System for maintaining a user-modifiable confirmation message configuration record that specifying with respect to a plurality of operations whether to communicate a confirmation message

• US 6,345,318 B1
• Filed: 10/07/1998
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gamon, Owen John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US09/167,788
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 345/356, 345/347
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method and system for presenting only those confirmation messages that the user would like to see. In the preferred embodiment, a control program allows the user to specify categories of operations in a category list, to select which categories receive confirmation messages, and to select which categories of operations have deleted data sent to a recycle bin. In the preferred embodiment, a control program intercepts all confirmation messages and determines whether the operation that caused the confirmation message is in a category list. If the operation is in the category list, the control program automatically responds to the message based on the response listed in the category list, so that the user is free from needing to deal with the message. The control program also determines whether to send deleted data to the recycle bin based on an indicator in the category list. Provision is made for the control program to either be an application that intercepts messages that the operating system sends, or for the control program to be part of the operating system.

Claims

1. A method for providing configurable categories of confirmation messages, comprising:

maintaining a user-modifiable confirmation message configuration record, said confirmation message configuration record specifying, with respect to a plurality of operations, whether a corresponding configuration message is to be communicated to the user;

intercepting a confirmation message;

deciding whether the confirmation message is to be communicated to the user based on information in said user-modifiable confirmation message configuration record; and

selectively communicating the confirmation message to the user based on the results of said step of deciding whether the confirmation message is to be communicated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the confirmation message is not to be communicated to the user, automatically responding to the confirmation message with a response specified by said confirmation message configuration record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmation message configuration record comprises a list of operations and a list of responses to the operations.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

allowing a user to modify the list of operations.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

allowing a user to modify the list of responses.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the confirmation message configuration record further comprises a list of recycle bin options.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether deleted data associated with the operation is to be sent to a recycle bin based on the recycle bin options;

when the recycle bin options indicates that the deleted data is to be sent to the recycle bin, sending the deleted data to the recycle bin; and

when the recycle bin options indicates that the deleted data is not to be sent to the recycle bin, refraining from sending the deleted data to the recycle bin.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the deciding step further comprises:

searching the confirmation message for keywords.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a default operation specification in said confirmation message configuration record, said default operation specification specifying a default response to be taken if the operation is not otherwise specified in said confirmation message configuration record;

when the operation is not otherwise specified in said confirmation message configuration record, responding to the confirmation message based on the default response associated with the default operation.

10. A computer system that provides configurable categories of confirmation messages, comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor;

a user-modifiable confirmation message configuration record storable in said memory, said confirmation message configuration record specifying, with respect to a plurality of operations, whether a corresponding configuration message is to be communicated to the user; and

a control program residing in the memory and executing on the processor, wherein the control program intercepts a confirmation message, decides whether the confirmation message is to be communicated to the user based on information in said user-modifiable confirmation message configuration record, and selectively communicates the confirmation message to the user based on the results of deciding whether the confirmation message is to be communicated.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the control program further:

when the confirmation message is not to be communicated to the user, automatically responds to the confirmation message with a response specified by said confirmation message configuration record.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the confirmation message configuration record comprises a list of operations and a list of responses to the operations.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the control program further:

allows a user to modify the list of operations.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the control program further:

allows a user to modify the list of responses.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the confirmation message configuration record further comprises a list of recycle bin options.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the control program further:

determines whether deleted data associated with the operation is to be sent to a recycle bin based on the recycle bin options, when the recycle bin options indicates that the deleted data is to be sent to the recycle bin, sends the deleted data to the recycle bin, and when the recycle bin options indicates that the deleted data is not to be sent to the recycle bin, refrains from sending the deleted data to the recycle bin.

17. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the control program further:

searches the confirmation message for keywords.

18. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the control program further:

maintains a default operation specification in said confirmation message configuration record, said default operation specification specifying a default response to be taken if the operation is not otherwise specified in said confirmation message configuration record, and when the operation is not otherwise specified in said confirmation message configuration record, responds to the confirmation message based on the default response associated with the default operation.

19. A program product that provides configurable categories of confirmation messages, comprising:

a control program that;

(a) intercepts a confirmation message,

(b) decides whether the confirmation message is to be communicated to the user based on information in a user-modifiable confirmation message configuration record, said confirmation message configuration record specifying, with respect to a plurality of operations, whether a corresponding configuration message is to be communicated to the user, and

(c) selectively communicates the confirmation message to the user based on the results of deciding whether the confirmation message is to be communicated; and

signal-bearing media bearing the control program.

20. The program product of claim 19, wherein the control program further:

when the confirmation message is not to be communicated to the user, automatically responds to the confirmation message with a response specified by said confirmation message configuration record.

21. The program product of claim 19, wherein the confirmation message configuration record comprises a list of operations and a list of responses to the operations.

22. The program product of claim 21, wherein the control program further:

allows a user to modify the list of operations.

23. The program product of claim 21, wherein the control program further:

allows a user to modify the list of responses.

24. The program product of claim 21, wherein the confirmation message configuration record further comprises a list of recycle bin options.

25. The program product of claim 24, wherein the control program further:

determines whether deleted data associated with the operation is to be sent to a recycle bin based on the recycle bin options, when the recycle bin options indicates that the deleted data is to be sent to the recycle bin, sends the deleted data to the recycle bin, and when the recycle bin options indicates that the deleted data is not to be sent to the recycle bin, refrains from sending the deleted data to the recycle bin.

26. The program product of claim 19, wherein the control program further:

searches the confirmation message for keywords.

27. The program product of claim 19, wherein the control program further:

maintains a default operation specification in said confirmation message configuration record, said default operation specification specifying a default response to be taken if the operation is not otherwise specified in said confirmation message configuration record, and when the operation is not otherwise specified in said confirmation message configuration record, responds to the confirmation message based on the default response associated with the default operation.

28. A program product that provides configurable categories of confirmation messages, comprising:

a control program that determines whether an user-requested operation is in a user-modifiable category list of destructive operations, said user-modifiable category list comprising a plurality of destructive operations and corresponding responses, and when the operation is in the category list, finds a response in the category list, and decides whether a confirmation message is to be communicated to the user based on the response; and

signal-bearing media bearing the control program.

29. The program product of claim 28, wherein the control program further:

when the confirmation message is to be communicated to the user, communicates the confirmation message to the user.

30. The program product of claim 28, wherein the control program further:

when the confirmation message is not to be communicated to the user, the control program completes the user-requested operation.

31. The program product of claim 28, wherein the category list comprises a list of operations and a list of responses, wherein the responses indicate whether a confirmation is to be communicated to the user.

32. The program product of claim 31, wherein the control program further:

allows a user to modify the list of operations.

33. The program product of claim 31, wherein the control program further:

allows a user to modify the list of responses.

34. The program product of claim 31, wherein the category list further comprises a list of recycle bin options.

35. The program product of claim 34, wherein the control program further:

determines whether deleted data associated with the operation is to be sent to a recycle bin based on the recycle bin options, when the recycle bin options indicates that the deleted data is to be sent to the recycle bin, sends the deleted data to the recycle bin, and when the recycle bin options indicates that the deleted data is not to be sent to the recycle bin, refrains from sending the deleted data to the recycle bin.

36. The program product of claim 28, wherein the control program further:

searches the user-requested operation for keywords.

37. The program product of claim 28, wherein the control program further:

when the operation is not in the category list, searches the category list for a default operation, and when the category list contains a default operation, determines whether to communicate the confirmation message to the user based on a default response associated with the default operation.