Enhanced data tip system and method

• US 20050114779A1
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Griesmer, James P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors

Abstract

Displaying data sub-items corresponding to a cursor-selected object displayed on a computer screen involves determining that a cursor is positioned to point at an object on the computer screen, loading the cursor-selected object, evaluating the cursor-selected object to determine it has a fixed value, has related data sub-items or if the related data sub-items are capable of expansion into lower-tier sub-items. The values for the object and the related data sub-items are assembled and displayed in a window that indicates the values of the object and the related data sub-items along with an indication of a presence of lower-tier sub-items which can in turn be further examined.

Claims

1. A method for indicating the values of variables in a program under development, the method comprising:

detecting the position of a pointer on a computer display associated with an expression in the program under development;

reading and evaluating the expression;

displaying at least one item value in a first window, the item value associated with a variable in the expression, wherein an indication of at least one sub-item value associated with the variable is present; and

responding to a pointer request for a first sub-item value by displaying a first sub-item window containing the first sub-item value, the first sub-item window being separate from the first item window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the first item value remains visible when the first sub-item value is displayed, the displayed first sub-item value being accommodated to fit within a limited screen size by the use of at least one scroll control present in the first sub-item window.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responding to a pointer request for a second sub-item value by displaying a second sub-item window containing second sub-item values.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pointer request for a second sub-item value dismisses the first sub-item window before displaying the second sub-item window.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the first item window and the first sub-item window to become transparent upon request, wherein displayed information can be viewed during transparency of the first item and first sub-item windows and wherein the transparency can be reversed upon request to again view the first item and first sub-item windows.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a menu of operations that can be conducted to alter one or more of format and value of a variable being viewed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the format of a variable being viewed comprises one of simple text, hexadecimal, binary, decimal, text, HTML, XML, and custom editor/viewer.

8. A method of displaying related data sub-items corresponding to a cursor-selected object displayed on a computer screen, the method comprising:

determining that a cursor is positioned to point at the cursor-selected object on the computer screen;

loading the cursor-selected object;

evaluating the cursor-selected object to determine if the cursor-selected object;

has a variable value;

has related data sub-items; and

if the related data sub-items are capable of expansion into lower-tier sub-items;

assembling values for the cursor-selected object and the related data sub-items; and

displaying the values of the cursor-selected object and the related data sub-items along with an indication of a presence of the lower-tier sub-items.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein evaluating the cursor-selected object further comprises evaluating an expression associated with the cursor-selected object.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the values of the cursor-selected items and related sub-items further comprises displaying a variable associated with the cursor-selected object and values of the variables respectively.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the indication a presence of the lower-tier sub-items is a symbol to indicate that lower-tier sub-items exist and can be selected for display.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising allowing the displayed values to become temporarily transparent allowing visual examination of underlying displayed information.

13. A system for displaying data tips related to a cursor-selected object displayed on a computer screen, the system comprising:

a computer screen to display a cursor-selected object and the data tips;

a processor for executing instructions corresponding to the method of;

determining that a cursor is positioned to point at the cursor-selected object on the computer screen;

loading and evaluating the cursor-selected object to determine if the cursor-selected object;

has a variable value;

has related data sub-items; and

if the related data sub-items are capable of expansion into lower-tier sub-items;

assembling values for the cursor-selected object and the related data sub-items; and

displaying the values of the cursor-selected object and related sub-items in the data tips using a window located adjacent to the cursor selected object, the window having an indication of the lower-tier sub items if the lower-tier sub-items exist.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein evaluating the cursor-selected object further comprises evaluating an expression associated with the cursor-selected object.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying the values of the cursor-selected items and related sub-items further comprises displaying a variable associated with the cursor-selected object and values of the variables respectively.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the indication of the lower-tier sub-items is a symbol to indicate that lower-tier sub-items exist and can be selected for display.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the data tip window becomes temporarily transparent upon request allowing visual examination of underlying displayed information.

18. A machine-readable medium having instructions therein, executable by a machine to perform a method comprising:

determining that a cursor is positioned to point at the cursor-selected object on the computer screen;

loading the cursor-selected object;

evaluating the cursor-selected object to determine if the cursor-selected object;

has a variable value;

has related data sub-items; and

if the related data sub-items are capable of expansion into lower-tier sub-items;

assembling values for the cursor-selected object and the related data sub-items; and

displaying the values of the cursor-selected object and the related data sub-items along with an indication of a presence of the lower-tier sub-items.