METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REDUCING THE HORIZONTAL SPACE REQUIRED FOR DISPLAYING A COLUMN CONTAINING TEXT DATA

• US 20010021936A1
• Filed: 06/02/1998
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: BERTRAM, RANDAL LEE
• Granted Patent: US 7,168,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A method and system for reducing an amount of horizontal space required when displaying a plurality of columns on a display screen is disclosed. The at least one column of the plurality of columns has at least one entry containing text data. The method and system include obtaining the at least one entry from the at least one column, and abbreviating a width of the at least one entry, determining if there is another entry containing text data. The method and system further include repeating the steps of obtaining the at least one entry, abbreviating the at least one entry and determining if there is another entry until all of the at least one entries are abbreviated. The method and system further include displaying the at least one column having the at least one abbreviated entry.

Claims

1. A method for reducing an amount of horizontal space required when displaying a plurality of columns on a display screen, at least one column of the plurality of columns having at least one entry containing text data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining the at least one entry from the at least one column;

(b) abbreviating a width of the at least one entry;

(c) determining if there is another entry containing text data;

(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until all of the at least one entry of the at least one column are abbreviated; and

(e) displaying the at least one column having the at least one abbreviated entry.

2. The method of

claim 1

wherein the at least one entry includes at least one column heading.

3. The method of

claim 2

wherein the at least column heading includes a first plurality of characters;

and wherein abbreviating step (b) further includes the step of;

(b1) removing at least one character of a second plurality of characters if the at least one column heading includes the at least one character.

4. The method of

claim 3

wherein the second plurality of characters further includes a plurality of vowels.

5. The method of

claim 2

wherein the at least one column heading includes a first plurality of characters, the plurality of characters being capable of containing at least one lower case character;

and wherein abbreviating step (b) further includes the step of;

(b1) removing the at least one lower case character if the at least one column heading includes the at least one lower case character.

6. The method of

claim 2

wherein the at least one column heading includes a first plurality of characters, the first plurality of characters being capable of containing at least one space;

and wherein abbreviating step (b) further includes the step of;

(b1) removing the at least one space if the at least one column heading includes the at least one space.

7. A method for reducing an amount of horizontal space required when displaying a plurality of column on a display screen, at least one column of the plurality of columns including at least one entry containing text data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a character type;

(b) obtaining the at least one entry; and

(c) abbreviating a width of the at least one entry by

(c1) removing at least one character having a first character type if the at least one entry includes the at least one character and if the character type is the first character type;

(c2) removing at least one lower case character if the at least one entry includes the at least one lower case character and if the character type is a second character type, the second character type being a lower case character; and

(c3) removing at least one space if the at least one entry includes the at least one space and if the character type is a third character type, the third character type being a space.

8. The method of

claim 7

wherein the at least one entry further includes at least one column heading.

9. The method of

claim 8

further comprising the step of:

(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for each of the at least one column for a particular character type of the plurality of character types.

10. The method of

claim 9

further comprising the step of:

(e) repeating steps (a), (b), and (c) for each of the at least one columns for each of the plurality of character types.

11. The method of

claim 10

wherein the at least one character of the plurality of characters removing step (c1) further includes the step of:

(c1i) removing the at least one character having the first character type if the at least one column heading includes the at least one character and if the at least one column heading is wider than a particular column width.

12. The method of

claim 11

wherein the at least one lower case character removing step (c2) further includes the step of:

(c2i) removing the at least one lower case character if the at least one column heading includes the at least one lower case character, if the character type is the second character type, and if the at least one column heading is wider than the particular column width.

13. The method of

claim 11

wherein the at least one space removing step (c3) further includes the step of:

(c3i) removing at least one space if the at least one column heading includes the at least one space, if the character type is the third character type, and if the at least one column heading is wider than the particular column width.

14. The method of

claim 13

wherein the abbreviating step (c) further comprises the step of:

(c4) truncating the at least one column heading if the width of the at least one column heading is greater than the particular column width and if the at least one column heading does not contain any character of the first character type, the second character type, or the third character type.

15. A computer-readable medium containing a program for reducing an amount of horizontal space required when displaying a plurality of columns on a display screen, the plurality of columns including at least one column having at least one entry containing text data, the program comprising instructions for:

obtaining the at least one entry of the at least one column;

abbreviating a width of the at least one entry;

determining if there is another entry containing text data;

repeating the instructions for abbreviating the at least one entry and determining if there is another entry containing text data until all of the at least one entry .s abbreviated; and

displaying the at least one abbreviate entry of the at least one column.

16. The computer-readable medium of

claim 15

wherein the at least one entry includes at least one column heading.

17. The computer-readable medium of

claim 16

wherein the at least one column heading include a first plurality of characters;

and wherein the instructions for abbreviating the at least one column heading further includes instructions for;

removing at least one character of a second plurality of characters if the at least one column heading includes the at least one character.

18. The computer-readable medium of

claim 17

wherein the second plurality of characters further includes a plurality of vowels.

19. The computer-readable medium of

claim 16

wherein the at least one column heading includes a first plurality of characters, the plurality of characters being capable of containing at least one upper case character;

and wherein the instructions fbr abbreviating the column heading further includes instructions for;

removing the at least one upper case character if the at least one column heading includes the at least one upper case character.

20. The computer-readable medium of

claim 16

wherein the at least one column heading includes a first plurality of characters, the plurality of characters being capable of containing at least one space;

and wherein the instructions for abbreviating the at least one column heading further includes instructions for;

removing the at least one space if the at least one column heading includes the at least one space.

21. A computer-readable medium containing a program for reducing an amount of horizontal space used when displaying a plurality of columns on a display screen, at least one column of the plurality of columns having at least one entry containing text data, the at least one entry including a first plurality of characters, the program comprising instructions for:

(a) determining a character type;

(b) obtaining the at least one entry of the at least one column; and

(c) abbreviating a width of the at least one entry by

(c1) removing at least one character of a second plurality of characters having a first character type if the at least one entry includes the at least one character and if the character type is the first character type;

(c2) removing at least one lower case character if the at least one entry includes the at least one lower case character and if the character type is a second character type, the second character type being a lower case character; and

(c3) removing at least one space if the at least one entry includes the at least one space and if the character type is a third character type, the third character type being a space.

22. The computer-readable medium of

claim 21

wherein the at least one entry includes at least one column heading.

23. The computer-readable medium of

claim 22

further comprising instructions for:

(d) repeating the instructions (b) and (c) for a particular character type of the plurality of character types.

24. The computer-readable medium of

claim 23

further comprising instructions for:

(e) repeating the instructions (a), (b), and (c) for each of the plurality of columns for each of the plurality of character types.

25. The computer-readable medium of

claim 24

wherein the instructions for removing the at least one character of the plurality of characters (c1) further includes instructions for:

(c1i) removing the at least one character of a second plurality of characters having the first character type if the at least one column heading includes the at least one character, if the character type is the first character type, and if the at east one column heading is wider than a particular column width.

26. The computer-readable medium of

claim 25

wherein the instructions for removing the at least one lower case character (c2) further includes instructions for:

(c2i) removing at least one lower case character if the at least one column heading includes the at least one lower case character, if the character type is the second character type, and if the at least one column heading is wider than the particular column width.

27. The computer-readable medium of

claim 26

wherein the instructions for removing the at least one space (c3) further includes instructions for:

(c3i) removing at least one space if the at least one column heading includes the at least one space, if the character type is the third character type, and if the at least one column heading is wider than the particular column width.

28. The computer-readable medium of

claim 27

wherein the instructions for abbreviating the at least one column heading (c) further includes instructions for:

(c4) truncating the at least one column heading if the at least one column heading is wider than the particular column width and if the at least one column heading does not contain any character of the first character type, the second character type or the third character type.

29. A system for reducing an amount of horizontal space used when displaying a plurality of column on a display screen, at least one column of the plurality of columns having at least one entry containing text data the system comprising:

means for obtaining the at least one entry of the at least one column;

means coupled with the obtaining means for abbreviating a width of the at least one entry; and

means coupled with the abbreviating means for displaying the at least one entry.

30. The system of

claim 29

wherein the at least one entry includes at least one column heading.

31. The system of

claim 30

wherein the at least one column heading further includes a plurality of characters and wherein the abbreviating means further comprise:

means for determining a character type for at least one of the plurality of characters, the character type including a first character type, a second character type, and a third character type;

means coupled with the determining means for removing the at least one of the plurality of characters if the character type is the first character type and if the width of the at least one column heading is greater than a particular width;

means coupled with the determining means for removing the at least one character if the character type is a second character type and if the width of the at least one column heading is greater than the particular width, the second character type being a lower case character;

means coupled with the determining means for removing the at least one character if the character type is a third character type and if the width of the at least one column heading is greater than the particular width, the third character type being a space; and

means coupled with the determining means for truncating the column heading if the width of the at least one column heading is greater than the particular width and if the at least one column heading does not contain any character of the first character type, the second character type or the third character type.