DESIGNING TASK EXECUTION ORDER BASED ON LOCATION OF THE TASK ICONS WITHIN A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20120210265A1
• Filed: 02/10/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Delia, Wayne M., Tener, Stuart B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5038 considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for designating the order in which a plurality of tasks are to be executed on a computer system. In one embodiment, a plurality of task icons, each of which represents a respective one task, are shown in defined positions in a view on the computer system, and these defined positions of the task icons are used to determine the order in which the tasks are to be executed by the computer system. In an embodiment, the task icons are shown in a grid pattern, having rows and columns. Tasks represented by task icons shown in successive rows of the grid pattern are executed in series, and tasks represented by task icons shown in the same row of the grid pattern are executed in parallel. In an embodiment, at least one of the task icons represents an embedded executable workflow folder.

Claims

1. A method of designating the order in which a plurality of tasks are to be executed on a computer system, the method comprising:

showing a plurality of task icons in defined positions in a view on the computer system, each of the task icons representing a respective one task; and

using said defined positions to determine the order in which the tasks are to be executed by the computer system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the showing includes showing the plurality of task icons in a defined spatial order in said view; and

the using includes using said defined spatial order to determine the order in which the tasks are to be executed by the computer system.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

executing the tasks in said order; and

wherein;

said plurality of tasks comprise a multitude of tasks; and

the executing includes executing some of the tasks in parallel and others of the tasks in series.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

executing the tasks; and

wherein;

the showing includes showing the task icons in a grid pattern, with the task icons in rows and columns; and

the executing includes executing in sequence tasks represented by task icons shown in successive rows of the grip pattern; and

executing in series tasks represented by task icons shown in the same row of the grid pattern.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

different rows of the grip pattern are located at different heights in said grid pattern;

the executing in parallel includes executing in parallel all tasks represented by task icons in the same row; and

the executing in parallel includes executing all of the tasks represented by the task icons in a higher one of the rows before executing any of the tasks represented by the task icons in a lower one of the rows.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the showing includes showing each of the task icons in a defined geometric position in said view; and

the using includes;

obtaining a list of the geometric positions of the task icons in said view;

sorting the geometric positions on said list according to defined rules to obtain a sorted list of the geometric positions; and

using said sorted list to determine the order in which the tasks are to be executed by the computer system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the task icons represents an embedded executable workflow folder.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the showing includes showing the task icons in a graphical user interface; and

using said graphical user interface to configure the positions of the task icons in the graphical user interface.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the showing includes:

electronically storing data for rendering the task icons in a specified file; and

designating said specified file as executable.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the computer system includes an Operating System;

the using includes making a call to the Operating System to obtain data for determining the positions of the task icons in said view; and

comprising the further step of executing the tasks in said order upon startup of the Operating System.

11. An ordering system for designating the order in which a plurality of tasks are to be executed on a computer system, the ordering system comprising one or more processor units configured for:

showing a plurality of task icons in geometric positions in a view on the computer system, each of the task icons representing a respective one task; and

designating a sequential task execution in a workflow based on the geometric positions of the task icons.

12. The ordering system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more processor units are further configured for:

executing the tasks in said workflow; and

wherein;

said plurality of tasks comprise a multitude of tasks; and

the executing includes executing some of the tasks in parallel and others of the tasks in series.

13. The ordering system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more processor units are further configured for:

executing the tasks; and

wherein;

the showing includes showing the task icons in a grid pattern, with the task icons in rows and columns; and

the executing includes executing in sequence tasks represented by task icons shown in successive rows of the grip pattern; and

executing in series tasks represented by task icons shown in the same row of the grid pattern.

14. The ordering system according to claim 11, wherein:

the showing includes showing each of the task icons in a defined geometric position in said view; and

the designating includes;

obtaining a list of the geometric positions of the task icons in said view;

sorting the geometric positions on said list according to defined rules to obtain a sorted list of the geometric positions; and

using said sorted list to determine the order in which the tasks are to be executed by the computer system.

15. The ordering system according to claim 11, wherein:

the showing includes showing the task icons in a graphical user interface; and

using said graphical user interface to configure the positions of the task icons in the graphical user interface.

16. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one tangible computer readable medium having computer readable program code logic to designate the order in which a plurality of tasks are to be executed on a computer system, said computer readable program code logic, when executing, performing the following;

showing a multitude of task icons in defined positions in a view on the computer system, each of the task icons representing a respective one task; and

using said defined positions to determine the order in which the tasks are to be executed by the computer system.

17. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein said program code logic, when executing, performs the following:

executing some of the tasks in parallel and others of the tasks in series.

18. The article of manufacture according to claim 17, wherein:

the showing includes showing the task icons in a grid pattern, with the task icons in rows and columns; and

the executing includes executing in sequence tasks represented by task icons shown in successive rows of the grip pattern; and

executing in series tasks represented by task icons shown in the same row of the grid pattern.

19. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein:

the showing includes showing each of the task icons in a defined geometric position in said view; and

the using includes;

obtaining a list of the geometric positions of the task icons in said view;

sorting the geometric positions on said list according to defined rules to obtain a sorted list of the geometric positions; and

using said sorted list to determine the order in which the tasks are to be executed by the computer system.

20. The article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein:

the computer system includes an Operating System;

the using includes making a call to the Operating System to obtain data for determining the positions of the task icons in said view; and

the executing includes executing the tasks in said order upon startup of the Operating System.