JPH0981647A - Information display device and information display method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display the change of data for referring to certain changed data easy to recognize by a user in a display device for displaying the plural data provided with reference relation. SOLUTION: In this information display device 11 provided with a data updating part 111 for detecting data updating and updating the data, a reference relation storage part 112 for storing the reference relation of the data and a data storage part 113 for storing the contents of the data, a display instruction part 114 for instructing the emphasis display of updating data and reference origin data referring to the updating data is provided and the emphasis display of reference destination and reference origin data is instructed to a display device 13 at the point of time of updating the reference origin data by a fact that the reference destination data are updated. Thus, the generation of the data updating is clearly presented to the user and the user easily recognizes the data updating.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information display device and an information display method, and more particularly to an information display device and an information display method for displaying a plurality of data having a reference relationship.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a spreadsheet as one of the devices for displaying a plurality of data having a reference relationship. FIG. 18 shows a display example of the spreadsheet. In a general spreadsheet, data is operated on a table called a worksheet, which is composed of squares separated by vertical and horizontal lines. Individual cells are called cells, and actual data such as numbers and characters can be recorded and manipulated on the cells. The result of calculation based on the numerical data of other cells can be displayed in the cell.

For example, in FIG. 18, cell B8 displays the sum of cells B2 to B6, cell C8 displays the sum of cells C2 to C6, and cell D8 displays the difference between cells B8 and C8. These cells are automatically recalculated when the value of the cell that is the source of the calculation changes, and the result is displayed. After that, B
Data that refers to other data, such as 8, C8, and D8, is referred to as reference source data, and data that is referred to by other data, such as B2 to B6, is referred to as reference destination data.

In the spreadsheet, it is possible to display a plurality of data having reference relationships in this way. Also,
When checking the reference relationship of these plural data, 1) check the mathematical formula of the reference source data, and 2) perform a specific operation on the reference source data to perform highlighting such as inverting the reference destination data set. Such an operation is performed.

However, when another data changes due to a change in one data, those changes are performed without notifying the user, and it is difficult to recognize the change in the other data. was there. In addition, in a spreadsheet, if there is reference source data in a part that is not displayed in the worksheet, the user will not know that the change of the reference source data has occurred even if the reference destination data is updated. was there.

Further, when the information received from the communication line or the like is displayed on the portable terminal or the like by using the spreadsheet, the designated data and the related data are updated according to the received data update information. Is displayed. For example, according to the data received from the communication line, FIG.
When the value of the cell C5 is updated, the cells C8 and D8 having the cell C5 as a reference destination are updated as reference source data.
In this case, since the user who uses the mobile terminal does not update the data of the cell C5 but the data is updated by the communication from the outside, it is more difficult for the user to recognize the update. There is.

[0007]

As described above, conventionally, when displaying a plurality of data having a reference relationship,
There is a problem that it is difficult to recognize the update of other data due to the update of certain data. Especially,
When the related data is automatically updated by the data received from the outside, not by the user's own operation, such as a mobile terminal, it is possible to recognize what data, what time, and what data was changed. Was difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when one data is updated and another data is updated, it is possible to explicitly present the occurrence of the data update to the user. An object of the present invention is to provide an information display device and an information display method that allow a user to easily recognize a data update.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a plurality of pieces of data having a reference relationship are displayed, and reference source data which refers to the data when the reference destination data referred to by other data is updated. An information display device for updating and displaying, when the reference source data is updated along with the update of the reference destination data, a means for highlighting the updated reference destination data and the reference source data. It is characterized by doing.

In this information display device, since the reference data is updated, when the reference data is updated, both the updated reference data and the reference data are highlighted. Therefore, for example, even when the reference destination data is automatically updated by the data received from the outside, not the operation of the user himself / herself, such as a mobile terminal, and the reference source data is updated in accordance with the update, regarding the data, It becomes possible to inform the user of what time and what data was changed.

The highlighting means receives a notification of the updated data set from the data updating means for updating the reference destination data and the reference source data, and instructs the display device to highlight each of the notified data. realizable. In this case, when an update request for the reference destination data is input, the data update unit refers to the reference relationship information to detect the reference source data that refers to the reference destination data, and determines the reference destination data and the reference source data. After updating the data, it is preferable to have a function of notifying the display instructing means of the updated data set.

[0012] Further, it is preferable that the display instructing means, when giving an instruction for highlighting, give different instructions for highlighting for each of the reference destination data and the reference source data. In addition, the update results of the reference data and the reference data are displayed in blinking, the display with changed color, the display with a frame, the display with an underline, the enlarged display, the display in another window, the update data list. It is also possible to instruct highlighting by displaying in another window.

Further, the information display device of the present invention further comprises update log storage means for recording the values of the reference destination data and the reference source data that have been updated by the latest update before the update, and the display instruction. The means gives an instruction to alternately display the state before the update and the state after the update as a display mode of the highlighted display. As a result, not only data update occurs, but also it is possible to notify the user of the data content of both the reference destination data and the reference source data before and after the update.

Further, in the information display device of the present invention, the data content before update is recorded in the update data set log storage means each time the data update is performed by the data update means. Incidentally, in response to a display request for any past update N from the user, the update data set from the present to the update N and the data constituting the update data set from the present to the update N are stored before the update. Means for reading out data contents, displaying data contents before update up to update N + 1, and highlighting the data set of update N. This allows the user to easily know the display state immediately after the update N has been performed and the data set updated by the update N for any past update N.

If not all of the data is displayed on the screen, a data group is composed of one or more data stored in the data storage means, and the data group is displayed with one symbol or one representative data. Means for displaying on the device, and when the reference data stored in the data storage means is updated by the updating means,
It is preferable to provide a display instructing unit for highlighting on the display device a symbol or representative data corresponding to the data group to which the reference source data referencing the reference destination data belongs. By this, even if there is data that is not displayed, it is possible to display those data by data group, and when the data is updated, the symbol of the data group (for example, icon etc.) is highlighted. The user can easily recognize the update of the reference source data.

Further, the display instructing means may be configured to return to the normal display after a certain period of time has passed since the highlighted display instruction was given, the highlighted display cancel instruction from the user, or a new update request. preferable.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an information display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The information display device 11 is applied to a computer such as a portable electronic information device, displays a plurality of data having a reference relationship on the display device 13, and refers to reference data referenced by other data. With the update of, it has the function of automatically updating the reference source data that is referencing the data. Further, when the reference source data is updated along with the update of the reference destination data, it also has a function of highlighting the updated reference destination data and the reference source data on the display device 13.

These data updating and highlighting functions are
It is realized by the data update unit 111, the reference relation storage unit 112, the data storage unit 113, and the display instruction unit 114.

When the update request is input from the update information generator 12, the data update unit 111 detects the update request and updates the value of the corresponding data in the data storage unit 113. In this case, the data update unit 111 checks the reference source data that refers to the update-requested data as the reference destination data from the reference relation information held in the reference relation storage unit 112, and if there is the reference source data, stores the data. The update target data and the reference source data stored in the unit 113 are updated.
Then, the data updating unit 111 notifies the display instruction unit 114 of the updated set of reference destinations and reference source data.
The display instruction unit 114 gives an instruction to the display device 13 to emphasize the reference destination data and the reference source data notified from the data updating unit 111.

Data having a reference relationship is said to have a reference relationship when the value of another data B is determined based on a certain data A. In this case, the data A is the reference data and the data B. Is referred to as reference source data.

For example, when a plurality of data A, B and C can be summed, and data C is the sum of data A and data B, data A and B are reference destination data and data C is a reference source. The data. As another example, a certain data A takes one value in a set of specific values, and the data B having the data A as a reference destination is defined as values corresponding to all possible values of the data A. If there is a reference relationship. These pieces of information are held in the reference relation storage unit 112.

The information display device 11 of FIG. 1 is realized as a program incorporated in a spreadsheet program which is software executed on a computer or a program using a programming function such as a macro provided by the spreadsheet. By storing this in a storage medium, when the user updates the value of a certain cell in the spreadsheet, other cells that refer to it can be highlighted.

In a portable computer having a structure for receiving and displaying a plurality of data having a reference relationship from a communication line or the like, a program describing the function of the information display device 11 of FIG. 1 is created and stored in a storage medium. By remembering
When the update data is received through the communication line, other data that refers to the update data can be highlighted.

The functions of the components shown in FIG. 1 will be described below. The update information generation device 12 generates an update request by key input from a user, update data information from a communication line, FM teletext, etc., and the display device 1
Reference numeral 3 is a device for displaying actual data, which is composed of a display and a display control device for controlling it.

The function and operation of each part of the information display device 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 by taking the case where the data in the cell B6 of FIG. 18 is updated as an example. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the reference relationships stored in the reference relationship storage unit 112. This reference relationship corresponds to the data in the spreadsheet of FIG. 18. For example, B8 refers to B2 to B6 by the formula 1: @SUM (B2: B6). The data storage unit 113 has the same structure as in the spreadsheet shown in FIG. 18, and stores the value of each cell.

3 and 4 respectively show the data updating unit 1.
11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of 11 and a display instruction unit 114. The data updating unit 111 detects that the data in the cell B6 is updated from the update information generated by the update information generating device 12 (step S11). Then, the reference relation storage unit 112 is searched for reference source data having the update target data as a reference destination, and it is detected that the data in the cells B8 and D8 is the reference source data (step S
12), the value of the data in the data storage unit 113 corresponding to the update data set (cells B6, B8, D8) is updated based on the reference relation in the reference relation storage unit 112 (step S1).
3). After that, the data updating unit 111 notifies the display instructing unit 113 of the updated data set (step S1).
4).

The display instructing unit 114 includes a data updating unit 111.
From the data storage unit 113 (step S22), and the display device 13 is instructed to highlight the updated data (step S23). .

As the highlighting method, blinking display, color changed display, frame added display, underlined display, enlarged display, display in another window, update data list in another window The instruction such as is displayed.
FIG. 5 shows an example of highlighted display accompanying this data update.

FIG. 5 shows that the reference data B6 and the reference data B8, D8 are updated and highlighted by the above-described update operation. With the above processing, it is possible to highlight the reference data requested to be updated and the reference data that references it, but if the reference data does not exist, simply highlight the data requested to be updated. Good.

The update data set notified from the data update unit 111 to the display instruction unit 114 is ((B6), (B6)
8, D8)), the display instruction unit 114 can instruct the reference destination data and the reference source data by different highlighting methods.

As described above, according to the information display device 11 of the first embodiment, when the reference source data is updated by updating the reference destination data, the updated reference destination data and the reference source are updated. Display data 13 together
Highlighted above. Therefore, for example, even when the reference destination data is automatically updated by the data received from the outside, not the operation of the user himself / herself, such as a mobile terminal, and the reference source data is updated in accordance with the update, regarding the data, It becomes possible to inform the user of what time and what data was changed.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 shows a functional configuration of the information display device 11 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the configuration of FIG. 1, the information display device 11 is provided with a data update log storage unit 115 that records the value before update of the update data set updated in the latest update.

The data update unit 111 records the update data set and the respective values of the respective data constituting the update data before update in the data update log storage unit 115 at the time of data update, and the display instruction unit 114 stores the update data set. When instructing the highlighting, the display device 13 is configured to alternately display the value before update recorded in the data update log storage unit 115 and the value after update recorded in the data storage unit 113 for each data. Give instructions. This allows the user to easily know the values before and after the updated data.

The processing procedure of the information display device 11 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. 7 and 8 show flowcharts of the data updating unit 111 and the display instructing unit 114, respectively.

Here, as in the case of the first embodiment, the case where the cell B6 of FIG. 18 is updated will be described. The data updating unit 111 detects that the data in the cell B6 is updated based on the update information generated by the update information generating device 12 (step S31). Next, the data update unit 111 searches the reference relation storage unit 112 for reference source data whose reference destination is the data requested to be updated, and determines the cell B8 and the cell D8.
It is detected that this data is reference source data (step S32). Then, the data update unit 111 records the values of the detected update data set (cells B6, B8, D8) and the data constituting the update data set before update in the data update log storage unit 115 (step S33).

In this example, (B6: 2340, B8: 157)
94, D8: 12296) is recorded in the data update log storage unit 115. After that, the data update unit 111 updates the value of each data in the update data set in the data storage unit 113 (step S34), and notifies the display instruction unit 114 of the update data set (step S35).

The display instructing section 114 includes a data updating section 111.
From the data update log storage unit 115 (step S42), and the updated value is acquired from the data storage unit 113.
Are read out from (step S43). After that, the display instruction unit 114 instructs the display device 13 to alternately display the value before update and the value after update for each data of the update data set (step S44).

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 shows a functional configuration of the information display device 11 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the configuration of FIG. 1, the information display device 11 is provided with an update data set log storage unit 116 that records the value before update of the data of each update data set updated at each past update. .

In the data update log storage unit 115 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, only the values before the update of the update data set regarding the latest update are recorded, but the update data set log storage unit 116 records the past values. The difference is that the values of the data before the update of the update data set for the plurality of updates performed are recorded.

Each time the data is updated, the data updating unit 111 stores the pre-updated values of the update data set and the respective data forming the update data set in the update data set log storage unit 116. The display instructing unit 114 indicates that for any past update N,
The pre-update contents of each of the update data set and the data forming the update data set are read from the update data set log storage unit 116, the data contents before the update up to update N + 1 are displayed, and the display state immediately after the update N is performed is displayed. At the same time as returning, the data set recorded in the update N is highlighted. This allows the user to easily know the display state immediately after the update N has been performed and the data set updated by the update N for any past update N.

The processing procedure of the third embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 shows the information recorded in the update data set log storage unit 116, and the update data set in the past update and the value before update of each data of the update data set are update processing numbers 1 to N. It is recorded corresponding to each.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the data updating section 111 at the time of updating the data, and FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the display instructing section 114 when the user designates the past updating.

The data updating unit 111 performs step S corresponding to the processing steps S11, S12, S13 and S14 of the flowchart of FIG.
In addition to the processing of 51, S52, S54, and S55, a step of storing an update data set including reference destination data and reference source data and values before update of respective data constituting the update data set log storage unit 116. Including S53.

The process of the display instructing unit 114 at the time of updating data is similar to the process of FIG. 4 shown in the first embodiment, and the display instructing unit 114 gives an instruction to highlight the update data set according to the flowchart of FIG. .

Further, when the user makes a display request for the Nth update in the past, the display instructing section 114 displays the information shown in FIG.
As shown in, the update log from the present to the N + 1th is read from the update data set log storage unit 116 (step S61), and the value before the update is displayed for the data recorded in each log in the N + 1th order from the present. It is instructed to do so (step S62). This causes the display to be the display after the Nth update has been performed. After that, the display instruction unit 1
14 reads out the N-th update log and instructs the highlighted data set to be highlighted (step S6).
3, S64).

The display method may be the method of highlighting the updated value shown in the first embodiment or the method of displaying the values before and after the update alternately shown in the second embodiment. Further, to cancel the highlighted display, the display of the data recorded in the data storage unit 113 may be designated.

Next explained is the fourth embodiment of the invention. FIG. 13 shows the functional configuration of the information display device 11 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the information display device 11 is provided with a data group information storage unit 117 that stores a data group designated by the user and a display method thereof.

The user defines, through the data group setting device 14, one or more data as one data group, and designates the display by symbols or representative data in the group (hereinafter referred to as an icon). . The data group setting device 14 records the data group designated by the user and the display method thereof in the data group information storage unit 117. The display instruction unit 114 gives an instruction to display the designated data group according to the display method designated by the user, and when the user designates an icon, displays the constituent members. At the time of data update, the icon of the data group to which the reference source data for the update target data belongs is highlighted. This allows the user to see if all of the data can't be displayed on the screen, it can be displayed by the data group and the data group icon will be highlighted when the data is updated. It is possible to easily recognize the update of the original data.

The processing procedure of the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 14 is a display example of data and data groups, FIG. 15 is a content of a table held in the data group information storage unit 117 in the display of FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the display instruction unit 114. The data updating unit performs the same processing as in the first embodiment.

In FIG. 14, A1 to A4 and C1 to C
5, D1 to D3 are data, B1 is a data group including data C1 to C5, and B2, B3 and B4 are data groups including data D1, D2 and D3, respectively. Regarding the data reference relationship, all data other than A1 refers to A1. A1 has a value of "good" or "bad", and other data has data corresponding to the case of A1 being "good" and "bad". That is, when A1 is changed, all other data changes accordingly. Here, only the screen including the data A1 to A4 and the data groups B1 to B4 is displayed, and the data of C1 to C5 and D1 to D3 are not displayed.

The data group information shown in FIG.
Member information such as data C1 to C5 in the data group B1, data D1 in B2, data D2 in B3, and data D4 in B4, and a display method (icon form) thereof are recorded.

When the data A1 is updated, the display instructing unit 114 acquires the update data set from the data updating unit 111 (step S71), reads the updated data from the data storage unit 113 (step S72), and individually Regarding data, a process of issuing an instruction to highlight the icon for data belonging to the data group and highlight the updated data for other data is sequentially performed (steps S73 to S7).
6).

That is, with respect to A2 to A4, the highlighted display of the updated data is instructed, and regarding C1 to C5 and D1 to D3, the icons B1 to B which are the icons of the data group.
Instruct highlighting of item 4.

Further, the display instructing section 114 holds the update data set acquired from the data updating section 111 while the highlighting is being performed. When the user gives an instruction to display the data group by selecting the icon, for each data in the data group, the one in the update data set is instructed to be highlighted, and the other one is the normal one. Display instructions are given.

The highlighted display may be displayed by blinking or the like as in the first embodiment, or the data update log storage unit 115 described in the second embodiment may be added to alternately display the values before and after the update. You may. Further, the update data set log storage unit 116 described in the third embodiment may be added to enable highlighting of any past update.

Next, a modified example of the display instruction section 114 used in each of the above-described embodiments will be described. In this example, after the highlighting instruction is issued, the highlighting is canceled when the next event occurs. The event referred to here is any one of a lapse of a certain period of time, a highlighted display cancellation request from the user, a new update request, or any combination thereof. This enables cancellation after highlighting.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure of the display instructing section 114 in this example. A highlighting instruction is issued as in the first embodiment (steps S81 to S8).
3) and then wait for the next event (step S8)
4). When the event occurs, the display instruction unit 114,
An instruction to cancel the highlighting of the data for which the highlighting instruction has been issued is issued (step S85).

[0058]

As described above, according to the present invention, when one data is updated and another data is updated, the occurrence of the data update can be explicitly presented to the user. The user can easily recognize the data update.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of reference relationship information stored in a reference relationship storage unit provided in the information display device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a data updating unit provided in the information display device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a display instruction unit provided in the information display device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by the information display device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a data updating unit provided in the information display device of the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a display instruction unit provided in the information display device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the contents recorded in an update data set log storage unit provided in the information display device of the third embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a data updating unit provided in the information display device of the third embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a display instruction unit provided in the information display device according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a screen display example by the information display device of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of data group information in the information display device according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a display instruction unit provided in the information display device of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a display instruction unit provided in the information display device of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a display example of a conventional spreadsheet.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Information display device, 12 ... Update information generation device, 13 ...
Display device, 111 ... Data updating unit, 112 ... Reference relationship storage unit, 113 ... Data storage unit, 114 ... Display instruction unit, 1
15 ... Data update log storage unit, 116 ... Update data set log storage unit, 117 ... Data group information storage unit.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yasuhiro Kimura 1 Komukai Toshiba-cho, Sachi-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Toshiba Research and Development Center (72) Inventor Hiro Yao Komukai-Toshiba, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Town No. 1 Toshiba Corporation Research & Development Center

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. Displaying a plurality of data having a reference relationship,
An information display device for updating and displaying reference source data that refers to the reference destination data, which is referred to by other data, when the reference destination data is updated. An information display device comprising means for highlighting the updated reference destination data and reference source data when the original data is updated. 2. A data storage unit for storing contents of a plurality of data displayed on a display device, a reference relation storage unit for storing reference relation information indicating a reference relation of the plurality of data, and the data storage unit. When an update request for the reference data stored and referenced by other data is input, the reference source information referring to the reference data is detected by referring to the reference relationship information, and the reference data is detected. And a data updating means for updating the reference source data, and a notification of the updated data set from the updating means,
An information display device, comprising: a display instructing unit for instructing the display device to highlight each of the notified data and for highlighting the data. 3. A data storage unit for storing contents of a plurality of data displayed on a display device, a reference relation storage unit for storing reference relation information indicating a reference relation of the plurality of data, and the data storage unit. When an update request for the reference data stored and referenced by other data is input, the reference source information referring to the reference data is detected by referring to the reference relationship information, and the reference data is detected. And a data updating unit that updates the reference source data, an update log storage unit that stores the data contents of the reference destination data and the reference source data before the update, and update the reference destination data and the reference source data, respectively. An information display device, comprising: display instruction means for alternately displaying the previous content and the updated content on the display device. 4. A data storage unit for storing contents of a plurality of data displayed on a display device, a reference relation storage unit for storing reference relation information indicating a reference relation of the plurality of data, and the data storage unit. When an update request for the reference data stored and referenced by other data is input, the reference source information referring to the reference data is detected by referring to the reference relationship information, and the reference data is detected. And a data update unit for updating the reference source data, and an update data set log storage for recording the data content before update for each of the reference destination data and the reference source data every time the data update is performed by the data update unit Means, and the update log storage means from the present to the update in response to a display request from the user for any past update N. Up to the update data set and the data contents before update of each of the data constituting the update data set, displaying the data contents before update up to update N + 1, and highlighting the update N data set. An information display device characterized by the above. 5. A data storage unit for storing contents of a plurality of data displayed on a display device, a reference relation storage unit for storing reference relation information indicating a reference relation of the plurality of data, and the data storage unit. When an update request for the reference data stored and referenced by other data is input, the reference source information referring to the reference data is detected by referring to the reference relationship information, and the reference data is detected. And a data updating unit for updating the reference source data, and one or more data stored in the data storage unit to form a data group, and the data group is set to 1
Means for displaying on the display device with one symbol or one representative data, and a reference source referring to the reference destination data when the reference destination data stored in the data storage means is updated by the updating means. An information display device, comprising: a display instructing unit that highlights a symbol or representative data corresponding to a data group to which the data belongs on the display device. 6. The display instructing means includes member display means for displaying on the display device each piece of data belonging to a data group in which the symbol or representative data is highlighted, and the member display means includes the data group. 6. The information display device according to claim 5, wherein the reference source data that refers to the reference destination data and the other data among the data belonging to are displayed separately on the display device. 7. A plurality of pieces of data having a reference relationship are displayed, and when reference destination data referred to by other data is updated, reference source data referencing the updated reference destination data is detected. Then, the content of the reference source data is updated, and the updated reference destination data and reference source data are highlighted, respectively.