 is connected, and each has the following roles or functions.

Input buffer 4 This is a buffer that temporarily holds the contents displayed on the character display 11 of the terminal operator.

- Output buffer 5 This is a buffer that temporarily holds content to be displayed on the character display 11 instead of the content held in the power buffer 4.

-Magnetic disk 6 Stores a help document file 61 that stores help documents corresponding to each input field of each input request screen such as a help document 611.

-Help information table 7 Holds information regarding the storage location of help documents corresponding to each input field on each input request screen.

An example of its configuration is shown in FIG. 2. The help information table 7 shown in the same figure is composed of a collection of help information table entries 71, and each help information table entry 71 is a screen indicating the screen name of the input request screen to which it is related. The screen is composed of name information 72, input field number information 73 indicating the number of input fields included in the input request screen, and input field help document information group 74. The input field help document information group 74 includes input field help document information 74-1.71 corresponding to the number indicated by the input field number information 73.
-2. . . , 74-, . . . , each of which stores management information such as information regarding the storage location of the help document.

・Human key detection means 2 Has a function of detecting and analyzing keys input from the keyboard 12 of the terminal 1, and transferring control etc. to a section that performs related processing. Here, the keyboard 12 includes a help key 1 in addition to numeric keys, alpha head keys, cursor movement keys, etc.
21. Function keys such as a help release key 122 are provided, and the input key detection means 2 uses the help key 12
When it detects that 1 has been operated, it instructs the display screen control section 3 to display help information, and when it detects that the help release key 122 has been operated, it instructs the display screen control section 3 to delete the help information. . Furthermore, when it is detected that parameters have been set for the input field from the keyboard 12 while help information is being displayed on the character display 11, the display screen control section 3 reflects the contents in the input buffer 4. Instruct them to do so.

・Display screen control unit 3 Under a situation where an input request screen having predetermined input fields is displayed on the character display 11 according to instructions from the terminal 1 and the user is encouraged to input, the input key detection means 2 When help display is instructed, control is performed to display help information on the current screen of the character display 11, and when a reflection instruction is subsequently made by the input key detection means 2, the corresponding part of the input buffer 4 is updated. However, when the input key detection means 2 instructs to cancel the help display, the character display 11 is controlled to be restored to its original screen state.As shown in the figure, the screen input means 31. It has a cursor position detection means 322, a partial display area determination means 33, and a screen display means 34.

- Screen input means 31 When the input key detection means 2 instructs the terminal 1 to display help, it inputs all the contents currently displayed on the character display 11 of the terminal 1 and stores them in the input buffer 4, and then inputs the contents displayed on the character display 11 of the terminal 1 and stores them in the input buffer 4. It has a function of reflecting parameters and the like set on the screen of the character display 11 in the manual buffer 4 when the character is set on the screen of the character display 11.

・Cursor position detection means 32 Character display 1 stored in human power buffer 4
1 has a function of detecting where the cursor is placed on the screen based on the currently displayed content.

- Partial display area determining means 33 Has a function of determining a partial display area on the current screen of the character display 11 that does not overlap with the cursor, according to the position of the cursor detected by the cursor position detecting means 32.

- Screen display means 34 When instructing to display help, displays the corresponding help information in the partial display area determined by the partial display area determination means 33 on the current screen of the character display 11, and displays the help display from the input key detection means 2. It has a function to cancel the display of help information and return to the original input request screen when cancellation is instructed.

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained.

Now, for example, an input request screen 111 as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the character display 11 of the terminal 1 by a known method.
is displayed. Here, input request screen 1
The number of rows in 11 is h, and usually h≧15. Also, 112-1.112-2. ..., 112-
χ is an input field, 113 is the input request screen 111
The screen name 114 is a cursor.

The user inputs parameters etc. on the input request screen 111 displayed on the character display 11 as shown in FIG.
Since I do not know how to input 2-2 and would like to receive help information, I place the cursor 114 on the second manual field 112-2 and press the help key 1 on the keyboard 12.
21 is operated.

When the help key 121 is operated on the terminal operator's keyboard 12, key information related to the help key 121 is sent to the input key detection means 2. When the input key detection means 2 recognizes that help key information has been sent from the terminal l, the input key detection means 2 detects the display screen control section 3.
Instruct terminal 1 to display help information.

In response to the above instruction, the screen input means 31 in the display screen control unit 3 inputs the character display 11 of the terminal 1.
All contents currently displayed are input and stored in the input buffer 4, and control is passed to the cursor position detection means 32.

As a result, the contents shown in FIG. 5 are stored and held in the input buffer 4. Here, 11
2-1'' to 112-x' are input field 1 in Figure 4.
Code group corresponding to 121 to 112-x, 113゛ is code group corresponding to screen name 113, 114゛ is cursor 1
A special code indicating the position f (n, m; where n is the number of rows from the first row of the input request screen 111 and 1m indicates the number of columns from the left end) where 14 is placed, 111' is the input request screen 1
This information corresponds to No. 11.

Hereinafter, the cursor position detection means 329, the partial display area determination means 33, and the screen display means 34 will operate in sequence to display the corresponding help information on the character display 11. The operation at that time is shown in a flow chart in FIG. Since this is an illustration, the following description will be made accordingly.

First, the cursor position detection means 32 finds the special code 114' corresponding to the cursor 114 on the input buffer 4, and based on its contents, determines the position where the cursor is placed! (n, m
) is detected (31 in Figure 3). Then, this is notified to the partial display area determining means 32 and control is passed on.

The partial display area determining means 33 first selects the input request screen 11.
Find the number of lines by subtracting the number of lines n where the cursor is placed from the number of lines in 1, that is, the 1 line in Figure 4, and set it in the variable l (S2
), and the variable l is compared with the number of lines S in the partial display area for displaying the help document (S3). Here, the number of lines S in the partial display area can be arbitrarily set from the outside within the following range.

10≦S≦h/2 As a result of the above comparison process, if l≧S, proceed to process S4, l<
If it is s, the process advances to step S5. Then, in process S4, the range from the (n+1)th line to the (n+s)th line of the input request screen 111 is determined as a partial display area, and in process S5, the first
The range from row to (s-1) row is determined as a partial display area. As a result, for example, the input request screen 111 in FIG.
The range of S lines from immediately after the line where the cursor 114 is currently placed (range indicated by reference numeral 115) is the partial display area. Then, the partial display area determining means 33 notifies the screen display means 34 of information regarding the determined partial display area and passes control thereto.

When the screen display means 34 receives control from the partial display area determination means 33, it first stores all the information 111' corresponding to the input request screen 1 stored in the input sofa 4 in the output buffer 5 (S6 ). Next, enter the hippo sofa 4.
The code group 113'' of the screen name 113 above is found and the screen name 113 of the input request screen 111 is obtained (S7).Next, help is displayed based on the cursor position (n, m) notified from the cursor position detection means 32. The number of the input field in the input request screen 111 that has been entered is determined and set in a variable k (S8).

In this case, the cursor 114 is placed in the second input field 112-2, so it is set to k-2. Next, the help information table 7 is searched using the screen name obtained in step S7, and the help information table entry 71 in which the same screen name is set in the screen name information 72 in FIG. 2 is obtained (S
9), Next, the obtained help information table entry 71
In this case, second field help document information 74-2, which is the second field, is obtained according to the number in the input field help information group 74 (S10). Next, the corresponding help document 611 stored in the help document file 61 of the magnetic disk 6 is obtained according to the help document storage location information included in the second field help document information 74-2 obtained above. The data is stored in a portion of the output buffer 5 corresponding to the partial display area 115 in FIG. 4 (S12), so that the output buffer 5 stores the contents as shown in FIG. After that, the screen display means 34 sends the content of the output huffer 5 to the terminal 1 and displays it on the character display 11 (S13),
As a result, the character display 11 displays the seventh
As shown in the figure, a screen is displayed below the second input field 112-2 where the cursor 114 is placed, on which help information 611' related to the field is displayed.

As described above, the input field and help information can be displayed on the same screen without moving the position of the input field. Therefore, the user can set parameters and the like in the input field while viewing the help information. Note that when the user inputs parameters etc. into the input field while the help information is being displayed, the input key detection means 2 detects this and the information 111 of the input request screen 111 stored in the input buffer 4 is displayed. The corresponding location is changed by the screen input means 31 of the display screen control section 3. Also, if the user no longer needs the help information, the help release key 1 on the keyboard 12 can be used.
22, the input key detection means 2 detects this and instructs the display screen control section 3 to cancel help, and the screen display means 34 displays information corresponding to the input request screen 111 stored in the input buffer 4. 111' are all stored in the output buffer 5, which is sent to the terminal 1 and displayed on the character display 11. As a result, the help information displayed on the character display 11 disappears from the screen, and the lower part of the input request screen 111 appears.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, when displaying information other than currently displayed information such as help information on the display, the screen display control device of the present invention provides a partial display area in a location that does not overlap with the current position of the cursor. , and display other information such as help information there, so leave the currently displayed part such as the input field where the cursor is currently located at that position on the current screen,
It becomes possible to display other information such as help information on the same screen. Therefore, if the present invention is applied to a data input system etc. that can facilitate input using an input request screen and provide help information, the input field and the help information will be displayed simultaneously, and even before and after the help information is displayed. Since the position of the input field does not shift, the user can efficiently input parameters and the like.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the help information table 7, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the partial display area determining means 33, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the input buffer 4, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the output buffer 5, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the screen contents before the help instruction is displayed. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of screen contents. In the figure, 1...Terminal 2...Input key detection means 3...Display screen control section 4...Input buffer 5...Output cover sofa 6...Magnetic disk 7...Help information table 11 ... Character display 12 ... Keyboard 31 ... Screen input means 32 ... Cursor position detection means 33 ... Partial display head placement determination means 34 ... Screen display means 61 ... Help document file 111 ... Input request screens 112-1 to 112 113 ... Screen name 114 ... Cursor 115 ... Partial display area 121 ... Help key 122 ... Help cancellation key 611 ... Help document X.・Input field

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Cursor position detection means for detecting the position of the cursor on the current screen of the display, and based on the cursor position detected by the cursor position detection means, displaying a portion of the current screen of the display that does not overlap with the cursor. A partial display area determining means for determining a region; and a screen display means for displaying other information in place of the information displayed in the determined partial display area among the information displayed on the current screen of the display. Screen display control device. (2) Display the input request screen on the current screen of the display,
Claim 1: Another information displayed in place of the information displayed in the partial display area is help information corresponding to an input field where a cursor is located on the input request screen.
The screen display control device described.