Method and apparatus for displaying attributes of a computer work station on a graphical user interface

• US 6,195,095 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1994
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bowman, Mark Tweed, Gibson, Georgia Ann, Yamakawa, Julieta Kaoru, Beer, John Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/309,366
• Time in Patent Office: 2,352 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155, 395/157, 395/159, 395/161, 395/339, 395/340, 395/343, 395/346, 395/348, 395/349, 395/352, 395/353, 395/354
• US Class Current: 715/839
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying to a user attributes of a computer workstation includes a processor, user controls for controlling a pointer, a display device, and a database. The processor first displays a template area on the display device and then retrieves the attributes of the computer workstation from the database. After retrieving the attributes, the processor displays icons representing the attributes in the template area displayed on the display device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a computer workstation to display attributes of the computer workstation, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

displaying a template area on a display, said template area comprising a template types pane and a template pane;

retrieving each group of attributes of the computer workstation from a database;

storing each group of attributes in a workstation memory;

selecting one group from the group of attributes for display;

retrieving sets of attributes from the selected group of attributes from the workstation memory;

selecting one set from the sets of attributes for display;

retrieving individual attributes of the selected set of attributes from the workstation memory;

displaying icons representing the sets of attributes in said template types pane; and

displaying icons representing the individual attributes of the selected set in said template pane area.

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

determining if a new set of attributes has been selected for display;

clearing said template pane of individual attributes; and

displaying the individual attributes of the newly selected set of attributes within said template pane.

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

ceasing the display of said template types area if the number of sets of attributes retrieved from said database equals one; and

redisplaying said template pane to include the section of said template area displaying said template types area.

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

determining if said template area is open or closed in response to a template area control command;

ceasing the display of said template area if said template area is open;

displaying said template area if said template area is closed.

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

determining a state of a template area display command;

ceasing the display of said template area if the state of said template area display command is close; and

continuing the display of said template area if the state of said template area display command is open.

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

determining if an action command has been selected;

determining if the action command is a valid command for said template area; and

executing said action command if it is a valid command for said template area.

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

determining if a view command has been selected;

determining if the view command is a valid command for said template area; and

executing said view command if it is a valid command for said template area.

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

determining if a display command has been selected;

determining if the display command is a valid command for said template area; and

executing said display command if it is a valid command for said template area.

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

determining if an attribute displayed in said template area has been selected;

determining if an attribute delete command has been selected;

deleting the selected attribute from said database if the attribute delete command has been selected; and

redisplaying said template area without the deleted attribute.

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

determining if an attribute displayed in said template area has been selected;

determining if an object create command has been selected;

creating the object utilizing the selected attribute if the object create command has been selected; and

storing the created object in said database.

11. An apparatus for displaying attributes of a computer workstation, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

user controls for controlling a pointer;

a display device;

a database;

means for controlling said processor to display a template area on said display device, said template area comprising a template types pane and a template pane;

means for controlling said processor to retrieve each group of attributes of the computer workstation from said database;

means for controlling said processor to store each group of attributes in said memory;

means for controlling said processor to select one group from the group of attributes for display;

means for controlling said processor to retrieve sets of attributes from the selected group of attributes from said memory;

means for controlling said processor to select one set from the sets of attributes for display;

means for controlling said processor to retrieve individual attributes of the selected set of attributes from said memory;

means for controlling said processor to display icons representing the sets of attributes in said template types pane; and

means for controlling said processor to display icons representing the individual attributes of the selected set in said template pane.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising:

means for controlling said processor to determine if a new set of attributes has been selected for display;

means for controlling said processor to clear said template pane of individual attributes; and

means for controlling said processor to display the individual attributes of the newly selected set of attributes within said template pane.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising:

means for controlling said processor to cease the display of said template types area if the number of sets of attributes retrieved from said database equals one; and

means for controlling said processor to redisplay said template pane to include the section of said template area displaying said template types area.

14. The method according to claim 11 further comprising:

means, responsive to a template area control command, for controlling said processor to determine if said template area is open or closed;

means for controlling said processor to cease the display of said template area if said template area is open;

means for controlling said processor to display said template area if said template area is closed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising means for controlling said processor to cease the display of said template area on said display device if the number of attributes retrieved by said processor from said database equals one.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising:

means for controlling said processor to determine a state of a template area display command;

means for controlling said processor to cease the display of said template area on said display device if the state of said template area display command is close; and

means for controlling said processor to continue the display of said template area on said display device if the state of said template area display command is open.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising:

means for controlling said processor to determine if an action command has been selected;

means for controlling said processor to determine if the action command is a valid command for said template area; and

means for controlling said processor to execute said action command if it is a valid command for said template area.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising:

means for controlling said processor to determine if a view command has been selected;

means for controlling said processor to determine if the view command is a valid command for said template area; and

means for controlling said processor to execute said view command if it is a valid command for said template area.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising:

means for controlling said processor to determine if a display command has been selected;

means for controlling said processor to determine if the display command is a valid command for said template area; and

means for controlling said processor to execute said display command if it is a valid command for said template area.

20. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising:

means for controlling said processor to determine if an attribute displayed in said template area has been selected;

means for controlling said processor to determine if an attribute delete command has been selected;

means, responsive to the attribute delete command, for controlling said processor to delete the selected attribute from said database; and

means for controlling said processor to redisplay said template area on said display device without the deleted attribute.

21. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising:

means for controlling said processor to determine if an attribute displayed in said template area has been selected;

means for controlling said processor to determine if an object create command has been selected;

means, responsive to the object create command, for controlling said processor to create the object utilizing the selected attribute; and

means for controlling said processor to store the created object in said database.