JPH09114631A - File perusal method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the loss of the file perusal history to improve the communication efficiency by regarding the history of perusal as a node indicating address information of each file and expressing the reference relations with a directed graph coupled by branches showing directivities. SOLUTION: The perusal history regards address information (URL) of each file as a node, and reference relations are expressed with a directed graph coupled by branches indicating directivities. Generally, reference relations of perusal histories are cross reference or circular reference and are faithfully expressed with the directed graph. When files are traced by a perusal program, address information of files referred to till then are displayed by the directed graph. When the operation to return to the file referred to just before is repeated, address information of files referred to before this time are left without being erased, thus performing the file reference without perusing files, which are perused in the past, again.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a file browsing method using WWW (World Wide Web) on the Internet, and more particularly to a browsing history display method for referencing a file from a browsing history.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a WWW client / server system on the Internet. A typical operation of the WWW is that the browsing program A connected to the network by the client 1 retrieves the files B and C in the file systems 4 and 5 through the WWW servers 2 and 3 and displays the contents thereof.

All files that can be referenced on the WWW are U
RL (Uniform Resource Locato
The designated address is assigned in the form of r). For example, the file B has "http: // WWW server 2 / p
If the address "ub / file B" is given, the browsing program A can obtain the file B in the WWW server 2 from the WWW client 1 via the network.

Furthermore, in file B, another file "
When the user wants to refer to http: // WWW server 3 / pub / file C ”, the browsing program A can display the content of the file C after displaying the file B.

Such a history of browsing from a plurality of files B to C is obtained by using a one-dimensional LIFO (LastIn / Fir).
This is represented by a stack-type list structure called stOut).

[0006]

In the conventional browsing history display method, since the browsing history is recorded in LIFO, the browsing history of the file may be lost.

For example, using the browsing program A, six files are designated at designated addresses URL1 → URL2 → URL3 → U
When browsing in the order of RL4 → URL5 → URL6, the browsing history for each file is recorded as shown in (a) of FIG.

After that, when the browsed file is returned to the previous file, URL1 to URL
The file No. 5 does not need to be browsed again, but the record of the browsing history is as shown in (b) of the figure, and when a new file (specified address information is URL 7) is browsed thereafter, the same will occur. The state shown in FIG. Furthermore, if the operation of returning to the previous browsing of the file is repeated three times in succession, the state shown in FIG.

When the operation of returning to the file browsed immediately before is repeated like this (d), the browsing history of the file referred to before that point is lost. For example,
4 (a) → (b) → (c) → (d),
Next, referring to URL8 → URL7, the URL is
7 has already been referred to in (c) of the figure, but (d)
At that time, "URL7" has been referred to in the past. "
That record is lost, and the file of URL7 will be retrieved (browsed) and displayed again.

That is, the loss of the browsing history means that files having the same content that have been browsed in the past will be ordered more than once through the network, which wastes communication resources and reduces communication efficiency.

An object of the present invention is to provide a browsing history display method for improving communication efficiency by eliminating loss of file browsing history.

[0012]

According to the present invention, a browsing program on the client side in a WWW client / server system on the Internet browses a file specified by an address from a file system through a server and displays the contents of the browsed file. In the file browsing method for referring to a file by using a history as the address information, the browsing history is represented by a directed graph in which the reference information of each file is a node and the reference relationship of each file is connected by a branch indicating directionality. It is characterized by

The directed graph also includes the following expression method for improving the operability of file reference.

(A) Color-coded display according to the reference state of the file, (b) having a function of discarding for long-term storage of the node, (c) changing the display form for each area, (d) specifying the node File reference display, (e) partial area movement, (f) parent-child relationship of reference relationship can be expressed, (f) referenceable node can be distinguished from other nodes.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an example of a browsing history display showing an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the browsing history is
Address information (URL) of each file is used as a node, and each reference relationship is expressed by a directed graph that is connected by a branch indicating a direction by an arrow.

Generally, the reference relationship of the browsing history is a cross reference or a circular reference, and the relationship is faithfully expressed by the directed graph representation according to the present embodiment.

Then, when the file is traced by the browsing program, the address information of the file which has been recorded so far is displayed in a directed graph. Also, if you repeat the operation to return to the file that was referenced immediately before, the address information of the file that was referenced before that time will remain without being erased, and you will not need to revisit the file that was viewed in the past. File reference is possible.

Further, in this embodiment, in order to improve the operability of file reference, the directed graph representation is devised as follows.

(1) Each node is color-coded (can be distinguished by a color scheme or a pattern). This distinction is, for example, an unreferenced node, a read reference node, an incomplete reference node, and a file type node. The actual conditions are as follows.

Unreferenced node: Has address information, but has not ordered the file.

Read reference node: There is address information, and the contents of the file are ordered and the display is completed.

Incomplete reference node: Address information exists,
A network transmission failure occurred and the process was interrupted while the file contents were being ordered.

File type node: Indicates the type of data format (text, image, sound, etc.) of the file indicated by the address information.

(2) The node is provided with a long-term storage and discard function. This function divides the address information into a temporary storage shelf node for long-term storage and a trash can node that can remove the content of the address information.

(3) The display form can be changed for each area (subgraphs of a directed graph can be selected so as to be visible / invisible). This distinction is, for example, non-display, gray display, and convolution display.

Hide ... The specified partial area is not displayed.

Gray display: By rendering the designated partial area in a hue close to the display background color, the display impression of that portion is lightened.

Convolution ... Allows the nodes corresponding to children and grandchildren referenced from the central node to be hidden. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when all nodes are displayed (a) and when convolution is executed (b) and (c).
To distinguish between It should be noted that (b) and (c) are cases where different patterns (which may be color-coded) are drawn so that the convoluted states can be distinguished.

(4) File reference display. When a node is designated, this refers to and displays the file corresponding to the address information recorded in the node.

(5) Movement of subregion (movement of subgraph in directed graph). The position of the partial area of the node on the directed graph can be freely changed. Even when the display position of the node is changed, the connection line (branch) connecting the nodes is redrawn while maintaining the relationship.

(6) The parent-child relationship of the reference relationship can be expressed by the directed graph. In this, an arrow is added to the connection line of the reference relation connecting the nodes, which makes it possible to distinguish the reference source node and the reference destination node.

(7) The node currently being referred to is distinguished from other nodes.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the browsing history is a node indicating the address information of each file, and the reference relationship of each file is expressed by a directed graph connected by branches indicating the directionality. Even if you repeat the operation to return to the last browsed file, the browsing history of the file will not be lost, and you will not need to retrieve the file of the same content browsed in the past more than once via the network.
Communication resources are not wasted, and communication efficiency is not reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an example of a browsing history display by a directed graph showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a convolution display example of nodes according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a WWW client / server system.

FIG. 4 shows an example of behavior of a conventional browsing history.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... WWW client 2, 3 ... WWW server 4, 5 ... System file

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A browsing program on the client side in a WWW client / server system on the Internet browses a file designated by an address from a file system through a server and displays the contents of the file, and the history of the browsing is used as the address information of the file. In the file browsing method for making a reference, the browsing history is a node indicating the address information of each file, and the reference relationship of each file is represented by a directed graph connected by a branch indicating the directionality. .