Integration of procedural and object-oriented user interfaces

• US 6,104,393 A
• Filed: 06/11/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Santos-Gomez, Lucinio
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US09/095,994
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 345/333-334, 345/336, 345/338-339, 345/342, 345/348, 345/356, 345/433, 345/435
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming

Abstract

A technique, system, and computer program for integrating procedural user interfaces and object-oriented user interfaces. This integration enables the useful features and advantages of task wizards to be available to a user of an object-oriented user interface, and vice versa. The prompting approach of wizards is used during modification, as well as during creation, of objects and their components. A graphical canvas, depicting these components and their interrelationships, is built incrementally during the object creation process. This same graphical canvas is used during modification, enabling direct selection and manipulation of components to be changed. Efficient use is made of the display screen, enabling information to be viewable without a proliferation of windows, and presenting relevant information to the user at the time he needs it. Nested wizards may be used, which allow the user to access a different wizard that will facilitate creation of a complex object or component referenced by the create process of a first wizard.

Claims

1. A method for providing an interface which integrates procedural and object information, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying a user interface for an application program, wherein said user interface further comprises;

a graphical canvas for iconic representation of information used by said application program;

a wizard area for textual representation of prompting information to guide a user of said application program; and

a details notebook area for selective use by said user;

creating or modifying an object using a first task of said application program, wherein said creating or modifying step uses a text-driven procedural interface and further comprises the steps of;

selecting, by said user, a target object for use by said creating or modifying step;

for each of one or more subtasks of said first task, receiving user input as required to complete said subtask, further comprising the steps of;

displaying one or more prompting messages for said subtask in said wizard area;

displaying zero or more applicable properties for said subtask in said details notebook area; and

responding by said user, by answering said prompting messages in said wizard area or by choosing a value for one or more selected ones of said applicable properties in said details notebook area;

incrementally building said iconic representation for said target object on said graphical canvas, using said received user input, as said user interacts with said wizard area and said details notebook area; and

storing said incrementally built iconic representation for said target object; and

using said created or modified object to perform a second task of said application from said graphical canvas, wherein said using step uses an object interface and further comprises the steps of;

selecting, by said user, said created or modified object using a pointing device;

displaying said stored iconic representation of said selected object on said graphical canvas; and

graphically interacting, by said user, with said displayed iconic representation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said creating or modifying step further comprises the step of recursively invoking said creating or modifying step to provide a nested prompting wizard.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said incrementally built iconic representation displays a visual indicator of a completion status of said target object.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first task is creation of an automation and said second task is operation of said automation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first task is creation of a configuration and said second task is operation using said configuration.

6. A system for providing an interface which integrates procedural and object information, said system comprising:

means for displaying a user interface for an application program, wherein said user interface further comprises;

a graphical canvas for iconic representation of information used by said application program;

a wizard area for textual representation of prompting information to guide a user of said application program; and

a details notebook area for selective use by said user;

means for creating or modifying an object using a first task of said application program, wherein said means for creating or modifying uses a text-driven procedural interface and further comprises;

means for selecting, by said user, a target object for said use by said means for creating or modifying;

for each of one or more subtasks of said first task, means for receiving user input as required to complete said subtask, further comprising;

means for displaying one or more prompting messages for said subtask in said wizard area;

means for displaying zero or more applicable properties for said subtask in said details notebook area; and

means for responding, by said user, by answering said prompting messages in said wizard area or by choosing a value for one or more selected ones of said applicable properties in said details notebook area;

means for incrementally building said iconic representation for said target object on said graphical canvas, using said received user input, as said user interacts with said wizard area and said details notebook area; and

means for storing said incrementally built iconic representation for said target object; and

means for using said created or modified object to perform a second task of said application from said graphical canvas, wherein said means for using uses an object interface and further comprises;

means for selecting, by said user, said created or modified object using a pointing device;

means for displaying said stored iconic representation of said selected object on said graphical canvas; and

means for graphically interacting, by said user, with said displayed iconic representation.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said means for creating or modifying further comprises means for recursively invoking said means for creating or modifying to provide a nested prompting wizard.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein said incrementally built iconic representation displays a visual indicator of a completion status of said target object.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein said first task is creation of an automation and said second task is operation of said automation.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein said first task is creation of a configuration and said second task is operation using said configuration.

11. Computer readable code for providing an interface which integrates procedural and object information, said computer readable code embodied on a computer readable medium and comprising:

a subprocess for displaying a user interface for an application program, wherein said user interface further comprises;

a graphical canvas for iconic representation of information used by said application program;

a wizard area for textual representation of prompting information to guide a user said application program; and

a details notebook area for selective use by said user;

a subprocess for creating or modifying an object using a first task of said application program, wherein said subprocess for creating or modifying uses a text-driven procedural interface and further comprises;

a subprocess for selecting, by said user, a target object for said use by said subprocess for creating or modifying;

for each of one or more subtasks of said first task, a subprocess for receiving user input as required to complete said subtask, further comprising;

a subprocess for displaying one or more prompting messages for said subtask in said wizard area;

a subprocess for displaying zero or more applicable properties for said subtask in said details notebook area; and

a subprocess for responding, by said user, by answering said prompting messages in said wizard area or by choosing a value for one or more selected ones of said applicable properties in said details notebook area;

a subprocess for incrementally building said iconic representation for said target object on said graphical canvas, using said received user input, as said user interacts with said wizard area and said details notebook area; and

a subprocess for storing said incrementally built iconic representation for said target object; and

a subprocess for using said created or modified object to perform a second task of said application from said graphical canvas, wherein said subprocess for using uses an object interface and further comprises;

a subprocess for selecting, by said user, said created or modified object using a pointing device;

a subprocess for displaying said stored iconic representation of said selected object on said graphical canvas; and

a subprocess for graphically interacting, by said user, with said displayed iconic representation.

12. The computer readable code according to claim 11, wherein said subprocess for creating or modifying further comprises a subprocess for recursively invoking said subprocess for creating or modifying to provide a nested prompting wizard.

13. The computer readable code according to claim 11, wherein said incrementally built iconic representation displays a visual indicator of a completion status of said target object.

14. The computer readable code according to claim 11, wherein said first task is creation of an automation and said second task is operation of said automation.

15. The computer readable code according to claim 11, wherein said first task is creation of a configuration and said second task is operation using said configuration.