System and method for displaying component information of a trace

• US 20080163178A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Ivanova, Gorka J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,910,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

A system and method for displaying a trace are described. In an embodiment, the described trace display includes a navigational map that illustrates the linear path taken to get to a selected logical unit and may be used to go back to any previously viewed logical unit in that path. The trace display also includes information section to display relevant information about the currently selected logical unit of the trace.

Claims

1. A trace display system comprising:

a navigation map to display a particular linear path of a selected trace; and

at least one informational section to display information specific to a particular logical unit of the selected trace.

2. The trace display system of claim 1, wherein the navigation map further comprises:

a link to a trace selection phase to begin the navigation map; and

at least one trace element following the link to the trace selection phase, the at least one trace element corresponding to a logical unit of a selected trace, wherein the navigation map depicts a particular linear path of the selected trace.

3. The trace display system of claim 2, wherein the navigation map further comprises:

an indication marking at least one end of the currently viewed linear path.

4. The trace display system of claim 2, wherein the navigation map is displayed horizontally.

5. The trace display system of claim 2, wherein the navigation map is displayed vertically.

6. The trace display system of claim 1, wherein the logical unit is one of the following types:

J2EE engine;

database; and

external server.

7. The trace display system of claim 1, wherein the at least one informational section includes at least one link to a logical unit at a lower level in the selected trace.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a first selection indicating a trace to analyze;

displaying a navigation map, the navigation map including;

an initial trace element corresponding to a first logical unit that is at the highest level of a selected trace;

collecting specific information about the first logical unit; and

displaying a first informational section with the specific information about the first logical unit.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a second selection indicating a second logical unit of the trace to analyze;

adding a second trace element to the navigation map, the second trace element corresponding to the second logical unit which is at a lower level than the first logical unit in the trace;

collecting specific information about the second logical unit; and

stopping the display of the first information section;

displaying a second informational section with the specific information about the second logical unit.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising

receiving a third selection indicating a third logical unit of the trace to analyze;

adding a third trace element to the navigation map if the trace element associated with the third logical unit is not in the navigation map, the third trace element corresponding to the third logical unit which is at a lower level than the second logical unit in the trace;

collecting specific information about the third logical unit; and

stopping the display of the second information section;

displaying a third informational section with the specific information about the third logical unit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third selection is received from a link provided in the second informational section.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a third selection indicating a third logical unit of the trace to analyze;

removing one or more of the already displayed trace elements in the navigation map if the third logical unit corresponds to a trace element already in the navigation map such that the navigation map ends with the trace element corresponding to the third logical unit collecting specific information about the third logical unit; and

stopping the display of the second information section;

displaying a third informational section with the specific information about the third logical unit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the third selection is received from a link provided by a trace element in the navigation map.

14. An article of manufacture including program code which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first selection indicating a trace to analyze;

displaying a navigation map, the navigation map including;

an initial trace element corresponding to a first logical unit that is at the highest level of a selected trace;

collecting specific information about the first logical unit; and

displaying a first informational section with the specific information about the first logical unit.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a second selection indicating a second logical unit of the trace to analyze;

adding a second trace element to the navigation map, the second trace element corresponding to the second logical unit which is at a lower level than the first logical unit in the trace;

collecting specific information about the second logical unit; and

stopping the display of the first information section;

displaying a second informational section with the specific information about the second logical unit.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising

receiving a third selection indicating a third logical unit of the trace to analyze;

adding a third trace element to the navigation map if the trace element associated with the third logical unit is not in the navigation map, the third trace element corresponding to the third logical unit which is at a lower level than the second logical unit in the trace;

collecting specific information about the third logical unit; and

stopping the display of the second information section;

displaying a third informational section with the specific information about the third logical unit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the third selection is received from a link provided in the second informational section.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a third selection indicating a third logical unit of the trace to analyze;

removing one or more of the already displayed trace elements in the navigation map if the third logical unit corresponds to a trace element already in the navigation map such that the navigation map ends with the trace element corresponding to the third logical unit collecting specific information about the third logical unit; and

stopping the display of the second information section;

displaying a third informational section with the specific information about the third logical unit.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the third selection is received from a link provided by a trace element in the navigation map.