Network editing system

• US 5,276,791 A
• Filed: 01/29/1991
• Issued: 01/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Palmer, Darcy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US07/647,613
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 395/146, 395/145, 395/144, 395/155, 395/161, 395/147, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 340/706
• US Class Current: 715/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A computer system includes a display and software that enables the system to create, change and delete, title-containing blocks and their interrelations, as shown on the display. The system employs keyed inputs to implement its commands and has a data structure that includes a world plane, segmented into rows and columns containing title fields. The data structure is used in a method which creates from a list of titles, a display of title blocks and graphical interconnections. The method comprises: positioning and displaying a list of titles and associated commands in the world plane; displaying a keyboard input of a command in the command field of at least a title to which the command applies; positionally adjusting the title in the display with respect to other titles, in accordance with the command; and graphically interconnecting the adjusted title with at least another title in the list of titles, the graphical interconnection being produced automatically in response to the command.

Claims

1. A computer system including a display and software, said software enabling the computer system to create, delete and change title-containing blocks and interrelations of title-containing blocks as shown on the display through the use of keyboard inputs, said system employing a data structure comprising a world plane, segmented into rows, columns and title fields, said data structure used in a method which creates, from a list of titles, a display of title blocks, each title block containing a title from said list of titles and graphical interconnections, said method comprising:

a. positioning said list of titles in said world plane;

b. displaying a subset of said world plane data structure including said title blocks with associated command fields;

c. displaying a keyboard input of a user-entered command in the command field of a title in a title block to which said command applies;

d. positionally adjusting title blocks on said display in accordance with said user-entered command; and

e. graphically interconnecting through the use of symbols, a positionally adjusted title block with at least another title block in said list of titles, said graphical interconnection occurring automatically in response to said user-entered command being invoked.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said method comprises the additional step of:

f. optimizing said display by removal of unnecessary interconnect symbols and blank spaces.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said keyboard input comprises a first command indication placed in the command field associated with a title block to be moved and a second command indication placed in the command field associated with another title block, following which said title block to be moved is to be placed.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein said first command indication is placed in command fields associated with a plurality of title blocks to be moved, to enable all such title blocks to be simultaneously moved.

5. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein a title block in one column is to be connected to a title block in a second column, said displayed keyboard inputs comprising a first indication in the command field of the title block from which connection is to be made (TBCF), and a second indication in the command field of the title block to which connection is to be made (TBCT), said graphical interconnecting step (e) further comprising:

providing additional row and column space, if required, to provide room for a graphical interconnection; and

displaying graphical interconnection symbols between said TBCF and TBCT in said additional row and column space.

6. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein a title block in one column is to be unconnected from another title block, said display keyboard inputs comprising a first indication in the command field of the title block to be unconnected from (TBUCF), said TBUCF positioned at the tail of a graphical arrow interconnection on said display, said method comprising the further steps of:

removing said graphical arrow interconnection; and

optimizing said display by removal of unnecessary graphical interconnect lines and blank space.

7. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

adding a plurality of rows between first and second title blocks, between which a split is to occur;

adding a new column to said display;

inserting a new title block in said new column; and

graphically interconnecting said first and new title blocks and said first and second title blocks with a split symbol.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said new title block is a decision block and an additional new title block is added above said second title block as a decision block and further comprising the step of:

invoking a defined action which enables criteria to be associated with said decision blocks that define the conditions for said decision blocks.

9. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein step (f) further comprises the steps of:

optimizing said display of title blocks and graphical interconnects by an image compaction operation, said operation including elimination of any column that only contains horizontal graphical interconnects or blocks, movement of all vertical lines to a lowest possible position, elimination of any row containing only vertical graphical interconnects or blank title blocks, and movement of title blocks in a vertical direction to eliminate redundant graphical interconnects, all the while maintaining the integrity of the context of said display blocks.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said data structure further comprises a library of routines for generating, in each title block shown on the display, graphical interconnect symbols, and wherein said graphical interconnecting step (e) selects at least one of said routines from said library in response to a user-entered command.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said position adjusting step (d) includes providing blank row and column space, as required, to make space for a graphical interconnect.