MANAGING A WIDGET

• US 20150227568A1
• Filed: 02/13/2014
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bertram, Randal L., Hintermeister, Gregory R., Niedergeses, David M.S., Yao, Hai Feng
• Granted Patent: US 9,952,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A computer implemented method for managing a widget is disclosed. The widget can include a drop-down menu. The method can include opening the drop-down menu having a set of items corresponding with a set of data. The method can also include updating the set of items dynamically in the opened drop-down menu in response to a change in the set of data. The method can also include processing a selected item from the updated set of items in the opened drop-down menu.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing a widget for a drop-down menu, the method comprising:

opening the drop-down menu having a set of items corresponding with a set of data;

updating the set of items dynamically in the opened drop-down menu in response to a change in the set of data; and

processing, from the updated set of items, a selected item in the opened drop-down menu.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of items corresponding with the set of data comprises:

the set of items including a first item configured to have a first state and a second state;

the set of items including a second item configured to have the first state and the second state;

the set of data including a first component configured to have a first condition and a second condition;

the set of data including a second component configured to have the first condition and the second condition;

the first state of the first item corresponding to the first condition of the first component;

the second state of the first item corresponding to the second condition of the first component;

the first state of the second item corresponding to the first condition of the second component; and

the second state of the second item corresponding to the second condition of the second component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein updating the set of items dynamically in the opened drop-down menu in response to a change in the set of data includes:

a first transition, wherein;

the first component converts from the second condition to the first condition, the first condition representing an accessible condition,

the first item converts from the second state to the first state, the first state representing a valid state, and

the first item is provided in the updated set of items; and

a second transition, wherein;

the second component converts from the first condition to the second condition, the second condition representing an at least partially inaccessible condition,

the second item converts from the first state to the second state, the first state representing an invalid state, and

the second item is not provided in the updated set of items.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the drop-down menu is configured to operate in a first mode, the first mode comprising:

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items;

adding, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset;

removing, in response to a second transition, a second item from the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising tagging the first item with a data label having information regarding the first state change.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the drop-down menu is configured to operate in a second mode, the second mode comprising:

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items;

adding, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset;

disabling, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein disabling includes marking the second item with an indicator, the second item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the drop-down menu is configured to operate in a third mode, the third mode comprising:

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items and an invalid subset of the set of items;

enabling, in response to a first transition, a first item of the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

disabling, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with the invalid subset.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

marking, in response to the first transition, the first item with a first data label including information related to the first transition and a first indicator, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

marking, in response to a second transition, the second item with a second data label including information related to the second transition and a second indicator, the second menu item associated with a the valid subset.

10. A computer implemented method for managing a widget, the method comprising:

opening the widget having a set of items corresponding with a set of data, the set of items corresponding with the set of data including;

the set of items including a first item configured to have a first state and a second state;

the set of items including a second item configured to have the first state and the second state;

the set of data including a first component configured to have a first condition and a second condition;

the set of data including a second component configured to have the first condition and the second condition;

the first state of the first item corresponding to the first condition of the first component;

the second state of the first item corresponding to the second condition of the first component;

the first state of the second item corresponding to the first condition of the second component;

the second state of the second item corresponding to the second condition of the second component;

updating the set of items dynamically in the opened widget in response to a change in the set of data, wherein updating the set of items includes;

a first transition, wherein;

the first component converts from the second condition to the first condition, the first condition representing an accessible condition,

the first item converts from the second state to the first state, the first state representing a valid state, and

the first item is provided in the updated set of items; and

a second transition, wherein;

the second component converts from the first condition to the second condition, the second condition representing an at least partially inaccessible condition,

the second item converts from the first state to the second state, the first state representing an invalid state,

the second item is not provided in the updated set of items; and

processing, from the updated set of items, a selected item in the opened widget.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the widget is configured to operate in a first mode if the number of items in the set of items is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, a second mode if the number of items in the set of items is less than the first threshold value and greater than or equal to a second threshold value, and a third mode if the number of items in the set of items is less than the second threshold value, the first mode comprising:

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items,

adding, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset,

removing, in response to a second transition, a second item from the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items, and

tagging the first item with a data label having information regarding the first state change;

the second mode comprising;

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items,

adding, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset, and

disabling, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu, wherein disabling includes marking the second item with an indicator; and

the third mode comprising;

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items and an invalid subset of the set of items,

enabling, in response to a first transition, a first item of the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset,

disabling, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with the invalid subset,

marking, in response to the first transition, the first item with a first data label including information related to the first transition and a first indicator, the first item associated with the valid subset, and

marking, in response to a second transition, the second item with a second data label including information related to the second transition and a second indicator, the second menu item associated with a the valid subset.

12. A system for managing a widget for a drop-down menu, the system comprising:

an opening module configured to open the drop-down menu having a set of items corresponding with a set of data;

an updating module configured to update the set of items dynamically in the opened drop-down menu in response to a change in the set of data; and

a processing module configured to process, from the updated set of items, a selected item in the opened drop-down menu.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of items corresponding with the set of data comprises:

the set of items including a first item configured to have a first state and a second state;

the set of items including a second item configured to have the first state and the second state;

the set of data including a first component configured to have a first condition and a second condition;

the set of data including a second component configured to have the first condition and the second condition;

the first state of the first item corresponding to the first condition of the first component;

the second state of the first item corresponding to the second condition of the first component;

the first state of the second item corresponding to the first condition of the second component; and

the second state of the second item corresponding to the second condition of the second component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the updating module configured to update the set of items dynamically in the opened drop-down menu in response to a change in the set of data includes:

a first transition, wherein;

the first component converts from the second condition to the first condition, the first condition representing an accessible condition,

the first item converts from the second state to the first state, the first state representing a valid state, and

the first item is provided in the updated set of items; and

a second transition, wherein;

the second component converts from the first condition to the second condition, the second condition representing an at least partially inaccessible condition,

the second item converts from the first state to the second state, the first state representing an invalid state, and

the second item is not provided in the updated set of items.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the drop-down menu system includes a first mode module configured to:

provide, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items;

add, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset;

remove, in response to a second transition, a second item from the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising tagging the first item with a data label having information regarding the first state change.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the drop-down menu system includes a second mode module configured to:

provide, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items;

add, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset;

disable, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein disabling includes marking the second item with an indicator, the second item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the drop-down menu system includes a third mode module configured to:

provide, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items and an invalid subset of the set of items;

enable, in response to a first transition, a first item of the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

disable, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with the invalid subset.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

marking, in response to the first transition, the first item with a first data label including information related to the first transition and a first indicator, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

marking, in response to a second transition, the second item with a second data label including information related to the second transition and a second indicator, the second menu item associated with a the valid subset.