System and method for using shading layers and highlighting to navigate a tree view display

• US 20020154176A1
• Filed: 04/19/2001
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kessen, Bethany Lyn, Moore, Martin Thomas, Barksdale, Molly Kestner, Woods, Gerald Ray
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/30 Control of display attribute

Abstract

A system and method for displaying layered data, such as data with a hierarchical relationship is provided. A flat tree view control is provided that indicates the level corresponding to individual data items without indenting data items. Colors or grayscale shading is applied to each data item to indicate the item'"'"'s level within the hierarchy. Items within the same level use the same color or shading. When an item is selected by the user it is expanded or collapsed depending on whether the layers below the selected item already appear on the display screen. Additional level indicator values and level indicator bars can be used to further indicate the level of data items. A data item can also be highlighted to indicate a particular attribute corresponding with an individual data item.

Claims

1. A method of displaying layered data, said method comprising:

identifying a plurality of shading colors, each of the shading colors corresponding to a different data layer;

identifying a plurality of data items to be displayed in a display window;

for each data item;

determining one of the data layers corresponding to the data item;

selecting a shading color from the plurality of shading colors, wherein the shading color corresponds to the determined data layer;

formatting the data item using the selected shading color; and

displaying the formatted data item in the display window, wherein each formatted data item is positioned with a left margin substantially similar to a left margin corresponding to the other data items.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the shading color includes grayscale shading.

3. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing an attribute corresponding to each data item;

determining a visual highlight corresponding to the attribute;

including the visual highlight with the formatted data item.

4. The method as described in claim 3 wherein the visual highlight is selected from the group consisting of blinking, text coloring, bolding, italicizing, underlining, striking through, shadowing, outlining, capitalizing, and font changing.

5. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a data item selection from a user;

displaying one or more formatted data items below the selected data item in response to the user selecting an unexpanded data item; and

removing one or more formatted data items from the display area beneath the selected data item in response to the user selecting an expanded data item.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a graphic icon with each formatted data item, the graphic icon indicating whether the formatted data item is expanded.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

displaying an alphanumeric level identifier with each formatted data item that identifies the level corresponding to the formatted data item.

8. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a level indicator bar with each formatted data item, wherein one margin of the level indicator bar indicates a data level corresponding to the formatted data item.

9. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a display screen accessible by the processors; and

a layered data display tool to display layered data on the display screen, the layered data display tool including;

means for identifying a plurality of shading colors, each of the shading colors corresponding to a different data layer;

means for identifying a plurality of data items to be displayed on the display screen;

for each data item;

means for determining one of the data layers corresponding to the data item;

means for selecting a shading color from the plurality of shading colors, wherein the shading color corresponds to the determined data layer;

means for formatting the data item using the selected shading color; and

means for displaying the formatted data item on the display screen, wherein each formatted data item is positioned with a left margin substantially similar to a left margin corresponding to the other data items.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 9 wherein the shading color includes grayscale shading.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for receiving a data item selection from a user;

means for displaying one or more formatted data items below the selected data item in response to the user selecting an unexpanded data item; and

means for removing one or more formatted data items from the display area beneath the selected data item in response to the user selecting an expanded data item.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for displaying a graphic icon with each formatted data item, the graphic icon indicating whether the formatted data item is expanded.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for displaying an alphanumeric level identifier with each formatted data item that identifies the level corresponding to the formatted data item.

14. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for displaying a level indicator bar with each formatted data item, wherein one margin of the level indicator bar indicates a data level corresponding to the formatted data item.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the shading color includes grayscale shading.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for receiving a data item selection from a user;

means for displaying one or more formatted data items below the selected data item in response to the user selecting an unexpanded data item; and

means for removing one or more formatted data items from the display area beneath the selected data item in response to the user selecting an expanded data item.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for displaying a graphic icon with each formatted data item, the graphic icon indicating whether the formatted data item is expanded.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for displaying an alphanumeric level identifier with each formatted data item that identifies the level corresponding to the formatted data item.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for displaying a level indicator bar with each formatted data item, wherein one margin of the level indicator bar indicates a data level corresponding to the formatted data item.

15. A computer program product for displaying layered data, said computer program product comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of shading colors, each of the shading colors corresponding to a different data layer;

means for identifying a plurality of data items to be displayed in a display window;

for each data item;

means for determining one of the data layers corresponding to the data item;

means for selecting a shading color from the plurality of shading colors, wherein the shading color corresponds to the determined data layer;

means for formatting the data item using the selected shading color; and

means for displaying the formatted data item in the display window, wherein each formatted data item is positioned with a left margin substantially similar to a left margin corresponding to the other data items.