Tracking changes to a computer software application when creating context-sensitive help functions

• US 6,133,917 A
• Filed: 03/18/1999
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Feigner, Randall James, Walden, Ralph Everett
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/272,973
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 345/338, 345/336, 345/337, 345/326, 345/333, 345/334, 345/335, 345/339, 345/346, 345/347, 345/354, 345/967, 395/701, 395/702, 709/302, 707/102, 707/103, 707/104, 434/118, 717/1, 717/2
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A dialog box help editor tracks changes to the graphical controls of dialog boxes of a computer software application to assist in the creation of context-sensitive help functions during development of the computer software application. The dialog box help editor receives a selection input for a dialog box of the computer software application. The dialog box help editor displays the selected dialog box. For the selected dialog box, the dialog box help editor determines whether any of the graphical controls of the selected dialog box have changed between the current version of the computer software application and an earlier version. In response to a change, the dialog box help editor highlights the graphical control in the displayed dialog box and provides explanatory information about the change to a user. The dialog box help editor updates a data structure that organizes information for a changed graphical control. The dialog box help editor also updates a data structure that maps graphical controls to help information files for the computer software application.

Claims

1. In a computer system used for creating context-sensitive help functions for a computer software application, a computer implemented method of tracking changes to context-sensitive help information, the method comprising:

detecting one or more dialog boxes in a current version of a computer software application, wherein a dialog box comprises one or more graphical control objects;

loading a control object map data structure that stores data about the state of an earlier version of the computer software application, wherein the control object map data structure associates the graphical control objects with help information;

receiving a selection input for a dialog box in the current version of the computer software application;

displaying the selected dialog box on a display device;

determining whether any graphical control objects of the selected dialog box have been changed in the current version of the computer software application by comparing data in the control object map data structure with the dialog boxes of the current version of the computer software application, and if so;

updating an object data structure for a changed graphical control object in the selected dialog box, wherein that object data structure comprises a property to indicate the change;

updating the control object map data structure to reflect the change;

highlighting the changed graphical control object in the displayed dialog box; and

providing explanatory information about the change.

2. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

3. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable modules comprising:

a dialog box extraction module for locating one or more dialog boxes of a computer software application;

a dialog box creation and display module for preparing a dialog box for display and displaying the dialog box, wherein the dialog box encapsulates one or more control objects;

a dialog box data organization module for managing the dialog box, wherein the dialog box data organization module organizes data for the one or more control objects of the dialog box, and wherein the dialog box data organization module saves control object data to a control object map;

a help topic creation module for associating help information with the one or more control objects of the dialog box as used in the dialog box; and

a dialog box change tracking module for detecting changes to the computer software application.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the dialog box change tracking module further causes to be indicated a change to the computer software application.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the dialog box change tracking module causes a change to be indicated by altering display of a control object of a dialog box.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the dialog box change tracking module causes a change to be indicated by providing information about the change.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the dialog box change tracking module further updates the control object map.

8. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a first data field containing data representing a dialog box identifier, wherein the dialog box identifier identifies a dialog box for a dialog box help editor;

a second data field containing data representing a control identifier, wherein the control identifier identifies a graphical control object within the dialog box for use by the dialog box help editor;

a third data field containing data representing a help identifier, wherein the help identifier identifies for use by the dialog box help editor help information associated with the graphical control object as used in the dialog box; and

a fourth data field containing data representing a change indicator, wherein the change indicator indicates to the dialog box help editor a change to the graphical control object so as to facilitate updating of help information to reflect the change.

9. In a computer system used for creating context-sensitive help functions for a computer software application, a computer implemented method of tracking changes to the computer software application, the method comprising:

receiving a selection input for a configuration of one or more software components of a computer software application;

detecting by a help editor a change to the selected configuration of one or more software components, and if a change is detected;

indicating the detection of the change so as to facilitate updating of help information about the computer software application to reflect the change.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 9.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

detecting one or more configurations of software components in a current version of the computer software application;

loading a data structure that stores data about an earlier version of the computer software application; and

during detecting a change, comparing data in the data structure to the detected configurations.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 11.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying the selected configuration on a display device;

during indicating, highlighting a software component in the displayed configuration.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein indicating comprises:

providing explanatory information about the change.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein a configuration is a dialog box of the computer software application, and wherein a software component is a graphical control of a dialog box of the computer software application.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

detecting one or more dialog boxes in a current version of the computer software application;

loading a data structure that stores data about an earlier version of the computer software application; and

during detecting a change, comparing data in the data structure to the detected dialog boxes.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the data structure comprises a control object map data structure.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein indicating comprises:

updating an object data structure for a graphical control object of the selected dialog box, wherein the object data structure comprises a property to indicate the change.

19. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 18.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein indicating comprises:

updating a control object map data structure to reflect the change, wherein the control object map data structure associates the graphical controls with help information for the computer software application.