JPH04326396A - Multi-window display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To display the window which necessitates an emergency display in the front by allowing the window for superposing and displaying plural windows on a display screen to have an emergency display attribute. CONSTITUTION:The device is constituted of a window managing means for managing and controlling a size, a position, etc., of each window, and a means for setting/releasing an emergency display attribute for actuating the control for displaying the window concerned in the front, in the case an emergency display request is generated with respect to the window which is being displayed, and when the emergency display request is generated, the window concerned is displayed in the front.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a window display device capable of displaying multiple windows in a superimposed manner.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art An example of such a multi-window display device is the window display device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-4328. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of a window display device described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-4328. In the figure, 1 is a window management means for managing the size and position of each window, and the display order among windows, 2 is a storage means for storing display data of the corresponding window, and 3 is stored in the storage means 2. This display means extracts the display data of each window and displays the screen of each window in a superimposed manner on the display 24 based on window control data such as attributes and display order managed by the window management means 1. Further, FIG. 6 is a system configuration diagram of the window display device. In FIG. 6, the window display device 10
is a multi-window display device which operates under the control of a microprocessor 11 and is capable of displaying a plurality of windows simultaneously on a display in a superimposed manner. The processor 11 creates, deletes, and changes windows. In addition to programs, a mouse 12 and a keyboard 13 are connected to the microprocessor 11 via a mouse control device 14 and a keyboard control device 15 for inputting control information, display data information, etc. to a window by an operator's operation. ing. The processor 11 further controls peripheral devices such as a window management table 16, a window memory 17, and an overlap control device 18. The window management table 16 is a table for managing window sizes, positions, and display order relationships between windows. Each window has this management table, and the processor 11 creates, deletes, and changes the window management table. The window memory 17 is a memory for storing window display data, and a logical buffer corresponding to each window is prepared. The overlap control device 18 extracts display control information for each window from the window management table 16 under the control of the processor 11 and stores the control data to be displayed on the screen in the display control memory 19. The window display device 20 also takes out the control data stored in the display control memory 19 and passes it to the bit mover 21 after the overlap control device 18 stores the control data in the display control memory 19 . The bit mover 21 takes out window display data from the window memory 17 and stores this display data and control data from the window display device 20 in the display memory 22. The display control device 23 controls the display on the display 24 and displays the display data for each window stored in the display memory 22 on the display 24 based on the control data. The display 24 is capable of displaying a plurality of windows simultaneously in an overlapping state under the control of the display control device 23. FIG. 7 shows the storage information of the management table generated in the window management table 16. The management table contains a logical buffer L for storing display data of the window managed by this management table.
Information such as the width LBW and height LBH of BF, the width WIW and height WIH of the window, the X coordinate WIX and Y coordinate WIY of the window on the screen, the pointer FP to the next window, the pointer BP to the previous window, etc. Stored.

FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C show the states of the window memory 17 and window management table 16 when the processor 11 generates two windows WINA and WINB. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the window memory 17 contains the window WIN.
A logical buffer LBFA for window A and a logical buffer LBFB for window WINB are generated by the program of the processor 11, and display data of WINA and WINB are stored therein, respectively. In order to display the window WINA at the forefront and the window WINB at the rear on the display 24 as shown in FIG. 8(c), the link structure of the window management table 16 must be as shown in FIG. 8(b). Must be. That is, window management table 1
The base pointer BSP of the base table BTBL of No. 6 points to the top address of the frontmost window management table, and in this case, the base pointer BSP points to the top address of the management table MTBA of the window WINA. Further, the pointer BPA of the window WINA management table MTBA stores the termination code NULL because the window WINA is currently at the forefront and there is no window before this window WINA. On the other hand, the pointer FPA of the management table MTBA currently points to the start address of the management table MTBB of the next window WINB. Window WINB management table MTBB pointer FP
In B, in this case, the window WINB is at the rearmost side, and since there is no window after this window WINB, the termination code NULL is stored. On the other hand, the pointer BPB of the management table MTBB currently points to the start address of the management table MTBA of the previous window WINA. In this way, when the window WINA is displayed superimposed on the window WINB on the screen of the display 24 as shown in FIG. 3(a),
As shown in FIG. 3(b), when the display is performed in the logical buffer LBFB of the window WINB, there may be a case where the operator cannot know the display contents of the window WINB. At this time, the display order of the windows is changed so that the window WINB comes to the foreground, as shown in FIG. 3(c), by operating the mouse or keyboard or by using an application program using this window display device. This means that the pointer BSP of the base table BTBL of the window management table 16 is
Points to the start address of management table MTBB of INB, stores termination code NULL in pointer BPB of management table MTBB of window WINB, points pointer FPB of management table MTBB to the start address of management table MTBA of window WINA, and stores the termination code NULL in pointer BPB of management table MTBB of window WINB. WINA management table MTBA pointer F
Store the termination code NULL in PA and write it to the management table MT.
The program of the processor 11 sets the window management table 1 so that the pointer BPA of BA points to the start address of the management table MTBB of the window WINB.
This is done by changing the pointer BSP of the base table BTBL of No. 6 and the pointers FPA, BPA, FPB, BPB of the management tables MTBA, MTBB of each window.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] (1) Description of the problems of the prior art Since the conventional window display device is configured as described above, it is difficult to check the display on a window hidden behind another window. , the operator or the application program using the window display device must change the stacking state so that the displayed window is brought to the forefront, and the technique for changing this is limited to input requests. There was a problem that it was

(2) Description of the purpose of the invention This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems. For urgent displays, a window with an emergency display attribute is prepared in advance. , and if there is a character or figure displayed in that window, it can be displayed without the intervention of the operator or application program.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-window display device that can change the overlapping state so that the window comes to the forefront.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A multi-window display device according to the present invention is provided with means for setting/cancelling an emergency display attribute for each window, and when a certain window is displayed, an emergency request is sent to that window. When this occurs, the multi-window display device checks the emergency display attribute, and if the emergency display attribute of the window is set and the window is not displayed at the forefront of the display, it will be displayed at the front. It changes the display order between windows and then displays characters and figures.

[0007]

[Operation] In this invention, even if a certain window is hidden under another window, if that window has an emergency display attribute set, the window management means is operated based on that, and the corresponding window is The purpose is to enable the operator to immediately check the emergency display by displaying it in the forefront.

[0008]

【Example】

Example 1. Figure 2 is the window management table 1 shown in Figure 6.
6 shows the storage information of the management table generated. The management table 50 includes the width LBW51 and height LBH52 of the display data storage logical buffer LBF of the window managed by this management table, and the window width WIW5.
3 and height WIH54, window's X coordinate on screen WI
Information such as X55, Y coordinate WIY56, pointer FP57 to the next window, pointer BP58 to the previous window, emergency display attribute EMG59, etc. is stored. When 1 is stored in the emergency display attribute EMG 59, an emergency display attribute is set to the window, and when 0 is stored, no emergency display attribute is set.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C show two windows WINA and WI by the CPU 11 shown in FIG.
It shows the states of the window memory 17 and window management table 16 when the NB is generated. In Figure 1 (
As shown in a), the window memory 17 includes a logic buffer LBFA31 for the window WINA and a window W.
A logical buffer LBFB32 for INB is generated by the program of the CPU 11, and is used for WINA and WINB, respectively.
Display data is stored. In order to display the window WINA at the forefront and the window WINB at the rear on the display 24 as shown in FIG. 3(c), the link structure of the window management table 16 is changed in the manner described above.
) shall be as shown.

Next, the operation will be explained using FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 shows the transition of the two windows WINA and WINB displayed on the display 24. Figure 3
In FIG. 3A, the display data stored in the logical buffer LBFA31 is displayed on the frontmost window WINA of the display 24, and the display data stored in the logical buffer LBFB3 is displayed.
2, the display data stored in the display 24 is displayed on the rearmost window WINB of the display 24. In FIG. 3(b), a display request is issued to window WINB, and in FIG. 3(c), this causes window WINB to
Indicates that is displayed in the foreground.

FIG. 4 shows the two windows WI shown in FIG.
7 is a flowchart showing a control flow accompanying transition of NA and WINB displays. In Figure 4, the rear window W
It is checked whether there is a display request in the INB (step ST1). Does nothing if there is no display request. If there is a display request (Figure 3(b)), the next window WI
Emergency display attribute EM of NB management table MTBB50b
It is checked whether GB59b is set (step ST2). The setting/cancellation of the emergency display EMG 59b is performed by the application program or operator specifying 1 or 0 in advance. If not set, jump to step ST6. If set, the process advances to step ST3 to update the display order of windows WINA and WINB. In step ST3, the base table BTB of the window management table 16 is
The start address of the window WINB management table MTBB50b is stored in the base pointer BSP so that the base pointer BSP of L40 points to the start address of the window management table that should be brought to the forefront. Next, in step ST4, the window WIN that should be in the forefront
Pointer FPB57 of B's management table MTBB50b
The pointer FPB57b is set so that b points to the start address of the management table MTBA50a of the window WINA that should be the next window after the window WINB.
The start address of the management table MTBA50a is stored in . Furthermore, the pointer BP of the management table MTBB50b
B58b stores the termination code NULL in order to display the window WINB in the foreground. Next step S
In T5, the window WI that was displayed on the front until now
In order to display NA as the next window of window WINB, that is, as the last window, pointer FP of window WINA's management table MTBA50a is used.
Store the termination code NULL in A57a and pointer BP.
Window WINB management table MTBB on A58a
Stores the start address of 50b. In steps ST3 to ST5, a link structure of the window management table 16 is created to display the window WINB at the forefront and the window WINA at the rear. Next, in step ST6, the logical buffer LBFB3 is stored according to the display request.
Display data is stored in 2. This determines the contents of the window memory 17 and starts displaying them on the display 24 (step ST7). With this processing flow, Figure 3
In the window state shown in FIG. 3(a), when window WINB has an emergency display attribute and a display is made on window WINB, as shown in FIG. 3(c), window W
INB is displayed in the foreground, and the contents displayed on the window WINB can be confirmed.

0012

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, when a display request is made to a window with an emergency display attribute, that window is automatically displayed in the foreground without intervention from an operator or an application program. This allows the operator to check the display.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the states of windows and a window management table when two windows are displayed on a screen in an overlapping manner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a window management table of the window display device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows the transition of two window displays with an emergency display attribute and the state of the window memory.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of a conventional window display device.

FIG. 6 is a system configuration diagram of a conventional window display device.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional window management table.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of a window memory and a window management table when two conventional windows are displayed superimposed on a screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

16 Window management table 17 Window memory 24 Display 31 Logical buffer 32 Logical buffer 40 Base table 50 Management tables 59a, 59b Emergency display attribute

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A multi-window display device that simultaneously displays multiple windows by overlapping them on a display screen, comprising: window management means for managing and controlling window sizes, positions, display order relationships among windows, etc.; and a means for setting/cancelling an emergency display attribute, and when a request to urgently display characters, figures, etc. on a displaying window for which an emergency display attribute has been set by the means for setting an emergency display attribute is generated. A multi-window display device, characterized in that the window management means controls the window to be brought to the forefront, and then displays characters, figures, etc. on the window.