Method for providing help information for nested functions

• US 5,949,416 A
• Filed: 05/28/1991
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Borland Software Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Borland International, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Bush, Alan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E.
• Application Number:
  US07/706,399
• Time in Patent Office: 3,024 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155-161, 395/275, 395/701, 395/702, 395/703, 395/704, 395/705, 395/708, 340/721, 434/118, 345/326-358, 707/503, 707/904, 707/538
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A system and method for producing context sensitive prompts to assist the user with entry and editing of formulae in an electronic spreadsheet comprises a display device, a processing unit, an input device and memory. The display device preferably has a plurality of segregated viewports for displaying a general prompt and a context sensitive prompt. The memory further comprises function tables, a prompt generator, a prompt stack, and other routines. The prompt generator uses the function tables, the prompt stack, the cursor position and the string on the edit line to construct prompts for presentation on the display device. The preferred method for creating and displaying context sensitive prompts comprises the steps of: detecting movement of the cursor; scanning the string on the edit line until the cursor position is reached; pushing a function record on the prompt stack for each function invocation identified in the edit line; popping a function record from the prompt stack as the end of each function invocation is identified; producing a context sensitive and general prompt string; displaying the prompt strings in viewports on the display device.

Claims

1. A method for providing context sensitive prompts for aiding a user of a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

indicating on a display device a sequence of input data entered by the user which specifies at least one function to be performed by the system, wherein said at least one function returns a value serving as a parameter for another function;

placing a screen cursor at a selected position within said sequence of input data;

retrieving a portion of the input data preceding the selected position;

storing a record for each function present in said retrieved portion of the input data and whose entry has yet to be completed by the user, said step of storing a record further comprising the step of pushing a record on a memory stack for each function retrieved with said portion of the input data;

providing a context sensitive prompt based upon which record is stored last, said last stored record identifying a function pointed to by said cursor, and said context sensitive prompt giving help information for said identified function; and

indicating on the display device the context sensitive prompt.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said context sensitive prompt includes a selected one of a list prompt, said list prompt having a character string descriptive of said function;

an error prompt; and

a prompt selected specifically for the identified function and a number of parameters retrieved with said input data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the prompt selected specifically for the identified function includes a function name and parameter names for the function.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a parameter in the prompt corresponding to the cursor position is displayed in a highlighted manner.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one function comprises a spreadsheet function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said input data include a series of characters specifying at least one function, and wherein said retrieving step includes:

retrieving from said series of characters those characters positioned before the selected position; and

parsing said retrieved characters into a series of tokens specifying at least one named function and at least one value serving as a parameter to said at least one named function.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said tokens include characters specifying selected ones of a function name, punctuation characters, and function parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said punctuation characters include selected ones of "(", ")", and "," characters.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of indicating provides a first region for displaying said input data and a second region for displaying said context sensitive prompt, said first and second regions being aligned to facilitate comparison of the user information with a prompt.