Method and apparatus of indicating steps in a task which have been completed

• US 6,286,137 B1
• Filed: 04/10/1998
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bleizeffer, Terry M., Shough, David E., Church, Nathan D., Hughes, Virginia W. Jr., Devine, Kathryn W., Kilburn, Barbara J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US09/058,172
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 395/704, 705/7, 705/43, 345/339, 345/474, 345/333, 345/118, 717/4, 717/11, 717/1, 709/101, 376/216
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A method and apparatus for compensating for deficiencies existing in programs to assist a user through installing a program. Polling the status of jobs requested by the user of a workstation is done so that the user may eventually be provided with status reports regarding the jobs being executed. The user can set parameters during loading of SMPE libraries, install, migrate, fallback, remigrate and update procedures for the program. An indication is provided to a user of a workstation as steps of a task have been completed by the user. The health of catalog and directory databases may be verified before a migrate procedure is performed. The user of the program can be informed regarding parameters whose default values have changed, which parameters are of particular concern to the specific user.

Claims

1. A method for indicating progress through steps of a program procedure on a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

a) displaying at least one step on a display, each step being represented by a respective button on the display, each button being disposed upon a respective text field, wherein the text field is larger than the button and is in contrast to a background of the display and the button, the text field initially being hidden;

b) showing the text field behind the button only when a step represented by the button is complete, thereby providing a border around the button and providing an indication that the step has been completed; and

c) repeating step b) for each step in the program procedure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the text field is in a color different from a background color of the display and different from a color of the button.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the least one step is related to a single program procedure.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the program procedure is one of load System Modification Program Extended (SMPE) libraries, install, migrate, fallback, remigrate and update.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the program procedure is a procedure performed on DB2™

.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer is operating under Windows NT™

.

7. A computer system for indicating progress through steps of a program procedure, the system comprising:

a computer;

a display for displaying at least one step on a display, each step being represented by a respective button on the display, each button being disposed upon a respective text field, wherein the text field is larger than the button and is in contrast to a background of the display and the button, the text field initially being hidden; and

means for showing the text field behind the button only when a step represented by the button is complete, thereby providing a border around the button and providing an indication that the step has been completed.

8. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein the text field is in a color different from a background color of the display and different from a color of the button.

9. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein the at least one step is related to a single program procedure.

10. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein the program procedure is one of load System Modification Program Extended (SMPE) libraries, install, migrate, fallback, remigrate and update.

11. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein the program procedure is a procedure performed on DB2™

.

12. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein the computer is operating under Windows NT™

.

13. A computer program to be performed on or with the aid of a computer system for indicating progress through steps of a program procedure on a computer, the computer program comprising the steps of:

a) displaying at least one step on a display, each step being represented by a respective button on the display, each button being disposed upon a respective text field, wherein the text field is larger than the button and is in contrast to a background of the display and the button, the text field initially being hidden;

b) showing the text field behind the button only when a step represented by the button is complete, thereby providing a border around the button and providing an indication that the step has been completed; and

c) repeating step b) for each step in the program procedure.

14. The computer program according to claim 13, wherein the text field is in a color different from a background color of the display and different from a color of the button.

15. The computer program according to claim 13, wherein the at least one step is related to a single program procedure.

16. The computer program according to claim 13, wherein the program procedure is one of install System Modification Program Extended (SMPE) libraries, install, migrate, fallback, remigrate and update.

17. The computer program according to claim 13, wherein the program procedure is a procedure performed on DB2™

.

18. The computer program according to claim 13, wherein the computer is operating under Windows NT™

.

19. A computer-readable medium containing a program for performing a method for indicating progress through steps of a program procedure on a computer, comprising the steps of:

a) displaying at least one step on a display, each step being represented by a respective button on the display, each button being disposed upon a respective text field, wherein the text field is larger than the button and is in contrast to a background of the display and the button, the text field initially being hidden;

b) showing the text field behind the button only when a step represented by the button is complete, thereby providing a border around the button and providing an indication that the step has been completed; and

c) repeating step b) for each step in the program procedure.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the text field is in a color different from a background color of the display and different from a color of the button.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the at least one step is related to a single program procedure.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the program procedure is one of load System Modification Program Extended (SMPE) libraries, install, migrate, fallback, remigrate and update.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the program procedure is a procedure performed on DB2™

.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the computer is operating under Windows NT™

.