JPH0546338A - Display control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obviate such troublesomeness as pull-down and pull-write are repeated from the uppermost hierarchy to its hierarchy each time, when a work for selecting a menu item is executed in a certain hierarchy, with regard to the menu item of a stree structure. CONSTITUTION:When a selecting instruction is executed with regard to a certain button B3, with regard to its upper button B2, a menu item selected at that time is inspected by a selecting means. Examples in a selection diagram are ('soft ware') and ('application'). The result of its inspection is collated with definition information stored in a storage means. In such a way, with regard to the button subjected to selecting instruction, a menu to be displayed at that time is determined. A display control means 4 displays it as a menu M33 of the button B3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display control system, and more particularly, a display control system for displaying a menu having menu items selectable by selecting a desired button among a plurality of buttons displayed on a display screen. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Displaying a menu assigned to a button and selecting a desired one from the menu items,
As a method of executing input, a pull-down menu method and a pull-right menu method are known. As a pull-down menu method, for example, there is one described in JP-A-63-36325. FIG. 18 shows what is described in this publication. In the figure, 501, 502 and 503 are buttons, 504, 505 and 506 are pull-down menus, and 507 to 522 are menu items.

The pull-down menu method can be applied only to the selection of menu items that are not related to each other. In the example shown in the figure, 3 called "color", "texture", and "font size".
For each menu element, choose one from each menu item. The extracted three menu items have no mutual relationship. Even if “red” is changed to “yellow”, the texture 513 and the font size 519 are not of the nature that they should be changed in conjunction with this.

FIG. 19 shows an example of the pull light menu system. This example was created with the XView toolkit, where each menu item has a "tree" structure.
The menu items "Yes" and "No" correspond to the menu item "C.
ut ”(FIG. 3A). The menu items "Current" and "New" belong to the higher menu items "Save", and the "Save" and "Load"
Are subordinate to “File” (FIG. 2B). (XV
The eye toolkit is software manufactured by Sun Microsystems, Inc. of the United States. For details, see "XView Programming Manual" (published by SoftBank Corp.)
reference. )

The pull-right menu method can be applied to selection of items having a dependency relationship, such as a tree-structured menu item. A specific example of items having a dependency relationship is the international patent classification. For example, in the case of the present invention, the section is "G:
"Physics", subsection "Instrument", class "G0
6: calculation; count ”, ...,. Select each item (menu item) for each hierarchy (each menu) and determine the international patent classification. The international patent classification is a tree structure.
Each selected item naturally has upper and lower dependency relationships.
When a section is changed, the menu items of subsections, classes, ..., ..., are naturally changed accordingly. When selecting items using the pull light menu, even though "A" is selected as the section,
If the subsection "Instrument" is displayed, an incorrect international patent classification symbol will be generated.

[0006]

There are various other examples of item selection having a dependency relationship. The pull light menu method is useful as a method for selecting this kind of item. However, items deep in the hierarchy, such as Curre in the above example
When selecting nt or New, move the cursor to "M
It had to be traced from "ode", and in that respect, it was inconvenient. An object of the present invention is to provide a display control system that eliminates such inconvenience and enables menu display with excellent operability.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a dependency relation between a plurality of buttons, a menu item of a menu of a button above the dependency relation and a dependency relation of a menu of a button below the dependency relation. A storage unit that stores definition information that defines, and when the button is selected and instructed,
Based on the definition information based on the menu item selected at that time in the higher order button of the button, selecting means for selecting the menu of the button instructed to select, and the selection result based on the selection result. Display control means for displaying a menu of buttons is used.

[0008]

When a selection instruction is given to a button, the selecting means selects a button higher than the button.
It is checked which of the menus assigned to the button is selected and which menu item in the selected menu is selected. The inspection result is collated with the definition information stored in the storage means. This reveals the menu to be displayed at that time for the button instructed to be selected. This information is supplied to the display control means. Based on this, the display control means displays the menu of the buttons which are instructed to be selected at that time.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to illustrated embodiments. To facilitate understanding, the display states of buttons and menus realized by the present invention will be described first. The embodiment of the present invention is realized on a workstation or the like. FIG. 3 shows the initial state W1 of the window. B1-B
Reference numeral 3 denotes a button, which is assigned the names Level 1 to Level 3, respectively. In this example, the button B1 is higher, the button B2 is middle, and the button B3 is lower. B4 is an end button. Place the cursor here and press button 9 of mouse 8.
Pressing (Fig. 1) closes this window.

D1 and D2 are status display areas, D1 is a menu item of the currently selected button B1, and D2 is a menu item of the currently selected button B2. Nothing is displayed in the initial state. An example of the menu assigned to each button and its menu item is shown in FIG.
This menu item is an example of a technical classification relating to a computer, and a menu M11 is assigned to the button B1, menus M21 and M22 are assigned to the button B2, and menus M31 to M34 are assigned to the button B3. Each menu M11
Items displayed in M34 are menu items. The menu M21 is subordinate to the menu item "hard" of the menu M11. Menu M31 is menu M2
The menu item M32 is subordinate to the menu item "main body" of No. 1 and the menu item "peripheral". Menu M22, M33 and M3
The same applies to 4.

Button B1 on window W1 in the initial state
Place the cursor C on the top and press the left button 9 of the mouse 8. (The position of C shown by the broken line in the figure). With the left button 9 held down, the cursor C is appropriately moved (pulled down) downward (at the position indicated by the solid cursor in the figure). This operation corresponds to "instruction selection" of the present invention. The menu assigned to the button B1 is only M11. Therefore, button B
For the pull-down of 1, simply use this menu M11
Is displayed. A menu item is selected from the displayed menu M11. Place the cursor C on the desired menu item, and then release (release) the finger that was held down when pulling down from the button 9 of the mouse 8.
This will select the menu item.

It is assumed that the menu item "software" is selected. The menu M11 is erased, and the characters of the selected menu item "soft" are displayed in the display area D1. (FIG. 5, window W3). Next, the cursor C is placed on the button B2 on the window W3 and pulled down. There are two types of menus, M21 and M22, assigned to the button B2. Here, the higher-level menu item currently selected is examined. The top menu item is "soft"
Is. Therefore, the menu M22 subordinate to the "soft"
Is displayed as a pull-down menu of button B2 (FIG. 5). Place the cursor over the desired menu item,
To release.

It is assumed that the menu item "application" is selected. The menu M22 is deleted, and the character of the selected menu item "application" is displayed in the display area D.
It is displayed in 2. (FIG. 6, window W4). Then, the cursor C is placed on the button B3 on the window W4 and pulled down. There are four types of menus M31 to M34 assigned to the button B3. Here, the upper menu item selected at that time is inspected. The upper menu items are "software" and "application". The subordinate menu that meets this condition is M33. Place the cursor C on the desired menu item and release. The notification procedure corresponding to the selected menu item is executed. Here, the notification procedure is one of the functions of a window manager (for example, "OpenWindow" provided by Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the US), and when a button or a menu item is released, it is executed corresponding to the button or the menu item. This is a function for calling a user function registered in advance as a power.
Each function is executed by this notification procedure.

A window W5 in another display state is shown in FIG. In this example, the cursor C is placed on the button B3 and pulled down. Here, the upper menu items selected at that time are "hardware" and "main body".
The subordinate menu that meets this condition is M31, which is displayed by pulldown. Even though the same button B3 is pulled down, the menu of the lower button is changed corresponding to the upper menu item selected at that time.
This is the feature of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a functional configuration of an embodiment implemented on a workstation or the like for displaying such a menu. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a definition file, which is stored in a hard disk or the like, and the dependency relation between the buttons B1 to B3, and the dependency relation between the menu item of the menu of the upper button of the dependency relation and the menu of the button of the lower relation of the dependency relation. Is defined. 2 is a button / menu data generator
Based on the definition file 1, the C language structure 3 is generated (FIG. 16) and the notification procedure is registered in the window manager 4. The structure 3 is constructed on the main memory. The structure 3 corresponds to the definition information of the present invention.

As the window manager 4, the above-mentioned "open window" is used. The window manager 4 corresponds to the display control means of the present invention. A menu selection control unit 5 controls the selection of the above-mentioned menus according to the processing procedure of FIG. The menu selection control unit 5 corresponds to the selection means of the present invention. A display device 6 displays windows and the like. Reference numeral 7 denotes a mouse interface which displays movement information of the mouse 8 and operation information of the buttons 9 and 10 in the window manager 4.
Supply to. An example of the definition file 1 is shown in FIG. With this definition file 1, each menu M11, M21,
M22 and M31 to M34 are generated.

In FIG. 8, Choice: and the subsequent Menuite
m: indicates a set of data relating to the highest-order button of the dependency relationship, Choice: specifies the name given to the button, and Menuitem: specifies the menu item of the menu of the button. Depend
A series of data below choice: and up to the next Depend choice:
5 shows a set of data relating to buttons under a dependency relationship. Depe
ndchoice: indicates the name given to the button, and Depend: indicates the name of the button above this button. Item: indicates the menu item of the menu of the upper button, and Menu item: indicates the menu item of the menu related to this button. For example, in the case of Dependchoice: Level2, Depend: is set to "L
"hard1" is described in item1 "and Item :.
From this, it can be seen that the menu consisting of "main body" and "peripheral" is subordinate to the higher-level menu item "hardware". The same is true for the next Depend choice: (Level 3) and the subsequent parts up to the end of the file.

9 to 11 show examples of data formats of the Choice structure, the Dependchoice structure and the current value structure. The Choice structure is used to store the data specified in Choice: of this definition file 1. Dependch
The oice structure is used to store the data specified in Dependchoice :. The current value structure is used to hold the currently selected menu item in buttons B1 and B2. One Choice structure is generated only for a menu located at the top of a set of tree-structured menu groups, for example, M11. One Dependchoice structure is generated for each menu of a set of menu groups. One current value structure is provided for each menu group.

The names after Choice: or Dependchoice: are stored in the "button name" area of these structures. The menu number stores a number assigned to each structure one by one. Each menu item is stored in the menu item area, and the subordinate menu numbers subordinate to the menu item are stored in the subordinate menu area to the right of the menu item area. In the upper condition area of the Dependchoice structure,
The menu number and menu item of the higher-level menu to which the menu depends are stored. The B1 current value of the current value structure stores the menu item of the button B1 that is currently selected. The currently selected menu item of the button B2 is stored in the current value of B2.

An example of a state in which data is stored in the Choice structure is shown in FIG. 12, an example of a state in which data is stored in the Dependchoice structure is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, and an example of a state in which data is stored in the current value structure Is shown in FIG. Figure 12 shows Menu M
The contents of 11 are shown. 13 and 14 show the contents of the menus M21 and M34. Menu M
22, the data storage example of the Dependchoice structure of M31 to M33 is omitted. The current value in FIG. 15A corresponds to the display state in FIG. The current value of FIG. 15B corresponds to the display state of FIG.

FIG. 16 shows the processing until the initial window W1 of FIG. 3 is displayed. This processing is performed by the button / menu data generation unit 2. When this process is started, first, a set of data (Choice or De
A set of data represented by pendchoice) is read (step S1. Note that the description of “step” is omitted hereafter). At this point, the file is not "end of file (S2)". Therefore, in S3, the type of menu is determined. The answer is "Choi
ce ”. Proceed to S4, and the name of the button B1 is “Leve”.
11 ”, display position, display form, and other information necessary for displaying the button B1 are registered in the window manager 4. Proceed to S5, and select the menu items "Hard" and "Soft" and menu M
Information necessary for displaying the menu, such as the size of 11, the display position, and the display form, is registered in the window manager 4. In step S6, the data read at this time is stored in the corresponding area of the Choice structure. Then, a command for allocating the top menu set in S4 to the top button is supplied to the window manager 4.

Returning to S1, the next set of data in the definition file 1 is read. Even at this point, "File is over (S
2) ”is not. Therefore, in S3, the type of menu is determined. The answer is "Depend choice". Go to S8,
Information necessary for displaying the button B2, such as the name “Level2” of the button B2, the display position, and the display form, is registered in the window manager 4. Proceed to S9, and the upper condition (Depend:, It) read at this time into the corresponding area of the Dependchoice structure.
Stores em :). Dependchoic because there are two Items
Two e structures are also generated. Proceed to S10, and the size, display position, display form, etc. of the menu items "main body""peripheral" and "application""OS" menu M21, 22
Information necessary for displaying the menu is registered in the window manager 4. In step S11, each menu item or the like is stored in the corresponding area of the Dependchoice structure. S10 and S11 are continued until there is no data in the lower menu (S12).
When finished, return to S1. In this example, the definition file 1 ends here. In step S13, the button / menu generator issues a window display command to the window manager 4
Supply to. Now, the window W1 of FIG. 3 is displayed on the display device 6.
Is displayed.

FIG. 17 shows the processing procedure for the menu switching display of the buttons B1 to B3. This processing is performed by the window manager 4 and the menu selection controller. The state of change is considered clear from the first explanation. Here, a brief description will be given along with the flowchart. When the process starts, the process waits for an event to occur (S21). When the cursor C is placed on any of the buttons B1 to B3 and pulled down, "event occurs", and the window manager 4
Notifies the menu selection control unit 5 of the pull-down button number. If this is "B1", S22 to S2
Go to 3. The menu selection control unit 5 instructs the window manager 4 to display the menu M11. This brings the state of FIG. When the menu item displayed by the cursor C is selected, its contents are stored in the current value structure and displayed in the display area D1 (S24). Then, the process returns to S21.

When pulling down the button B2 or B3, the process proceeds from S22 to S25. Now refer to the current value structure. When the button B2 is pulled down, the button B1
The currently selected menu item of is acquired.
When the button B3 is pulled down, the menu item names of the buttons B1 and B2 that are currently selected are acquired. Search each Depenndchoice structure and derive the menu number corresponding to the menu item of the acquired upper button. Notify the window manager 4 of the number.
The window manager 4 displays this (step S2).
7). As a result, the state shown in FIGS. When the menu item displayed by the cursor C is selected, its contents are stored in the current value structure, and when the menu item of the button B2 is selected, it is displayed in the display area D2 (S2).
8). Then, the process returns to S21. When the button B4 is selected, the process proceeds from S21 to S29 to open each menu registered in the window manager 4 and close the window.

In this embodiment, a C language structure is created based on the definition file 1, and this is referred to as definition information. If the definition file 1 is separately provided in this way, the specification can be changed only by rewriting it. The definition file 1 may be directly referenced to select, generate, and display a menu to be displayed. The data structure of the definition information depends on the language used. For example, the relationship between the menu item of the button B1 and the menu of the button B2 in the embodiment is not limited to the upper and lower relationships. When the menu item of the button B1 is selected, the items to be considered as related items of the menu item may be assigned to the button B2 as a menu having a dependency relationship.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a selection instruction is issued for a certain button, it is inspected which menu item is selected for the button above the button. The inspection result is collated with the definition information stored in the storage means. With this, the menu to be displayed at that time is determined for the button instructed to be selected, and it is displayed as the menu of the button. Therefore, for example, when a menu item having a tree structure is selected in a certain hierarchy, it is not necessary to repeat pull down and pull write from the highest hierarchy to the hierarchy. Further, since one hierarchy can be represented by one button, a menu item having a deep tree structure can be easily implemented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a subordinate relationship of a menu.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an initial state of a window.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a pull-down state of a Level 1 button of a window.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a pull-down state of a Level 2 button of a window.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a pull-down state (first example) of a Level 3 button of a window.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a pull-down state (second example) of a Level3 button of a window.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a definition file.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a data format of a Choice structure.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a data format of a Dependchoice structure.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a data format of a current value structure.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a data storage example of a Choice structure.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a data storage example 1 of a Dependchoice structure.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a data storage example 2 of a Dependchoice structure.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a data storage example of a current value structure.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an initial process of the embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing event processing according to the embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a first conventional example.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a second conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 storage means 4 display control means 5 selection means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A display control method for displaying a menu having menu items selectable by selecting a desired button from among a plurality of buttons displayed on a display screen, the dependency between the buttons, and A storage unit for storing definition information defining menu items of the menu of the higher-order button of the dependency relationship and the menu dependency of the lower-order button of the dependence relationship; and a button higher than the button when the button is instructed to be selected. At this time, the definition information is referred to based on the menu item selected at that time, and a selection means for selecting the menu of the button instructed to be selected, and the menu of the button is displayed based on the selection result. A display control method comprising: a display control means.