Focusing on areas of the display of tabular data through hierarchical collapsing and expanding of cell areas

• US 20060174189A1
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Weitzman, Louis M., Lewis-Bowen, Alister
• Granted Patent: US 8,296,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product for focusing the display of tabular data wherein the display has multiple rows and columns of cells. A computer running a tabular data application includes a display for displaying the tabular data. The tabular data application includes a routine for defining a user defined area in the tabular data display in a focused display. The routine places indicators at the top, bottom, right side and left side of the focused display. The indicators may be one of an expand indicator or a collapse indicator. A movable cursor in the tabular data display is used to select at least one of the indicators for focusing the display. The routine in the tabular data application expands or collapses the display of tabular data to give a focused display. The expanding or collapsing of the display is determined by whether the selected indicator is an expand indicator or a collapse indicator.

Claims

1. A method of focusing the display of tabular data having multiple cells arranged in rows and columns, said method comprising:

defining a defined area in tabular data to be displayed in a focused display;

determining indicators to be placed at the top, bottom, right side and left side of the focused display, said indicators to be one of an expand indicator or a collapse indicator;

selecting at least one of the indicators for focusing the display; and

expanding or collapsing the display of the tabular to give the focused display, the expanding or collapsing determined by whether the selected indicator is an expand indicator or a collapse indicator.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said defined area is a single cell of the spreadsheet.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said defined area is a group of cells arranged in a two dimensional area.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said defined area is within an automatically generated boundary based on user selected cells, said automatically generated boundary containing at least two discontinuous areas.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said automatically generated boundary is a single row having more than one cell, and said discontinuous areas are made up of cells in said single row.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein said automatically generated boundary is a single column having more than one cell, and said discontinuous areas are made up of cells in said single column.

7. The method according to claim 4 wherein said automatically generated boundary is a two dimensional area having multiple rows and columns, and said discontinuous areas are two dimensional areas.

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising providing within said automatically generated boundary, an internal indicator between said discontinuous areas indicating if the space between said discontinuous areas may be expanded or collapsed.

9. An apparatus for focusing the display of tabular data, said apparatus comprising:

a computer having a tabular data application wherein the tabular data has multiple rows and columns of cells, and a display for displaying the tabular data;

a routine in said tabular data application for defining a defined area to be displayed in a focused display;

a routine in said tabular data application placing indicators at the top, bottom, right side and left side of the focused display, said indicators to be one of an expand indicator or a collapse indicator;

a movable cursor in the spreadsheet display for selecting at least one of the indicators for focusing the display; and

a routine in said tabular data application expanding or collapsing the display to give a focused display, the expanding or collapsing determined by whether the selected indicator is an expand indicator or a collapse indicator.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said defined area is within an automatically generated boundary based on user selected cells, said automatically generated boundary containing at least two discontinuous areas.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said automatically generated boundary is a two dimensional area having multiple rows and columns, and said discontinuous areas are two dimensional areas.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said automatically generated boundary contains an internal indicator between said discontinuous areas indicating if the space between said discontinuous area may be expanded or collapsed.

13. A program product usable with a system for focusing the display of tabular data having multiple cells arranged in rows and columns, said program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having recorded thereon computer readable program code performing the method comprising;

defining a defined area in a display of tabular data in a focused display;

determining indicators to be placed at the top, bottom, right side and left side of the focused display, said indicators to be one of an expand indicator or a collapse indicator;

selecting at least one of the indicators for focusing the display; and

expanding or collapsing the display of tabular data to give the focused display, the expanding or collapsing determined by whether the selected indicator is an expand indicator or a collapse indicator.

14. The program product according to claim 13 wherein said defined area is a single cell of the spreadsheet.

15. The program product according to claim 13 wherein said defined area is a group of cells arranged in a two dimensional area.

16. The program product according to claim 13 wherein said defined area is within an automatically generated boundary based on user selected cells, said automatically generated boundary containing at least two discontinuous areas.

17. The program product according to claim 16 wherein said automatically generated boundary is a single row having more than one cell, and said discontinuous areas are made up of cells in said single row.

18. The program product according to claim 16 wherein said automatically generated boundary is a single column having more than one cell, and said discontinuous areas are made up of cells in said single column.

19. The program product according to claim 16 wherein said automatically generated boundary is a two dimensional area having multiple rows and columns, and said discontinuous areas are two dimensional areas.

20. The program product according to claim 19 wherein said method further comprises providing within said automatically generated boundary, an internal indicator between said discontinuous areas indicating if the space between said discontinuous areas may be expanded or collapsed.