JPH08147135A - Window management device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To share a slave window among plural master windows. CONSTITUTION: A link information table 3 is provided with a table of link relations of each window to parent, brother, and child windows. When operation is performed in an arbitrary window, a window state management part 21 outputs information of windows affected by this operation. A link window management part 22 reads in corresponding link information from the link information table 3 based on window information or the window state management part 21 and updates the link information. When data on an arbitrary window is subjected to processing, a window processing execution part 23 discriminates whether this window has plural master windows or not; and if it has plural master windows, the same processing as the window is executed on each window.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a window management device for managing a plurality of windows when displaying them on a screen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A window system is widely used in which a plurality of windows are displayed on a screen and various different processes are performed on these windows. A window management device is used to manage the display states of such multiple windows. In this window management device, conventionally, each window is managed as a tree structure.

[0003]

However, since the conventional window management device manages the windows in a tree structure as described above, for example, when a certain window is copied to another place, the copy destination window is displayed. And the copy source window become completely unrelated after copying. Therefore, after copying a window,
It was impossible to reflect the processing on the copy source window on that window. From such a point, it has been desired to realize a window management device capable of reflecting the processing in the same window displayed in a plurality of places on other windows.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the window management device of the present invention comprises a link information table for managing each window in a link relationship. Also, when an operation is performed on an arbitrary window, a window state management unit that outputs information on the window affected by the operation and a link window management unit that updates the link information in the link information table according to this window information are provided. Prepare Further, when the data is processed on any window, the link information table is referred to, and when the window is a window having multiple parents, the window on multiple parent windows is displayed. The window processing execution unit that performs the same process is included.

[0005]

In the window management apparatus of the present invention, when any operation is performed on an arbitrary window, the window state management section outputs information on the window affected by the operation to the link window management section. The link window management unit, based on this window information,
Update the link information in the link information table. When some processing is performed on data on an arbitrary window, the window processing execution unit refers to the link information table and checks whether the window has a plurality of parents. When this window is a window having a plurality of parents, the windows on the respective parent windows are executed as the processing on the same window.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a window management device of the present invention. Prior to this, a general description of window management will be given. 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams of a tree structure and a hierarchical structure in window management. FIG. 2A shows the tree structure and FIG. 2B shows the hierarchical structure. In FIG. 2, (a)
The tree structure of indicates the display state of the window on the screen of (b), the vertical relationship is a parent-child relationship, and the horizontal relationship is a sibling relationship. Here, the parent-child relationship determines the clip area on the display, and the sibling relationship determines the vertical relationship on the display. That is, in the case of the screen shown in (b), when the window C is taken as an example, the clip area on the display of the window C is the parent window A, and the sibling window D is the same parent window A area. This is the window displayed inside.

When the windows are managed by the tree structure, each of these windows holds information for each window as follows. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the tree structure window information. That is, for a certain window, information about one parent window, a plurality or a single or zero (no window) parent windows, and a plurality, a single or zero small windows are held.

In such window management,
Consider the case where a child window is copied onto another parent window. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of this state. The screen in the figure has parent windows A and B on the root screen, the parent window A has child windows C and D, and the parent window B has child windows C1 and E. And window C
1 is a copy of the window C. As a result, the window C and the window C1 have independent window information.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the window information of the window C and the window C1. That is, window C
The parent window of is the window A, the sibling window is the window D, the parent window of the window C1 is the window B, and the sibling window is the window E, and independent window management is performed. Therefore, for example, even when some processing is performed on the copy window C1 and this processing is desired to be reflected on the copy source window C, such an operation cannot be performed.

Next, the window management apparatus of the present invention will be described in which the window management is not performed by the above-mentioned tree structure but is managed by the link relation for each window. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an information processing apparatus to which the window management apparatus is applied as an example of the window management apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes an input unit 1, a control unit 2, a link information table 3, and a display. It consists of part 4. The input unit 1 is composed of a keyboard, a mouse and the like, and is used by an operator to copy windows and input data. The control unit 2 is a module that performs arithmetic processing as an information processing device, and includes a central processing unit, a main storage device, and the like. I have it.

The window state management unit 21 has a function of managing the display states of a plurality of windows on the screen and, when an operation is performed on an arbitrary window, outputting the information of the window affected by the operation. Is. The link information table 3 is a table which is provided for each displayed window and shows the link relationship between parent, sibling, and child windows. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the window information format. That is, in this embodiment, when a window exists on a plurality of parent windows, all parent sibling tables and child tables are managed in window units.

The link window management unit 22 has a function of reading the link information of the corresponding window from the link information table 3 based on the window information output from the window state management unit 21 and updating it as new link information. Is. Window processing execution unit 23
Refers to the link information table 3 when data is processed on any window, and when the window is a window having a plurality of parents, It has a function of executing the same processing. The display unit 4 is a display such as a CRT and is an output device for displaying each window and various data on the window.

Next, the operation of the window management device having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the window management device. Now, it is assumed that the information processing apparatus is started up, the processing is executed, and a plurality of windows are displayed on the screen of the display unit 4.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a screen display example in this embodiment, (a) is a current screen, and (b) is a screen when a plurality of windows C are displayed. In the window display state as shown in FIG. 8A, when any input is made in the input waiting state (step S1), the control unit 2 controls the input to move or copy to the window. It is determined whether it is a process or an input or deletion process for data on a certain window (step S2). Since other input contents in the information processing apparatus are not directly related to this embodiment, only two input contents, that is, a window operation and a process for data are used here.

When the input content is the window display as the window operation in step S2, the window state management section 21 outputs the window state information (step S3). That is, when the window C is displayed at the specified position, the window affected by this is checked, and the information on the affected window name and its link relationship is output. Upon receiving the window status information from the window status management unit 21, the link window management unit 22 reads the link information of the corresponding window from the link information table 3 (step S4). Then, by creating a link, the information of the parent-child relationship is newly added to the window having the parent-child relationship, and the information of the sibling relationship is newly added to the window having the new sibling relationship. Update link information (step S
5). After that, the window C is displayed at the designated position, and these windows are displayed as shown in FIG. 8B (step S6).

FIGS. 9 and 10 are explanatory views of the link relation of each window in this case. FIG. 9 shows a state before the link operation of the window C and FIG. 10 shows a state after the link operation of the window C. First, in the state before the link operation of the window C, as shown in FIG. 9, the parent window of the window C is "A", the sibling window is "D", and the child window is "none". In window B, the parent window is “root”, the sibling window is “A”, the child window is “E”, and in window E, the parent window is “B”, the sibling window and the child window are “none”. .

After the window C is linked, a parent window B and a sibling window E are newly added to the window C as shown in FIG. Also,
In window B, “C” is added as a child window, and in window E, “C” is newly added as a sibling window. Note that, regarding the window D, since the link relationship is not changed by the link operation of the window C, the link information does not change.

Next, a case where the input content of step S2 in the flow chart of FIG. 7 is a process for data will be described. In step S2, for example, an editing process for a document on a certain window,
When the input content is the process for the data on the window, the window state management unit 21 outputs the information of the window name for which the process is performed to the window process execution unit 23. As a result, the window processing execution unit 23 reads the link information of the corresponding window from the link information table 3 (step S7) and refers to the link relationship (step S8). That is, in step S8, it is checked whether or not there are a plurality of parent windows of the window, and if there are a plurality of parent windows, the processing is reflected in the windows displayed in the respective parent windows and executed (step S9). ), This is displayed and it returns to the input waiting state of step S1.

For example, in the state of FIG. 8B, when the editing process is performed on the document on the window C (a plurality of displayed windows) displayed in the area of the window B, the window processing execution unit 23. Causes this to be reflected in the other copy source windows that are being displayed. That is, even if a plurality of windows C are displayed, they are processed as the same window C.

If there is only one parent window in step S8, the process is executed only for that window, and the process returns to the input waiting state of step S1.

On the other hand, although the input content in step S2 is the window operation, unlike the above, when the window is erased (meaning that the display is finished), the operation is as follows. For example, when the window C displayed in either the window A or the window B is erased from the state of FIG. 8B, the window state management unit 21 thereby changes the link relation information of the window to the link window. Output to the management unit 22 (step S
3). Then, the link window management unit 22 reads the link information from the link information table 3 (step S
4) The link information is updated (step S5), and the designated screen with one window C erased is displayed (step S6). That is, the window information in this case changes from the state of FIG. 10 to the state of FIG. 9, and the above-mentioned link relationship is released.

Next, an application example of the present invention will be described. Figure 11
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a first application example of the window management device of the present invention. This example shows a state in which there is a window F displaying the document data, the leading portion F1 of this document data is displayed in the window G, and the trailing portion F2 is displayed in the window H. This is a work, for example, of displaying the beginning portion F1 and the ending portion F2 of the document data in the window F, and editing the other while referring to one or both. In such a state, when the beginning portion F1 of the document data is edited in the window G and the ending portion F2 is edited in the window H, in the present embodiment, the beginning portion F1 is edited.
Since the end portion F2 and the end portion F2 are managed as one window F, even if the window F is deleted, the edited contents can be reflected as one document data.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a second application example of this embodiment. This example shows the case where the spreadsheet application is executed in the window M and the word processor application is executed in the window N. Further, in the spreadsheet calculation process of the window M, the result of the table (window M1) is a graph (window M2).
It is an application that is configured to be reflected in.

Then, the operator wants to import the graph created by the spreadsheet process in the document creation window N1 on the window N. In such a case, in this embodiment, the window M2 on the window M is replaced by the window N1.
The spreadsheet result of the window M1 can be taken in as a graph only by displaying it on the top. That is, in this embodiment, when data is input in the table of the window M1, the result is reflected in the graph of the window M2 in the spreadsheet, and further, the window M2 on the window N1.
Can be reflected in the graph.

In the above embodiment, for window linking operation, the window status management section 21 and the input section 1 are provided with a selection means for selecting whether or not to link a plurality of display windows, and the operator selects this. It may be configured to.

[0026]

As described above, according to the window management apparatus of the present invention, the management of each window is performed according to the link relation for each window, and the processing is performed by the data on the window having a plurality of parents. If it is opened, it will be executed as the processing of the same window, so it is possible to share child windows among multiple parent windows, and it is easy to display and operate the same window at the same time. It can be carried out.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information processing device to which a window management device of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a tree structure and a hierarchical structure in window management.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of tree structure window information.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a child window is copied onto another parent window.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of window information of a window C and a window C1 in managing a tree structure.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a format of link information in the window management device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation of the window management device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a screen display example in the window management device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of link information before a link operation in the window management device of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of link information after a link operation in the window management device of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a first application example of the window management device of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a second application example of the window management device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 link information table 4 display unit 21 window state management unit 22 link window management unit 23 window processing execution unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. When a plurality of windows are displayed on a screen, a window management device that manages these windows holds a link information table for each window and indicates a link relationship between parent, sibling, and child windows. , A window state management unit that manages the display states of a plurality of windows on the screen and outputs the information of the window affected by the operation when an operation is performed on any window, and the window state management unit outputs the information. When the link information of the corresponding window is read from the link information table and updated as new link information based on the created window information, and the processing is performed on the data on the arbitrary window. , Referring to the link information table, the window has multiple parents One is if it was window, window management apparatus characterized by comprising a window processing execution unit for processing in the window on the plurality of parent window with the same.