JPH0561920A - Display method for information of hierarchical structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the data retrieving time by displaying the information on the same hierarchies, the hierarchical level of each information to be displayed, and the number of lower hierarchies on the same screen. CONSTITUTION:In regard of the data stored in a data structure storing file 2, the data IDs, the master pointers, the brotherhood pointers, the slave pointers, the upper data numbers, the hierarchical positions, the lower hierarchy numbers, etc., are added to the names of data 1-1, 2-1, 2-3 and so on respectively. Therefore it is possible to easily decide a specific hierarchy where the data name 2-1 that produced a retrieving request belongs, the presence or absence of the lower hierarchies, the specific names given to the same hierarchies, etc., by retrieving the file 2 with a retrieving SQL command and then displaying this retrieving result.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hierarchical information display method for displaying information having a hierarchical relationship using a hierarchical menu screen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a database system or the like, various kinds of information (or information names) are associated with a hierarchical structure, and the hierarchical structure information (or information name) is searched according to a search key and displayed. The display method used to display on the screen of the device is used.

As a technique related to this type, there is, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 64-8853.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional display method, only the information corresponding to the search key is displayed on the display screen, and the hierarchy to which the displayed information belongs, and further, its subordinates. Since it does not display whether or not information exists in the hierarchy, whether or not there is more information in the lower hierarchy of the information displayed on the screen is displayed by instructing to display the information in the lower hierarchy. It can be confirmed only by displaying the lower hierarchy in. Therefore, there is a problem that the operation for confirmation is troublesome and it takes time to obtain an answer.

Further, there is a problem that the hierarchical positional relationship of displayed information cannot be grasped with respect to the overall hierarchical structure, and the hierarchical relationship of information is difficult to understand.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of displaying information in a hierarchical structure, which enables the hierarchical positional relationship of displayed information to be confirmed without any special operation.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides, among the information related to the hierarchical structure,
Information of the same hierarchy, and the hierarchy level of each displayed information,
The number of lower layers is displayed on the same screen.

[0008]

According to the above means, since the information of the same layer, the layer level of each information to be displayed, and the number of layers of the lower layers are displayed on the same screen, the positional relationship of the displayed information and the lower layers are displayed. It is possible to check whether information exists in the hierarchy without performing any special operation.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a database system to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, 1 is a relational database consisting of a data structure storage file 2, and 3 is an SQL that automatically generates an SQL language for operating this relational database.
An automatic language generation program, 4 a data hierarchical structure editing control program, 5 a central processing unit, 6 a display unit, 7 an input unit composed of a keyboard, etc., and a cursor displayed on a display screen 60 of the display unit 6. A cursor movement key 8 is provided for moving the cursor 9 up and down and left and right.

The data stored in the data structure storage file 2 is in a tabular format as shown in the figure, and the data 1
For data names such as -1, 2-1, 2-3, etc., columns for data ID, parent pointer, sibling pointer, child pointer, upper data number, hierarchical position, lower hierarchical number are provided. ..

The data ID is an identification code consisting of a binary value added to the data name. The parent pointer, sibling pointer, and child pointer indicate data IDs of other data having parent, sibling, and child relationships with respect to the own data, and data ID = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 2 has a three-layer hierarchical structure as shown in FIG. 2, the parent pointer, sibling pointer, and child pointer are set to the values shown in FIG. The parent pointer, the sibling pointer, and the child pointer constitute data hierarchical structure information indicating a hierarchical structure of data.

The number of upper data indicates the number of data existing in the upper layer of the own data including the same layer as the own data, and the number of lower data indicates the number of data existing in the lower layer of the own data. The layer position indicates the layer position of the own data, and the number of lower layers indicates the number of layers below the own data. The information on the number of upper data, the number of lower data, the layer position, and the number of lower layers constitutes the data position information.

Next, in the above-described structure, the data flow diagram of FIG. 3 and the flow chart of FIG. 4 will be described with respect to the procedure for retrieving and displaying the information of the data name designated by the input device 7 on the display screen 60 of the display device 6. It will be explained with reference to FIG.

First, the relational database is searched, and the name of the data to be displayed on the display device 6 is input from the input device 7 as a table. Then, a "search key" (not shown)
Is operated by the cursor 9. Then, the central processing unit 5 passes the information of the data name and the search key to the data hierarchical structure editing control program 4. Therefore, the data hierarchical structure editing program 4 activates the SQL language automatic generation program 3 and outputs the input data name and the request processing code indicating which of the upper level, the lower level and the same level of the data name is to be searched. Pass to the language automatic generation program 3. As the request processing code, when the input device 7 has not instructed a higher or lower search, a code for instructing the same search is passed.

The SQL language automatic generation program 3 generates an SQL command for searching the data structure storage file 2 using the input data name as a search key, based on the request processing code, and by this SQL command, the data structure storage file is generated. 2 is retrieved for each record (steps 20 and 21 in FIG. 4). As a result, if the data having the specified data name is obtained from the input device 7, the data hierarchical structure information and the data position information stored in the same record together with this data are extracted, and the retrieved data name and the data are extracted. It is passed to the hierarchical structure editing control program 4.

The data hierarchical structure editing control program 4 is
It is checked whether the sibling pointer of the retrieved data name is "0", and if it is not "0", the SQL command for retrieval using the sibling pointer of the retrieved data as a key is SQL until a sibling pointer of "0" is found. The language automatic generation program 3 is caused to generate it, and the data structure storage file 2 is searched again for each record by this SQL command (steps 22, 23, 24).

For example, if it is a data search request of data name 2-2, the sibling pointer of this data is "4".
Therefore, the data name 2-indicated by the sibling pointer = 4
Search for 3. As a result, the data of the same layer as the data name 2-2 designated by the input device 7 is collected (step 25). Next, since the sibling pointer of the data name 2-3 is "0", the search of the data structure storage file 2 is completed at the time when the data of the data name 2-3 is collected.

The data hierarchical structure editing correct / incorrect program 4 is
Based on the data hierarchical structure information and data position information obtained when searching the data of data name 2-2, the total number of data,
The total number of layers is collected (step 26). Then, in order to display the data of the data name 2-2 and the peer data 2-3, the total number of data, and the total number of layers on the display device 6, this information is passed to the central processing unit 5. Non-central processing unit 5
Performs screen display processing, generates a display image based on the input information, and displays it on the screen 60 of the display device 6.

FIG. 1 shows a display example when a data search request for the data name 2-1 is made.

In this display example, the data name 2-1 for which a search request is made from the input device 7 is displayed with the information of its hierarchical position (hierarchical level) additionally displayed, and also the data name 2-1. Data names 2-2 and 2 existing in the same layer
-3 is displayed with additional information on the hierarchical position. Further, in each of these data names 2-1 to 2-3, the number of lower data and the number of lower layers included in each lower layer are additionally displayed. Furthermore, each of these data names 2-
The data names 1-1 of the upper layers of 1-2, their hierarchical positions, and the number of upper data are additionally displayed. Furthermore, the total number of layers and the total number of data are displayed.

Therefore, looking at this display, which layer is the data name 2-1 for which the search request is made, is there a lower layer, and what data name is in the same layer? Can be determined very easily. Therefore, when searching various data in the database, an operation for checking the upper and lower layers is not required, and the target data can be efficiently searched in a short time. At the same time, since the entire structure of the data becomes clear, it is possible to select an extremely appropriate search word and improve the search efficiency.

In the above display example, the upper layer data name, the upper data number, the upper layer position, the total layer number, the total data number, and the lower data number are displayed, but these are displayed as necessary. You may do so.

Although the hierarchical position of the data name 1-1 of the upper layer is displayed, the number of upper layers of the data name 2-1 may be displayed instead.

Further, although the information of the data name is displayed, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to all cases of displaying information of hierarchical structure.

[0026]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, among the information related to the hierarchical structure, the information of the same hierarchy, the hierarchy level of each information to be displayed, and the lower hierarchy thereof. Since the number of layers is displayed on the same screen,
It is possible to confirm the hierarchical positional relationship of the information of the hierarchical structure without performing a special operation. As a result, when applied to a database system or the like, the operation for checking the upper and lower layers becomes unnecessary when searching various data, and the target data can be searched efficiently in a short time. .. At the same time, the overall structure of the data becomes clear,
It is possible to improve the search efficiency by selecting a very appropriate search word.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a database system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a hierarchical structure diagram showing an example of a hierarchical structure of data.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a data flow for displaying the number of layers, the number of information, and the like.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure for displaying the number of layers, the number of information, and the like.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Relational database, 2 ... Data structure storage file, 3 ... SQL language automatic generation program, 4 ... Data hierarchical structure editing control program, 5 ... Central processing unit,
6 ... Display device, 7 ... Input device, 60 ... Display screen.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Eisaku Hayashi 5-20-1 Kamimizuhoncho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo Hiratsuko ELS Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Minami Kodaira, Tokyo 5-20-1 Jitsumizu Honcho, Ichi, Japan, within Hitate Super L.S.I Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akira Ogata 5-20-1 Kamimizuhoncho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo・ I Engineering Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Among information related to a hierarchical structure,
Information of the same hierarchy, and the hierarchy level of each displayed information,
A method for displaying information in a hierarchical structure, characterized in that the number of lower layers is displayed on the same screen. 2. The hierarchical structure according to claim 1, wherein the number of upper layers and the number of upper layers are displayed together with the number of lower layers, and the total number of information contained in the upper and lower layers is displayed. Information display method. 3. The method for displaying information in a hierarchical structure according to claim 1, wherein the total number of information contained in all layers and the total number of layers are displayed.