Schema-driven object alignment

• US 10,157,484 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boothroyd, Richard, Kerr, Robert L., Kirwan, Michael P., Sayer, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLS, DIANE M
• Application Number:
  US15/067,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20170263025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 345651, 345654, 345662, 345665, 345677, 345680, 715812, 715813, 715822, 715798, 715799
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

A method is provided for enabling a schema-driven object alignment on a canvas. The method may include receiving an indication of a selected object on the canvas, identifying a closest compatible object displayed closest to a position of the selected object on the canvas wherein a link associated is formed between an item represented by the closest compatible object and the item represented by the selected object. The method may further include defining an alignment guide for the closest compatible object. The method may also include, determining whether the selected object has been moved within a determined range of the alignment guide, and in response to the determination that the selected object has been moved within the determined range of the alignment guide, modifying a location at which the selected object is displayed on the canvas so that the selected object is aligned with the alignment guide.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enabling a schema-driven object alignment on a canvas, wherein the canvas displays a chart comprising a plurality of items, wherein the chart comprises a model analyzing a real-world scenario and the plurality of items comprise real-world entities associated with the model, wherein the canvas comprises a plurality of objects, and the plurality of objects represent the plurality of items on the chart, the method comprising:

defining, by one or more schemas, an associated item type for each item associated with the plurality of items, wherein the one or more schemas further comprise definitions that define at least one type of link formed between the plurality of items in the chart based on the defined associated type of item for each item, wherein the definitions comprise text that is displayed on the canvas and that describes the at least one type of link formed;

based on the definitions and a compatibility between each item defined by the associated item type, specifying whether the at least one type of link is capable of being validly formed between at least two items associated with the plurality of items;

receiving an indication of a selected object on the canvas, wherein the selected object represents a first item associated with the plurality of items on the chart;

based on the definitions and the defined associated item type for the selected object, identifying, from amongst the plurality of objects, a closest compatible object which is displayed closest to a position of the selected object on the canvas and for which at least one link associated with the at least one type of link is capable of being formed between a second item represented by the closest compatible object and the first item represented by the selected object;

based on a predetermined distance, maintaining the second item as the closest compatible object to the selected object as the selected object is dragged across the plurality of objects on the canvas;

in response to the selected object being dragged out of the predetermined distance from the second item, and based on an elapsed time that the selected object is dragged out of the predetermined distance from the second item, identifying a third item as the closest compatible object;

defining an alignment guide for the closest compatible object; and

in response to a movement of the selected object;

determining whether the selected object has been moved within a determined range of the alignment guide;

in response to the determination that the selected object has been moved within the determined range of the alignment guide, modifying a location at which the selected object is displayed on the canvas so that the selected object is aligned with the alignment guide; and

based on the associated item type and the definitions, forming the at least one type of link between the selected object and the closest compatible link, wherein forming the at least one type of link further comprises displaying, on the canvas, text between the selected object and the closest compatible link to describe the at least one type of link formed based on the real-world scenario.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the alignment guide.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein displaying the alignment guide further comprises:

determining whether the alignment guide can be displayed within a view of the canvas environment; and

in response to the determination that the alignment guide cannot be displayed within a view of the canvas environment, suppressing the display of the alignment guide.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein displaying the alignment guide for the closest compatible object further comprises:

identifying, within the chart, the at least one link between the second item represented by the closest compatible object and at least one item with the same associated item type as the first item represented by the selected object; and

displaying, for the at least one link, at least one alignment guide component having a dimension which is defined by the length of the at least one link.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the at least one alignment guide component is displayed, circular, and has a dimension that is a radius of a circle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying, for the at least one alignment guide component, an indication of the at least one type of link associated with the at least one link of the at least one alignment guide component.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a selected alignment guide component; and

creating, in the chart, at least one link of the same at least one type of link as the at least one link associated with the selected alignment guide component between the first item represented by the selected object and the second item represented by the closest compatible object.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the indication of the selected alignment guide component comprises a release of the selected object while the selected object is aligned with the selected alignment guide component.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein displaying the alignment guide further comprises:

determining, for the at least one alignment guide component, whether the at least one alignment guide component can be displayed within a view of the canvas; and

in response to the determination that the at least one alignment guide component cannot be displayed within a view of the canvas, suppressing the display of the at least one alignment guide component.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the closest compatible object comprises identifying the plurality of objects that are displayed within a determined distance of the selected object and identifying the closest compatible object from amongst the identified plurality of objects.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the alignment guide comprises an alignment guide component which is circular with a determined radius.

12. A system for enabling a schema-driven object alignment on a canvas, wherein the canvas displays a chart comprising a plurality of items, wherein the canvas comprises a plurality of objects, and the plurality of objects represent the plurality of items on the chart, the system comprising:

a display for displaying a view of the canvas;

a user input device for receiving an indication, from a user, of a selected object on the canvas; and

a processor capable of performing a method comprising;

defining, by one or more schemas, an associated item type for each item associated with the plurality of items, wherein the one or more schemas further comprise definitions that define at least one type of link formed between the plurality of items in the chart based on the defined associated type of item for each item, wherein the definitions comprise text that is displayed on the canvas and that describes the at least one type of link formed;

based on the definitions and a compatibility between each item defined by the associated item type, specifying whether the at least one type of link is capable of being validly formed between at least two items associated with the plurality of items;

receiving an indication of a selected object on the canvas, wherein the selected object represents a first item associated with the plurality of items on the chart;

based on the definitions and the defined associated item type for the selected object, identifying, from amongst the plurality of objects, a closest compatible object which is displayed closest to a position of the selected object on the canvas and for which at least one link associated with the at least one type of link is capable of being formed between a second item represented by the closest compatible object and the first item represented by the selected object;

based on a predetermined distance, maintaining the second item as the closest compatible object to the selected object as the selected object is dragged across the plurality of objects on the canvas;

in response to the selected object being dragged out of the predetermined distance from the second item, and based on an elapsed time that the selected object is dragged out of the predetermined distance from the second item, identifying a third item as the closest compatible object;

defining an alignment guide for the closest compatible object; and

in response to a movement of the selected object;

determining whether the selected object has been moved within a determined range of the alignment guide;

in response to the determination that the selected object has been moved within the determined range of the alignment guide, modifying a location at which the selected object is displayed on the canvas so that the selected object is aligned with the alignment guide; and

based on the associated item type and the definitions, forming the at least one type link between the selected object and the closest compatible, wherein forming the at least one type of link further comprises displaying, on the canvas, text between the selected object and the closest compatible link to describe the at least one type of link formed based on the real-world scenario.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising displaying the alignment guide.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein displaying the alignment guide further comprises:

determining, for at least one alignment guide component, whether the at least one alignment guide component can be displayed within a view of the canvas; and

in response to the determination that the at least one alignment guide component cannot be displayed within a view of the canvas, suppressing the display of the at least one alignment guide component.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one alignment guide component is circular and has a dimension that is a radius of a circle.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein displaying the alignment guide for the closest compatible object further comprises:

identifying, within the chart, the at least one link between the second item represented by the closest compatible object and at least one item with the same associated item type as the first item represented by the selected object; and

displaying, for the at least one link, at least one alignment guide component having a dimension which is defined by the length of the at least one link.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a selected alignment guide component; and

creating, in the chart, at least one link of the same at least one type of link as the at least one link associated with the selected alignment guide component between the first item represented by the selected object and the second item represented by the closest compatible object.

18. A computer program product for enabling a schema-driven object alignment on a canvas, wherein the canvas displays a chart comprising a plurality of items, wherein the chart comprises a model analyzing a real-world scenario and the plurality of items comprise real-world entities associated with the model, wherein the canvas comprises a plurality of objects, and the plurality of objects represent the plurality of items on the chart, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon:

program instructions to define, by one or more schemas, an associated item type for each item associated with the plurality of items, wherein the one or more schemas further comprise definitions that define at least one type of link formed between the plurality of items in the chart based on the defined associated type of item for each item, wherein the definitions comprise text that is displayed on the canvas and that describes the at least one type of link formed;

based on the definitions and a compatibility between each item defined by the associated item type, program instructions to specify whether the at least one type of link is capable of being validly formed between at least two items associated with the plurality of items;

program instructions to receive an indication of a selected object on the canvas wherein the selected object represents a first item associated with the plurality of items on the chart;

based on the definitions and the defined associated item type for the selected object, program instructions to identify, from amongst the plurality of objects, a closest compatible object which is displayed closest to a position of the selected object on the canvas and for which at least one link associated with the at least one type of link is capable of being formed between a second item represented by the closest compatible object and the first item represented by the selected object;

program instructions to, based on a predetermined distance, maintain the second item as the closest compatible object to the selected object as the selected object is dragged across the plurality of objects on the canvas;

in response to the selected object being dragged out of the predetermined distance from the second item, and based on an elapsed time that the selected object is dragged out of the predetermined distance from the second item, program instructions to identify a third item as the closest compatible object;

program instructions to define an alignment guide for the closest compatible object;

in response to a movement of the selected object, program instructions to determine whether the selected object has been moved within a determined range of the alignment guide, and in response to the determination that the selected object has been moved within the determined range of the alignment guide, program instructions to modify a location at which the selected object is displayed on the canvas so that the selected object is aligned with the alignment guide; and

based on the associated item type and the definitions, program instructions to form the at least one type link between the selected object and the closest compatible, wherein the program instructions to form the at least one type of link further comprises program instructions to display, on the canvas, text between the selected object and the closest compatible link to describe the at least one type of link formed based on the real-world scenario.