User defined dynamic help

• US 6,339,436 B1
• Filed: 12/18/1998
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dodson, John Paul, Amro, Hatim Yousef
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/216,549
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 345/338, 345/336, 345/337, 345/347, 345/333, 345/334, 345/335, 345/340, 345/346, 345/708, 345/705, 345/702, 345/762, 345/808, 345/765, 345/714, 345/781, 345/804, 707/512, 709/329, 709/331, 709/315, 709/318
• US Class Current: 715/714
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for providing user-defined dynamic help text which is displayed integrally with the application. The method includes utilizing a monitoring program to monitor a plurality of events for the application; determining if a current event of the plurality of events is a spy event; if the current event of the plurality of events is a spy event, then displaying a help text corresponding to the current event of the plurality of events. In the preferred embodiment, the method also determines if the current event of the plurality of events is a user event if the current event is not a spy event. If the current event is a user event, then the help text corresponding to the current event of the plurality of events is updated according to a user text update. The method of the present invention uses a monitoring program which allows users to create customized help texts for any application. In the preferred embodiment, the monitoring program of the present invention uses spy threads and thus is non-intrusive to the application. In the preferred embodiment, because the monitoring program is a separate application which runs in synchronization with the application, the present invention may be used with any application.

Claims

1. A method of providing user-defined dynamic help text for an application, comprising the steps of:

(a) utilizing a monitoring program to monitor a plurality of events for the application;

(b) determining if a current event of the plurality of events is either a spy event or a user event;

(c) searching a help text file for a help text corresponding to the current event of the plurality of events if the current event of the plurality of events is the spy event, wherein if the help text is found, then displaying the help text in a text area; and

(d) getting a user-defined text update and updating the help text file according to the user-defined text update if the current event of the plurality of events is the user event, wherein the user event indicates a user'"'"'s wish to edit the help text file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring program is a program separate from the application, wherein the monitoring program runs synchronized with the application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current event of the plurality of events is obtained with a spy thread.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the help text is displayed integrally with the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if the help text corresponding to the current event of the plurality of events is not found, then a blank window is displayed.

6. A method for providing a user-defined dynamic help text for an application, comprising the steps of:

(a) utilizing a monitoring program to monitor a plurality of events for the application,

wherein the monitoring program is a program separate from the application,

wherein the monitoring program runs synchronized with the application;

(b) determining if a current event of the plurality of events is a spy event or a user event,

wherein the current event of the plurality of events is obtained with a spy thread;

(c) searching a help text file for a help text corresponding to the current event of the plurality of events if the current event of the plurality of events is the spy event,

wherein if the text is found, then display the help text in a text area,

wherein the help text is displayed integrally with the application,

wherein if the help text corresponding to the current event of the plurality of events is not found, then a blank window is displayed; and

(d) getting a user-defined text update and updating the help text file according to the user-defined text update if the current event is the user event,

wherein the user event indicates a user'"'"'s wish to edit the help text file.

7. A computer readable medium with computer instructions for providing user-defined dynamic help text for an application, comprising the instructions for:

(a) utilizing a monitoring program to monitor a plurality of events for the application;

(b) determining if a current event of the plurality of events is either a spy event of a user event;

(c) searching a help text file for a help text corresponding to the current event of the plurality of events if the current event of the plurality of events is the spy event,

wherein if the help text is found, then displaying the help text in a text area;

(d) getting a user-defined text update and updating the help text file according to the user-defined text update if the current event of the plurality of events is the user event,

wherein the user event indicates a user'"'"'s wish to edit the help text file.