JPH0614313B2 - Displaying multiple windows - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for displaying a plurality of windows when displaying a plurality of windows on the same display screen.

[Conventional technology]

The multi-window has a function of displaying a plurality of images on the display screen at the same time. Normally, the cursor on the screen of the display is controlled by an operating device such as a mouse to display a required image. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), various processing menus 2 are displayed on the CRT display 1 by pressing a switch provided on a mouse (not shown), and a cursor 3 is displayed as shown in FIG. 6 (b). Is moved to a required menu (generation) position and the above-mentioned switch is released to display one image (window) 4 as shown in FIG.

Further, even when other windows are displayed on the same CRT display 1, the processing menu 2 is displayed as shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b), and the cursor 3 is used to display the required menu in the menu 2. By moving to the position and releasing the switch, a new window 5 is displayed in front of the window 4 described above, as shown in FIG.

Thus, in the conventional multi-window control device,
When the windows overlap, the overlap processing (overlapping processing) in which the newly created window is in the foreground is performed.

This overlap processing is performed not only in the window generation processing described above, but also in processing such as enlargement, reduction, and movement of each window.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the conventional multi-window control device as described above,
For example, as shown in FIG. 8 (a), a CRT display 1
If windows 6, 7, and 8 are displayed above,
When the process of displaying the window 8 shown in (b) on the foreground is performed, the window 6 is completely invisible as shown in FIG. Such a problem easily occurs in the case of window generation and other processing, and it becomes impossible to understand what kind of window exists on the display 1 by just looking at the display 1.

An object of the present invention is to enable display of specific data in a specific display area within each window when a plurality of windows are displayed on the same display screen.

[Means for Solving the Problem] A window display method for displaying a plurality of windows in which a specific display area for displaying specific data is set at a part of a predetermined position in the window on the same display screen, When a predetermined instruction operation is arbitrarily performed, in response to the instruction operation, all of the windows are overlapped, and the specific display areas of the windows are displayed so that the specific display areas of the windows are displayed. The display position on the display screen is determined for each of the windows, and the windows are displayed at the determined display positions on the same display screen, and,
In each specific display area in each of these windows,
A method for displaying a plurality of windows is characterized in that specific data corresponding to each window is displayed.

[Operation] When a predetermined instruction operation is arbitrarily performed in order to display a plurality of windows on the same display screen, in response to the instruction operation, all of the windows are overlapped, and
The display positions of the windows on the display screen are determined for all of the windows so that the specific display areas in the windows can be seen, and the windows are set at the determined display positions. The specific data corresponding to the individual windows are displayed in a superimposed manner on the same display screen, and in the specific display areas of each of these windows.

Therefore, when a plurality of windows are displayed on the same display screen, the display position is always automatically determined and displayed so that the specific data in the specific display area in each window can be seen. The specific data in the window can be immediately grasped at a glance. Moreover, the above-mentioned display can be instructed immediately and easily by an instruction operation based on the intention of the operator.

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of the multi-window display control device of this embodiment. In the figure, the mouse 10 is configured to be movable, and the mouse 10 has a switch 10
a is provided. The movement data of the mouse 10 and the operation signal of the switch 10a are sent to the CP via the mouse controller 11.
Output to U12. An operation signal when operating a character key or a function key (not shown) of the keyboard unit 13 is output to the CPU 12 via the keyboard control unit 14.

In addition to operation signals from the mouse 10 and the keyboard 13, the CPU 12 receives graphic window display data and window control data via an input / output (I / O) interface (not shown). The CPU 12 operates according to a built-in program, and the keyboard 13 and I / O
The window display data input from the interface is output to the window memory 15, and the window control data is output to the window management table 16. The window memory 15 stores all input window display data. Further, the window management table 16 stores data in areas to be described later in detail according to the contents of the input window control data.

Further, the overlap control device 17 is driven in accordance with a control signal from the CPU 12 to take out the data or the like of the display position of each window from the window management table 16 and display the control data of the screen for displaying on the CRT display 23 described later. create.

For example, when only one window is displayed on the CRT display 23, the screen is displayed as shown in FIG.
_{1 to} S ₆ are divided into 6 rectangular areas, and each rectangular area S
Coordinate of the area for each ₁ to S _6, (not on actual screen) of the logical coordinate of the area, to create a data of a title display region provided in each window. Also, when the windows overlap, as shown in (b) of the same figure, the screen is changed from S _{1 to} S ₁₂ .
It is divided into two rectangular areas, and the coordinates of the same area as described above, the coordinates of the logical area, the data of the title display area provided in each window, and the like are created for each of the rectangular areas S _{1 to} S ₁₂ .

The control data of the screen thus created is output from the overlap control device 17 to the display control memory 18.

The above-mentioned control data is sequentially written in the display control memory 18, and when the control data for one screen is written, this control data for one screen is output to the window display device 19.

The window display device 19 outputs the control data for each rectangular area divided as described above to the bit mover 20 for each area. The bit mover 20 extracts the window display data from the window memory 15 for each rectangular area and outputs it to the display memory 21. When the display data (display data for one screen) of all rectangular areas divided by the bit mover 20 is output to the display memory 21, the display control device 2
Reference numeral 2 sends one screen of display data written in the display memory 21 to the CRT display 23. The CRT display 23 displays one or a plurality of windows according to the input display data.

On the other hand, the window management table 16 described above is shown in FIG.
It is composed of a management table area as shown in. Also,
The management table area of this configuration is provided for each window stored in the window memory 15 described above.
This management table includes window width, window height, screen X coordinate, screen Y coordinate, character size, pitch between characters, next window pointer and previous window when multiple windows are displayed. The pointer, the first subwindow, the last subwindow, the parent window pointer, title bar data (title), active title bar (atbp), and inactive title bar (atbp) data are written. For example, in the above description, the width of the window to the pitch between lines is compared with a specific position on the display.
As shown in (b), the width of window A (winA) is indicated by bpw, the height of window A is indicated by pbh, the X coordinate on the screen of point a of window A is indicated by pbx, and a The Y coordinate of the point on the screen is indicated by bpy, and the window A
The size of the letters b and b'in the above is indicated by csize, and the letters b and b
The spacing between b'is indicated by pitch.

In addition, from the pointer of the next pitch to the last subwindow, each window (parent window winA to win
This will be described with reference to FIG. 9C showing the relationship between C). The data of the window located after the window is written in the pointer area of the next window. For example, the figure
If windows A → B → C are displayed in this order as shown in (b), the address data (pointer position) of window B is written in the pointer area (fp) of the window of window A. Window C in the pointer area (fp) of the window next to window B.
Address data (pointer position) has been written.
Also, since there is no window after window C, the pointer area of the window next to window C is NILL.
Becomes

On the other hand, in the pointer area (bp) of the previous window, contrary to the above, the data of the window located before the window is written. For example, window A as in the above
If → B → C are displayed in this order, the data of window A is written in the pointer area (bp) of the window in front of window B as shown in FIG. The data of the window B is written in the pointer area (bp) of the window before the window C.
Since there is no window in front of window A, the pointer area of the window in front of window A is NIL (NIL
In addition, in the area (swsp) of the first subwindow of the parent window (CRT) whose entire screen of the CRT display 23 is one window, the CRT display 2
The data of the foremost window displayed on the 3 is written. On the other hand, in the area of the last sub-window of the parent window (CRT), the data of the window on the last surface displayed on the CRT display 23 is written. For example, according to the example shown in FIG. 7B similarly to the above, the address data of the window A is written in the area (swsp) of the first subwindow, and the address of the window C is written in the area (swsp) of the last subwindow. Data is written.

Further, the address data of the parent window (CRT) is written in the pointer area (parent) of the parent window of windows A to C.

The operation of the multi-window display control device of the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described below.

First, it is assumed that windows D to G (however, window G is hidden by windows D to F) are displayed on the CRT display 23, as shown in FIG. 4 (a). In such a state, not only is it impossible to know what the title of the window G is, but also the title of the window F is almost hidden and cannot be clearly confirmed.

From this display state, first move the mouse 10 described above to
By sending an operation signal to the PU 12, the CPU 12
The mouse cursor 24 is moved to a position where the windows D to G are not displayed on the CRT display 23 by the control signal from the. Next, by operating (pressing) the switch 10a, a control signal is similarly sent from the CPU 12, and the same figure (b)
As shown in, the processing menu 25 is displayed on the CRT display 23.
Display on top. Further, the mouse 10 is operated while operating the switch 10a, and the mouse cursor 24 is moved to the position of the rearrangement display processing in the processing menu 25. And
The rearrangement display processing is selected from the processing menu 25 and the switch 10a is released.

When the rearrangement display process is selected in this manner, the CPU 12 shifts to the rearrangement display mode in which the windows D to G on the CRT display 23 are sequentially rearranged and displayed. Figure 5 shows
It is a flow chart which shows processing of CPU12 in this arrangement display mode. In the figure, for the purpose of explanation of the flow, CR
The upper left side of the screen of the T display 23 is the base point (0, 0) of the coordinate system, the right direction is the positive direction of x, and the downward direction is the positive direction of y.

First, the CPU 12 fetches the data written in the last subwindow (swep) of the parent management table (CRT) into the pointer (p) in the CPU 12 (step ST1). The data written in the area of the management table (CRT) is the management table of the window G as in the case shown in FIG. 3 (c). Therefore, the CPU
In 12, the management table of the window G in the window management table 16 is selected as the last window.

Next, initial width (X, Y) screen width W and screen height H for displaying a window on the CRT display 23 are initialized (step ST2). With this setting, the initial position of the pointer is X = 0, Y = (size + pitc
h).

Next, the CPU 12 selects the window G selected as described above.
The data of X coordinate (bpx) and the data of Y coordinate (bpy) of the screen are output to the management table of, and the starting point g of the window G on the rear surface is set as shown in FIG. 4 (d) (step ST
3). At this time, the data sent to the management table of the window G is the X and Y data set above. Therefore, the X coordinate (bpx) of the window G on the screen is 0, and the Y coordinate (bpy) is C size + pitch.

Next, the CPU 12 fetches the data in the pointer area (bp) of the previous window in the management table of the window G and selects the window F. Then, the positions X and Y of the pointer are updated to the starting point f of the window F to be displayed next (step ST4). The position of the starting point f is obtained by adding Csize to the X coordinate of the starting point g and adding Csize + pitch width to the Y coordinate.

Next, it is checked whether the coordinates of the right end of the window G exceed the width (W) of the CRT display (step ST5),
If it exceeds (W <bpy + bph), the width of the window G is corrected (step ST6). Similarly, the lower end of the window G is also examined (step ST7). If the height (H) of the CRT is exceeded (H <bpy + bph), the height (H) of the window is corrected (step ST8).

Next, the pointer (b
p) is NILL (step ST9), and since the window F exists in this embodiment, the pointer is set to the address of the front window management table F (step ST9).
10). Similarly for window F, step ST3
Substituting the numerical values of X and Y in step ST4
→ ST5 → ・ ・ ・ → ST10 on the CRT display 23
Repeat for the number of windows displayed in. Therefore, FIG.
As shown in (d), the start points f of the windows F, E, and D are sequentially
e and d are designated, and the data required for the organized display is written in the window management table. When the data is written in the required area of the window management table in this way, the data in the window management table 16 is sent to the above-mentioned overlap control device 17. The data sent to the overlap control device 17 is divided into screens as described above, and the window display device 19, the bit mover 20, etc.
It is displayed on the RT display 23 as shown in FIG.

If the title bar has icons or menus, the title bar of each window is displayed so that the icon and menu of the target window can be easily operated.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, when a plurality of windows are displayed on the same display screen, a display position such that specific data in a specific display area in each window is always visible is automatically determined and displayed in an overlapping manner. Therefore, the specific data in all the windows can be immediately grasped on a small display space on one display screen. Moreover, the above-mentioned display can be instructed immediately and easily by an instruction operation based on the intention of the operator.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of a multi-window display control device of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a method of dividing overlap control of the multi-window display control device of the present embodiment, and FIG. a) is a block diagram of the window management table, FIGS. 3 (b) and (c) are block diagrams for explaining the window management table, and FIG. 4 is an operation of the multi-window display control device of this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the multi-window display control device of the present embodiment, and FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are configuration diagrams for explaining the operation of the conventional example. 12 ... CPU, 15 ... Window memory, 16 ... Window management table.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A window display method for displaying a plurality of windows, in which a specific display area for displaying specific data is set in a predetermined position in a part of the window, on a same display screen. When any of the above is performed, all of the above windows overlap in response to this instruction operation, and
The display positions of the windows on the display screen are determined for all the windows so that the specific display areas in the windows can be seen, and the windows are set to the determined display positions. Display of a plurality of windows, characterized by being displayed in an overlapping manner on the same display screen, and displaying specific data corresponding to each window in each specific display area of each of these windows. Method.