LOCALIZED INFORMATION-PRESERVING LEVELS IN MODEL VISUALIZATION

• US 20100251187A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shah, Abhishek, Tschirren, Bernie, Abraham, Arun, Tseng, Patrick S., Dutta, Suhail, Jordan, John Joseph, Byrne, Andrew Jude, Goode, Durham
• Granted Patent: US 8,578,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

Local areas of a visualized modeling language diagram are viewable at different levels of detail without losing information such as model elements and their connectivity. Multiple elements are associated with a group element, which has a visual portion derived from the appearance of a group member element. Connectors between group member elements and non-member elements are suppressed in favor of replacement connectors between the group element and the non-member element(s). The integrity of incoming and outgoing connections to the group is maintained relative to the rest of the model. Ungrouping elements restores the elements to their original state. Grouping can be applied locally to one or more parts of the visual model.

Claims

1. A method facilitating grouping in a visualized modeling language diagram which contains elements, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying group member elements, namely, identifying multiple elements of the diagram to be associated with a group element, each group member element having a respective visual portion;

selecting a visual portion for the group element;

suppressing a connector between a group member element and a non-member element of the diagram, the non-member element being neither the group element nor a group member element;

creating a replacement connector for the suppressed connector, the replacement connector connecting the group element and the non-member element;

removing visual portions of the group member elements from a display;

inserting the visual portion of the group element in the display in place of the removed group member elements'"'"' visual portions; and

replacing the suppressed connector with the replacement connector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each visual portion includes a visible graphic, and the selecting step selects for the group element a visual portion having a graphic which is the same as the graphic of one of the group member elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step selects for the group element a visual portion having a graphic which is similar to the graphic of one of the group member elements, namely, a graphic depicting at least one of the following:

a stack of group member element graphics,

a pile of group member element graphics,

a container of group member element graphics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step selects for the group element a visual portion having a graphic which is similar to the graphic of one of the group member elements, namely, a graphic depicting at least one of the following:

a group member element graphic with thickened lines,

a group member element graphic with altered coloring,

a group member element graphic with an icon dedicated to indicating groups.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises suppressing multiple connectors between group member element(s) and non-member element(s) of the diagram, and creating multiple corresponding replacement connectors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method maintains non-member elements in their respective displayed locations.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the diagram to show uniform spacing between displayed element visual portions after inserting the visual portion of the group element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

identifying at least four group member elements which collectively have at least two visibly different visual portions; and

dividing the group member elements between at least two group elements, such that multiple elements are associated with each of the group elements; and

connecting the group elements to non-member elements consistent with connection rules of a visualized modeling language specification that limit which visual portions can be connected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

identifying at N prospective group member elements;

determining that only a proper subset of the N prospective group member elements can be grouped consistent with connection rules of a visualized modeling language specification; and

associating the proper subset with a group element and omitting at least one of the N prospective group member elements from association with the group element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the group element is a first group element, and the method further comprises:

forming a second group element;

associating the first group element and at least one other element of the diagram with the second group element as second group member elements;

assigning a visual portion to the second group element; and

in the display, replacing visual portions of the second group member elements with the visual portion assigned to the second group element.

11. A computer-readable medium configured with data and instructions for performing a method facilitating multi-level grouping in a visualized modeling language diagram which contains elements, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying user-selected first group member elements, namely, identifying multiple elements of the diagram selected by a human user to be associated with a first group element, each first group member element having a respective visual portion;

selecting a visual portion for the first group element;

removing visual portions of the first group member elements from a display;

inserting the visual portion of the first group element in the display in place of the removed first group member elements'"'"' visual portions;

forming a second group element;

associating the first group element and at least one other element of the diagram with the second group element as second group member elements;

assigning a visual portion to the second group element; and

in the display, replacing visual portions of the second group member elements with the visual portion assigned to the second group element.

12. The configured medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

suppressing a connector between a group member element and a non-member element of the diagram;

creating a replacement connector for the suppressed connector; and

replacing the suppressed connector with the replacement connector.

13. The configured medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises replacing, in the display, the visual portion assigned to the second group element with the visual portions of the second group elements.

14. The configured medium of claim 11, wherein each visual portion includes a visible graphic, and the selecting step selects for the first group element a visual portion having a graphic which is the same as the graphic of one of the first group member elements.

15. The configured medium of claim 11, wherein the selecting step selects for the first group element a visual portion having a graphic depicting at least one of the following:

a stack of first group member element graphics,

a pile of first group member element graphics,

a container of first group member element graphics,

a first group member element graphic with thickened lines,

a first group member element graphic with altered coloring,

a first group member element graphic with an icon dedicated to indicating groups,

a count of the number of group member elements.

16. The configured medium of claim 11, wherein the method maintains non-member elements in their displayed locations relative to each other before and after inserting the visual portion of the first group element in the display in place of the removed first group member elements'"'"' visual portions.

17. A computer system comprising:

a logical processor;

a memory in operable communication with the logical processor; and

a visualized modeling language diagram configuring the memory and including;

a group element having a displayed visual portion;

at least two group member elements, each having a model portion and a non-displayed visual portion;

a non-member element which is neither the group element nor a group member element, the non-member element having a displayed visual portion and a model portion;

a displayed replacement connector connecting the group element and the non-member element; and

a non-displayed suppressed connector connecting one of the group member elements and the non-member element.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a second group element which has the group element as a second group member element, thereby forming a multi-level grouping.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the group element visual portion depicts at least one of the following:

a stack,

a group member element graphic with thickened lines,

a group member element graphic with altered coloring,

an icon dedicated to indicating groups.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the displayed group element visual portion comprises a textual label including a grouping term, namely, at least one of the terms “

group”

, “

collection”

, “

set”

, “

bag”

, “

box”

, “

container”

.