Method and system for displaying drop down list boxes

• US 20080115085A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Danninger, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

A method and system for displaying a drop down list box. The method and system may include associating a history record with a drop down list box. The method and system may also include associating a filter box with the drop down list box. the method and system may also include associating a unique identifier with each choice in the drop down list box. The method and system may also include associating a hierarchical structure containing more detailed information about choices in the drop down list box with the drop down list box. Finally, the method and system may include displaying the choices in the drop down list box to a user as a function of at least one of the associated history record, filter box, unique identifier, or hierarchical structure.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a drop down list box, comprising:

associating at least one of (a) a history record with a drop down list box, (b) a filter box with a drop down list box, (c) a unique identifier with each choice in a drop down list box, or (d) a hierarchical structure containing more detailed information about choices in a drop down list box with the drop down list box; and

displaying the choices in a drop down list box as a function of at least one of (a) the associated history record, (b) the associated filter box, (c) the associated unique identifier, or (d) the associated hierarchical structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the history record is associated with the drop down list box, and the choices in the drop down list box are displayed as a function of the associated history record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter box is associated with the drop down list box, and the choices in the drop down list box are displayed as a function of the associated filter box.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a unique identifier is associated with each choice in the drop down list box, and the choices in the drop down list box are displayed as a function of the associated unique identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical structure is associated with the drop down list box, and the choices in the drop down list box are displayed as a function of the associated hierarchical structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the history record is determined based on the last entries chosen by a user in the drop down list box.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter box is associated with the choices in the drop down list box.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter box is associated with the unique identifiers associated with the choices in the drop down list box.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the drop down list box contains a plurality of columns; and

a plurality of filter boxes are associated with the plurality of columns in the drop down list box.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter box enables a user to limit the presented choices in the drop down list box by entering one or more characters in the filter box.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is one or more characters which uniquely identifies a choice in the drop down list box.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical structure is a tree structure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical structure is a table.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying is done after a user clicks on the drop down list box.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions, when executed, defining a method of displaying a drop down list box, the method comprising:

associating at least one of (a) a history record with a drop down list box, (b) a filter box with a drop down list box, (c) a unique identifier with each choice in a drop down list box, or (d) a hierarchical structure containing more detailed information about choices in a drop down list box with the drop down list box; and

displaying the choices in a drop down list box as a function of at least one of (a) the associated history record, (b) the associated filter box, (c) the associated unique identifier, or (d) the associated hierarchical structure.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the history record is associated with the drop down list box, and the choices in the drop down list box are displayed as a function of the associated history record.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein the filter box is associated with the drop down list box, and the choices in the drop down list box are displayed as a function of the associated filter box.

18. The article of claim 15, wherein a unique identifier is associated with each choice in the drop down list box, and the choices in the drop down list box are displayed as a function of the associated unique identifier.

19. The article of claim 15, wherein the hierarchical structure is associated with the drop down list box, and the choices in the drop down list box are displayed as a function of the associated hierarchical structure.

20. The article of claim 15, wherein the history record is determined based on the last entries chosen by a user in the drop down list box.

21. The article of claim 15, wherein the filter box is associated with the choices in the drop down list box.

22. The article of claim 15, wherein the filter box is associated with the unique identifiers associated with the choices in the drop down list box.

23. The article of claim 15, wherein:

the drop down list box contains a plurality of columns; and

a plurality of filter boxes are associated with the plurality of columns in the drop down list box.

24. The article of claim 15, wherein the filter box enables a user to limit the presented choices in the drop down list box by entering one or more characters in the filter box.

25. The article of claim 15, wherein the unique identifier is one or more characters which uniquely identifies a choice in the drop down list box.

26. The article of claim 15, wherein the hierarchical structure is a tree structure.

27. The article of claim 15, wherein the hierarchical structure is a table.

28. The article of claim 15, wherein the displaying is done after a user clicks on the drop down list box.

29. A computer system for displaying a drop down list box, comprising:

an arrangement for associating at least one of (a) a history record with a drop down list box, (b) a filter box with a drop down list box, (c) a unique identifier with each choice in a drop down list box, or (d) a hierarchical structure containing more detailed information about choices in a drop down list box with the drop down list box; and

an arrangement for displaying the choices in a drop down list box as a function of at least one of (a) the associated history record, (b) the associated filter box, (c) the associated unique identifier, or (d) the associated hierarchical structure.