System and method for displaying status of background worker threads

• US 20050102631A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Foster, Jeffrey P., Andreas, William S.
• Application Number:
  US11/004,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20050102631A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system for displaying the status of a plurality of threaded tasks operating in the background includes a status bar; a progress control bar in the status bar for a primary task operating in the background and including a progress bar and first and second action buttons; the progress bar visually representing progress of a primary background operation; the first action button being selectable by a user for initiating an action with respect to the primary background operation and the second action button being selectable by a user for alternately displaying and canceling a drop list of secondary progress control bars for secondary tasks also operating in the background.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A method for displaying the status of tasks, comprising the steps of:

displaying in a progress control bar a progress bar and a first action button;

said progress bar visually representing progress of a primary background operation;

displaying said progress control bar in a status bar;

overwriting said progress bar with a caption describing said primary background operation; and

said action button selectable by a user for initiating an action with respect to said primary background operation.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step responsive to user selection of said action button of halting said primary background operation.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step responsive to user selection of said progress bar of selectively presenting to said user an associated or relevant window.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

executing at least one secondary background operation;

displaying a second action button in said progress control bar, each said second progress control bar including for a corresponding secondary background operation an action button and a caption overwriting a progress bar;

responsive to user selection of said second action button, displaying a drop list of second progress control bars, with one second progress control bar for each said secondary background operation;

responsive to a subsequent user selection of said second action button, collapsing said drop list.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to said primary operation completing or being canceled, replacing said progress control bar in said status bar for said primary operation with a progress control bar for a secondary operation.

29. System for displaying the status of tasks operating in the background, comprising:

a status bar;

a progress control bar in said status bar including a progress bar and a first action button;

said progress bar visually representing progress of a primary background operation and overwritten with a caption describing said primary background operation; and

said action button selectable by a user for initiating an action with respect to said primary background operation.

30. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for displaying the status of tasks, said method steps comprising:

displaying in a progress control bar a progress bar and a first action button;

said progress bar visually representing progress of a primary background operation;

displaying said progress control bar in a status bar;

overwriting said progress bar with a caption describing said primary background operation;

said action button selectable by a user for initiating an action with respect to said primary background operation; and

responsive to user selection of said progress bar of selectively presenting to said user an associated or relevant window.

31. The program storage device of claim 30, said method steps further comprising the steps:

responsive to user selection of said action button of halting said primary background operation; and

responsive to user selection of said progress bar of selectively presenting to said user an associated or relevant window.

32. The program storage device of claim 30, said method steps further comprising the steps:

executing at least one secondary background operation;

displaying a second action button in said progress control bar;

responsive to user selection of said second action button, displaying a drop list of second progress control bars, with one second progress control bar for each said secondary background operation;

responsive to a subsequent user selection of said second action button of collapsing said drop list.

33. The program storage device of claim 32, each said second progress control bar including for a corresponding secondary background operation an action button and a caption overwriting a progress bar.

34. The program storage device of claim 33, said method steps further comprising the steps of:

responsive to said primary operation completing or being canceled, replacing said progress control bar in said status bar for said primary operation with a progress control bar for a secondary operation.

35. A computer program product or computer program element

for displaying the status of tasks according to method steps comprising:

displaying in a progress control bar a progress bar and a first action button;

said progress bar visually representing progress of a primary background operation;

displaying said progress control bar in a status bar;

overwriting said progress bar with a caption describing said primary background operation;

responsive to user selection of said progress bar, selectively presenting to said user an associated or relevant window; and

said action button selectable by a user for initiating an action with respect to said primary background operation.