JPH05324443A - Update control method for picture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable visual input/output processing convenient for users by decreasing overhead for updating and canceling to shared data items displayed on plural pictures. CONSTITUTION:In a system connecting image processors 1-3 provided with image output devices 1a-3a and input devices 1b-3b and a data storage device 4 for storing the shared data items by using communication lines, when displaying the shared data items on the plural pictures corresponding to plural programs, the identifier of the updated shared data item is stored as a queue on a storage area until a relevant transaction is completely committed and when it is successfully committed, the identifier in the queue is sent to the program of a picture update object. Then, the queue is made empty and the program loads the updated shared data item corresponding to the sent identifier from the data storage device 4 to the inside of the program and updates the pictures. On the other hand, when the transaction is not committed, nothing is performed but the queue is made empty.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a shared data item update control method when a plurality of users work together using a computer, and particularly to a shared data item displayed on a plurality of screens. The present invention relates to a screen update control method that reduces the overhead of update processing and cancellation thereof and is easy for users to use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a system in which a plurality of computer systems each including an image output device, an input device and a processing device and a storage device for storing shared data items are connected via a communication line. , When multiple users simultaneously perform visual input / output processing, when a shared data item displayed on multiple screens is updated by a program in the processing device, the update result is immediately displayed on that data item. The method of reflecting on all the displayed screens was adopted. In addition, as a specific example of this type of method, "C
"olab project (Xerox Palo Alto Research Center)", "multimedia distributed presence conference system: MERMAID (NEC)", etc.

[0003]

In the above prior art, when a shared data item displayed on a plurality of screens is updated by a program in the processing device, the update results are displayed for all data items displayed. Need to be reflected on the screen. However, due to deadlock or failure, it may be necessary to cancel the update of the shared data item up to that point and restore the original state. At that time, all the screens in which the data item is displayed must be restored to the original state. However, if the data item was displayed on many screens, returning it to its original state would be a great overhead. It is an object of the present invention to remedy these problems, reduce the overhead required to control the screen when updating and undoing shared data items, and make the visual entry accessible to the user. An object is to provide a screen update control method capable of performing output processing.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, a screen update control method according to the present invention stores a plurality of computer systems having image output means, input means and image processing means, and shared data items. In a system in which a storage device for
When a shared data item is displayed on multiple screens by multiple programs, the updated shared data item identifier is set to the updated shared data item identifier instead of immediately reflecting the updated result of the shared data item on the other screen where it is displayed. It is stored as a queue in the storage area until the transaction is committed, and when the commit is successful, the identifier in the queue is sent to the program for screen update and the queue is emptied, and the program corresponds to the sent identifier. Load the updated shared data item from the storage device into the program,
It is characterized by executing screen updates. It should be noted that identifiers are assigned in advance to all shared data items that may be updated. If the commit fails, nothing is done and the queue is emptied.

[0005]

In the present invention, when the shared data item output on a plurality of screens is updated, the update result of the data item is not immediately reflected on the other screens and the identifier of the updated data item is displayed. Are only stored in the queue. Next, if the transaction that has performed the update is successfully committed, all the display screens of the data items corresponding to the identifiers in the queue stored up to that point are updated (redrawn). On the other hand, due to deadlocks and obstacles,
If the commit fails, the queue is emptied and the display screen is not updated. This reduces the overhead of updating and canceling shared data items displayed on a plurality of screens, thus improving the utilization efficiency of the system. Further, even during communication, only the identifier of the changed data item is sent, so that the minimum communication amount is required. Further, since the user can choose to confirm or cancel the update result by himself, the operation is easy.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an object sharing system to which the screen update control method of the present invention is applied. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the image processing devices 1 to 3 have image output devices 1a to 3a and input devices (pointing device, keyboard, etc.) 1b to 3b, and three users. However, a case will be described in which data items stored in the data storage device 4 are shared to perform visual input / output. In this case, it is assumed that three users display the shared numerical data items as their respective spreadsheets on the screen as shown in FIG. Here, it is assumed that the user of the image output apparatus 1a changes the value of the shaded portion to "0" as shown in FIG. At this time, the image output device 1a
The change process is displayed on the screen, and the identifiers of the changed data items and the data items related to the changed data items (here, the total value of the row B, the column Y, and the total) are stored in the queue corresponding to the image output apparatus 1a. Therefore, at this time, no change occurs in the image output devices 2a and 3a shown in (b) and (c). It should be noted that identifiers are assigned in advance to shared data items that may be updated. next,
If the commit (request to confirm the change) in the image output device 1a is successful, the image output device 1a is processed as shown in FIG.
The display of the shaded area is changed, and at the same time, the display of the image output devices 2a and 3a shown in (b) and (c) is changed at the same time.

The process of propagating the display change is as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 shows a process in which the shared data item is changed by the input device of the image processing device 1 and the result is reflected on the screens of the image processing devices 2a and 3a.
After the successful commit of the changed data item, the data items (identifiers (1) and (2)) in the queue are notified to the programs (2) and (3) in the image processing apparatuses 2 and 3, and the respective programs The data item corresponding to the identifier and the screen information on which the data item is displayed are read from the data storage device 4 and the necessary display is changed. On the other hand, if commit fails due to deadlock etc.,
Identifiers (1) and (2) in that queue are deleted,
The display of the image output device 1 that has output the changing process is restored to the original state, and the state shown in FIG. 2 is restored.

Next, the flow of processing will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, a transaction of the shared data item is performed (102, 103) by an event (101) from a display item (for example, a window) on the screen corresponding to the shared data item. At that time, the identifiers (ID1, ID2) of the updated data item are stored in the queue. Next, if the commit of this process is successful (10
4) The contents of the queue are sent to another program (program (2)) (105) to empty the queue (10).
6). If it fails (104), the queue is emptied without doing anything (107). Thus, the program (2) receiving the identifier reads the corresponding shared data item and its screen information, and then changes the screen display (201 to 204). Thus, visual event input / output processing of shared data items can be performed as event processing. Note that, in reality, both the process for updating the data item in FIG. 6 (program (1)) and the process for reflecting the update (program (2)) are performed by one program, and a plurality of such programs are executed. By executing it, a plurality of users can simultaneously perform processing using the shared data item.

[0009]

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the utilization efficiency of the user by reducing the overhead of the updating process and the cancellation thereof for the shared data item displayed on the plurality of screens. In particular, since a change notification of a data item that may be canceled is not sent to another image output device, useless communication can be reduced, and the changed data item sends only the identifier even during communication, so the minimum communication amount Can be In addition, the user who has made the update can select whether to confirm or cancel the update result himself or herself without notifying other users of the update result immediately, which makes the operation easy for the user.

[0010]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an object sharing system to which a screen update control method of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a screen display example of shared data items according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a screen display example diagram showing a process of updating a shared data item according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a screen display example diagram showing a result of updating a shared data item according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing propagation of changes in screen display according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a data update process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Image Processing Device 2 Image Processing Device 3 Image Processing Device 1a Image Output Device 2a Image Output Device 3a Image Output Device 1b Input Device 2b Input Device 3b Input Device 4 Data Storage Device

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Motohiko Shiotani 1-26-5 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo NTT Data Communications Corporation

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A screen update control in a system in which a plurality of computer systems having image output means, input means, and image processing means and a storage device for storing shared data items are connected using a communication line. In the method, if the shared data item is displayed on multiple screens by multiple programs, the updated shared data item identifier is
It is stored as a queue in the storage area until the commit of the transaction is completed, and when the commit is successful, the identifier in the queue is sent to the program of the screen update target, and the program updates the shared data corresponding to the identifier. A screen update control method comprising loading an item from a storage device and executing a screen update.