Navigating table data with mouse actions

• US 20070067710A1
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Clark, David, Shrader, Theodore, Ferguson, Mary, Gilbreath, Julie
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Methods, computer program products and systems are provided for navigating a display of a table in a computer application that includes enabling a context sensitive action menu, detecting activation of the action menu in the displayed table, and executing a table display control instruction from the context sensitive action menu to reformat and redisplay the table in a collapsed or an expanded format around one or more selected cells of the table. The display instruction indicates which columns, etc. are to be reformatted. Further steps may include populating an array with data from corresponding cells of the table and executing an array display control instruction to display at least a portion of the array on an action menu display panel. Navigation tools provide selection of array elements and reformatting and redisplaying the table in the collapsed or the expanded format around a table cell corresponding to the selected array cell.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a display of a table in a computer application, comprising:

enabling a context sensitive action menu;

detecting activation of the action menu in the displayed table; and

executing a table display control instruction from the context sensitive action menu to reformat and redisplay the table in a collapsed or an expanded format around one or more selected cells of the table.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a copy of a document that includes the table;

reformatting the table of the document copy to generate the collapsed or the expanded format;

generating a display copy of the document comprising the reformatted table; and

displaying the display copy of the document to redisplay the table in the collapsed or expanded format having at least a portion of a row, a column or a combination thereof containing the one or more selected cells of the table.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

reformatting the table as one or more defined columns, one or more defined rows, one or more defined cells or combinations thereof, wherein the defined columns, rows, cells or combinations thereof are selected from default formatting instructions, entered formatting instructions or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the table display control instruction comprises a selection of which columns, rows, cells or combinations thereof of the table are to be redisplayed in the collapsed or the expanded format.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a name for each column, each row or combinations thereof of the table;

displaying the identified names corresponding to each column, each row or combinations thereof in the redisplayed table.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

populating an array with data from the table, wherein each cell of the array corresponds to a corresponding cell in the table and wherein each cell of the array contains the data from each corresponding cell in the table; and

executing an array display control instruction to display at least a portion of the array on an action menu display panel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of populating the array with corresponding data from the table is performed dynamically.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the displayed portion of the array includes one or more defined array columns, one or more defined array rows, one or more defined array cells or combinations thereof, wherein the defined array columns, rows, cells or combination thereof are selected from default formatting instructions, entered formatting instructions or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the displayed portion of the array includes an array cell corresponding to a selected cell from the table.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing one or more array navigation tools on the action menu for scrolling through the array, paging through the array or combinations thereof;

receiving navigation instructions through the one or more navigation tools; and

changing the at least a portion of the array displayed on the action menu display panel in accordance with the navigation instructions.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selecting an array cell displayed on the action menu display panel;

executing an instruction entered from the action menu to reformat and redisplay the table on the browser in the collapsed or the expanded format around a table cell corresponding to the selected array cell.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the table in the computer application is at least a part of a web-displayed document displayed in a browser.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer usable code for controlling a display of a browser page, the computer program product comprising:

computer useable program code for enabling a context sensitive action menu;

computer useable program code for detecting activation of the action menu in the displayed table; and

computer useable program code for executing a table display control instruction from the context sensitive action menu to reformat and redisplay the table in a collapsed or an expanded format around one or more selected cells of the table.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer useable program code for maintaining a copy of a document that includes the table;

computer useable program code for reformatting the table of the document copy to generate the collapsed or the expanded format;

computer useable program code for generating a display copy of the document comprising the reformatted table; and

computer useable program code for displaying the display copy of the document to redisplay the table in the collapsed or expanded format, wherein at least a portion of a row, a column or a combination thereof containing the one or more selected cells of the table is displayed.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer useable program code for populating an array with data from the table, wherein each cell of the array corresponds to a corresponding cell in the table and wherein each cell of the array contains the data from each corresponding cell in the table; and

computer useable program code for executing an array display control instruction to display at least a portion of the array on an action menu display panel.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer useable program code for providing one or more array navigation tools on the action menu for scrolling through the array, paging through the array or combinations thereof;

computer useable program code for receiving navigation instructions through the one or more navigation tools; and

computer useable program code for changing the at least a portion of the array displayed on the action menu display panel in accordance with the navigation instructions.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

computer useable program code for selecting an array cell displayed on the action menu display panel;

computer useable program code for executing an instruction entered from the action menu to reformat and redisplay the table on the browser in the collapsed or the expanded format around a table cell corresponding to the selected array cell.

18. A system for displaying a table, comprising:

one or more processors coupled to one or more memory devices and input/output devices, wherein the input/output devices include a display;

a first file loaded into one or more of the memory devices, wherein the file comprises a table having data for display in table format on the display;

a navigation application having a logical structure to provide instructions to the one or more processors for enabling a context sensitive action menu, detecting activation of the action menu in the displayed table and executing a table display control instruction from the context sensitive action menu to reformat and redisplay the table in a collapsed or an expanded format around one or more selected cells of the table.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

the navigation application further providing instructions to the one or more processors for maintaining a copy of a document that includes the table in the one or more memory devices;

providing instructions for reformatting the table of the document copy to generate the collapsed or the expanded format;

providing instructions for generating a display copy of the document comprising the reformatted table, and

providing instructions for displaying the display copy of the document to redisplay the table in the collapsed or expanded format, wherein at least a portion of a row, a column or a combination thereof containing the one or more selected cells of the table is displayed.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

an array defined within the one or more memory devices that is populated with data from the table, wherein each cell of the array corresponds to a corresponding cell in the table and wherein each cell of the array contains the data from each corresponding cell in the table;

the navigation application further providing instructions to the one or more processors for executing an array display control instruction to display at least a portion of the array on an action menu display panel;

one or more navigation tools displayed on the action menu to provide instructions to the one or more processors to scroll through the array; and

the navigation application further providing instructions to the one or more processors for selecting an array cell displayed on the action menu display panel and for executing an instruction entered from the action menu to reformat and redisplay the table on the browser in the collapsed or the expanded format around a table cell corresponding to the selected array cell.