Method, memory and apparatus for designating a file's type by building unique icon borders

• US 5,797,139 A
• Filed: 12/14/1995
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Amro, Hatim Yousef
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/572,476
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/60, 345/348, 345/349, 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture direct a computer system to display files using a type identifiers and parent identifiers. The method includes the first computer-implemented step of in response to a command from user controls (e.g., clicking a mouse button to open a directory) to control a directory having files stored therein, locating in memory each file'"'"'s type identifier. The second step includes locating in memory a parent identifier for each file, wherein each parent identifier identifies a file'"'"'s parent application. The third step includes displaying each file using its parent application'"'"'s icon. The fourth step includes building a unique border around each icon using the type identifier for each file, thereby displaying each file based on the type of the file.

Claims

1. A method for directing a computer system to display files using type identifiers and parent identifiers, comprising the steps of:

in response to a command from user controls to control a directory having files stored therein, locating in memory the type identifier for each file, wherein each type identifier identifies a type of the file from a table including;

document-type files;

executable-type files; and

bitmap-type files;

in response to the command from user controls to control the directory having files stored therein, locating in memory a parent identifier for each file, wherein each parent identifier identifies a parent application of the file;

displaying each file as an icon of the parent application of each file; and

building a unique border around each icon using the type identifier for each file, thereby displaying each file according to the type of the file.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

locating a first bitmap file for each group of files in memory belonging to one parent, wherein the first bitmap file defines the parent identifier of the parent application of each file;

locating a second bitmap file for each file, wherein the second bitmap file defines the type identifier of the file; and

displaying each file using the first and second bitmap files.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the parent identifier is an icon of the parent application and the second bitmap file defines the border surrounding the icon.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein a pointer to each first bitmap file is stored in a first table in memory and a pointer to each second bitmap file is stored in a second table in memory.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the first table contains a unique filename for each file in the directory.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the unique filenames each contain a unique signature.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the unique signature is a time stamp.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

creating a first table comprising a filename, path, type, and icon field for each file wherein said type specifies a file type for each file from a table including;

document-type file;

executable-type file; and

bitmap-type files;

in response to the command from user controls to control the directory, searching storage for filenames, wherein each filename represents one file in the directory;

searching the filename field of the first table for each filename;

in response to locating a filename in the first table, reading the icon field for a pointer to a first bitmap file for the located filename, wherein the first bitmap file defines an icon;

in response to locating a filename in the table, reading the type in the type field;

searching a second table for the type;

in response to locating the type in the second table, reading from the second table a pointer to a second bitmap file that defines a border; and

displaying the icon with a border to identify the type.

9. A computer system for displaying files using type identifiers and parent identifiers comprising:

memory;

user controls;

in response to a command from user controls to control a directory having files stored therein, a processor for locating in memory the type identifier for each file, wherein each type identifier identifies a type of the file from a table including;

document-type files;

executable-type files; and

bitmap-type files;

in response to the command from the user controls to control the directory having files stored therein, the processor for locating in memory a parent identifier for each file, wherein each parent identifier identifies a parent application of a file;

a display for displaying each file as an icon of the parent application of each file; and

the display for displaying a unique border around each of the icons using the type identifier for each file, thereby displaying each file based on the type of file.

10. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer system to display files using parent and type identifiers, comprising:

in response to a command from user controls to control a directory having files stored therein, computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to locate in memory the type identifier for each file, wherein each type identifier identifies a type of the file from a table including;

document-type files;

executable-type files; and

bitmap-type files;

in response to the command from user controls to control the directory having files stored therein, computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to locate in memory a parent identifier for each file, wherein each parent identifier identifies a parent application of a file;

computer readable program means for causing a display of the computer system to display each file as an icon of the parent application of each file; and

computer readable program means for causing the display to display a unique border around each icon using the type identifier for each file, thereby displaying each file based on the type of the file.