Method and system for displaying a hierarchical sub-tree by selection of a user interface element in a sub-tree bar control
First Claim
1. In a data processing system having a video display and an input device, a method for displaying a list of items, comprising:
- (a) displaying a tree view control, the tree view control providing a display of a first list of items in a hierarchical tree;
(b) displaying a sub-tree bar control having at least one user interface element;
(c) selecting one of the items in the first list to be the root item for a second list;
(d) associating the selected one of the items in the first list with the user interface element of the sub-tree bar control, the user interface element being persistently associated with the selected item;
(e) automatically generating a sub-tree view control when the selected item in the first list is persistently associated with the user interface element, the sub-tree view control providing for a display of the second list of items in a hierarchical sub-tree that includes the selected one of the items in the first list as the root item; and
(f) in response to selecting the user interface element of the sub-tree view control, displaying the generated sub-tree view control, so that the hierarchical sub-tree is separately displayable for use with an application program when the hierarchical tree is not displayed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sub-tree bar control is provided that aggregates a group of sub-tree view controls. The sub-tree bar control contains user interface elements that are associated with sub-tree view controls. Each sub-tree view control enables an application program to display a list of items as a hierarchical sub-tree in a window. When a user selects the user interface element associated with the node, the sub-tree view control is displayed in a window. By displaying a sub-tree view control, the user views only the information that the user is interested in viewing. Since the sub-tree view control displays only a sub-tree, instead of an entire tree, it typically takes up less display space on the video display than a control that contains an entire tree. Additionally, the sub-tree view control automatically ceases to be displayed based on certain events. The window in which the sub-tree view control is displayed can be resized, either vertically or horizontally. Nodes in the sub-tree can be expanded or contracted. Nodes in the sub-tree can also be selected as root nodes of sub-trees for new sub-tree view controls or otherwise be manipulated as the nodes in the tree displayed in the tree-view control. Moreover, the nodes that are roots of the sub-trees are displayed on the sub-tree bar control so as to provide easy selection of the sub-tree view controls.
214 Citations
31 Claims
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1. In a data processing system having a video display and an input device, a method for displaying a list of items, comprising:
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(a) displaying a tree view control, the tree view control providing a display of a first list of items in a hierarchical tree; (b) displaying a sub-tree bar control having at least one user interface element; (c) selecting one of the items in the first list to be the root item for a second list; (d) associating the selected one of the items in the first list with the user interface element of the sub-tree bar control, the user interface element being persistently associated with the selected item; (e) automatically generating a sub-tree view control when the selected item in the first list is persistently associated with the user interface element, the sub-tree view control providing for a display of the second list of items in a hierarchical sub-tree that includes the selected one of the items in the first list as the root item; and (f) in response to selecting the user interface element of the sub-tree view control, displaying the generated sub-tree view control, so that the hierarchical sub-tree is separately displayable for use with an application program when the hierarchical tree is not displayed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a data processing system having a video display and an input device, a method for displaying a list of items, comprising:
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(a) displaying a tree view control within a window, the tree view control providing a first list of items displayed as a hierarchical tree; (b) displaying a sub-tree bar control having at least one user interface element; and (c) selecting from the first list one of the items that is a root for a portion of the hierarchical tree; (d) dragging the selected one of the items to the user interface element on the sub-tree bar control; and (e) dropping the selected one of the items onto the user interface element, thereby creating a persistent association between the selected one of the items and the user interface element, whereby when the user interface element is selected, a sub-tree view control with the selected one of the items as a root is displayed, so that the hierarchical sub-tree is separately displayable for use with an application program when the hierarchical tree is not displayed. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. In a data processing system having a video display and an input device, a method for displaying a list of items for use by an application program, comprising:
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(a) displaying a sub-tree bar control having at least one user interface element that is persistently associated with a sub-tree view control that provides for the display of a portion of a list of items in a hierarchical sub-tree; (b) in response to selecting the user interface element associated with the sub-tree view control, displaying the portion of the list of items in the hierarchical sub-tree for use with an application program, so that the portion of the list of items is separately displayable when the complete list of items is not displayed. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In a data processing system having an application program, a video display, and an input device, a method for displaying a list of items, comprising:
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(a) providing a sub-tree bar control having at least one user interface element associated with a sub-tree view control that is used by the application program to display a portion of the list of items as a hierarchical sub-tree, the sub-tree view control being automatically generated when the user interface element of the sub-tree bar control is persistently associated with one item selected from the list of items to be a root for the hierarchical sub-tree; and (b) using the sub-tree bar control to display the sub-tree view control associated with the user interface element, so that the sub-tree view control will provide a separate display of the portion of the list of items as the hierarchical sub-tree when another view control that displays the entire list of items as a hierarchical tree is not displayed.
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23. In a data processing system having a client application program, a server application program, a video display, and an input device, a method for displaying a list of items, comprising:
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(a) under control of the server application program, providing a sub-tree bar control having at least one user interface element associated with a sub-tree view control that is used by the application program to display a portion of a list of items as a hierarchical sub-tree; (b) under control of the client application program, comprising; (i) displaying the sub-tree bar control provided by the server application program; and (ii) automatically populating the hierarchical sub-tree with the portion of the list of items when a user interface element is persistently associated with one item selected from the list of items as a root item for the portion of the list of items; and (c) under control of the server application program, in response to selecting the user interface element, displaying the sub-tree view control, so that the sub-tree view control will provide a separate display of the portion of the list of items as the hierarchical sub-tree when another view control that displays the entire list of items as a hierarchical tree is not displayed.
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24. A data processing system, comprising:
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(a) a video display; (b) an input device; (c) a first displayor for displaying on the video display a tree view control within a first window, the tree view control providing a first list of items displayed as a hierarchical tree; (d) a second displayor for displaying on the video display a sub-tree bar control having at least one user interface element; (e) a selector for, in response to input from the input device selecting one of the items in the first list, selecting one of the items in the first list to be a root item for a second list of items; (f) an associator for persistently associating the selected one of the items in the first list with the user interface element of the sub-tree bar control; (g) a generator for automatically generating a sub-tree view control when the selected item is persistently associated with the user interface element of the sub-tree bar control, the sub-tree view control providing a display of the second list of items as a hierarchical sub-tree with the persistently associated one of the items in the first list being the root item of the second list of items in the hierarchical sub-tree; and (h) a third displayor for separately displaying on the video display the generated sub-tree view control within a second window, so that the hierarchical sub-tree is separately displayable when the first displayor is not displaying the tree view control for the first list of items. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps, comprising:
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(a) displaying a tree view control within a first window, the tree view control providing a first list of items displayed as a hierarchical tree; (b) displaying a sub-tree bar control having at least one user interface element; (c) in response to selecting one of the items in the first list, selecting one of the items in the first list to be a root item for a second list of items; (d) associating the selected one of the items in the first list with the user interface element of the sub-tree bar control, the user interface element being persistently associated with the selected item; (e) automatically generating a sub-tree view control when the selected item is persistently associated with the user interface element of the sub-tree bar control, the sub-tree view control providing a display of the second list of items as a hierarchical sub-tree with the persistently associated one of the items in the first list being the root item of the second list of items in the hierarchical sub-tree; and (f) displaying on the video display the generated sub-tree view control within a second window, so that the hierarchical sub-tree is separately displayable when the first displayor is not displaying the tree view control for the first list of items. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A method of customizing the display of a hierarchical sub-tree of items for use with an application program, comprising:
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(a) displaying a hierarchical tree of items; (b) displaying a sub-tree bar control having at least one user interface element; (c) selecting one item in the hierarchical tree of items to be a root for the hierarchical sub-tree of items; (d) associating the selected item in the hierarchical tree of items with the user interface element of the sub-tree bar control, the selected item being persistently associated with the user interface element and a sub-tree view control being automatically generated when the selected item in the hierarchical tree of items is persistently associated with the user interface element of the sub-tree bar control, the sub-tree view control providing for the display of the hierarchical sub-tree of items with the selected item as the root; and (e) in response to selecting the user interface element of the sub-tree bar control, causing the sub-tree view control to display the hierarchical sub-tree of items, so that the hierarchical sub-tree of items is separately displayable when the hierarchical tree of items is not displayed.
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Specification