Programmable tree viewer graphical user interface with integrated control panel

• US 6,348,935 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rahn, Michael D., Malacinski, Andrei S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/200,618
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 345/853, 345/855, 345/840, 345/854, 345/835, 345/779, 345/781, 345/784, 345/804, 345/825, 345/841, 345/866
• US Class Current: 715/853
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Composite graphical user interfaces and associated methods and computer program products are provided for representing and manipulating a set of hierarchical data on a computer display device. These composite graphical user interfaces include a display window which is disposed on a computer display device, a tree view display which is disposed within the display window, and a tree view control panel disposed within the display window adjacent the tree view display which includes a plurality of user selectable indicia that select a corresponding one of a plurality of functions which modify the tree view display. The plurality of user selectable indicia are selectable from a predefined set of user selectable indicia, thereby allowing an application developer or user to customize the control functions made available on the tree view control panel. In these composite graphical user interfaces, the tree view display depicts the set of hierarchical data in a tree representation having a root level and at least one lower level, and each level of the tree representation includes at least one branch containing a portion of the set of hierarchical data. The tree view display and the tree view control panel are disposed within the display window so as to appear to the user as a single integrated graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A composite graphical user interface for representing and manipulating a set of hierarchical data on a computer display device, the composite graphical user interface comprising:

a display window on the computer display device;

a tree view display disposed within the display window, wherein the tree view display depicts the set of hierarchical data in a tree representation having a root level and at least one lower level, and wherein each level of the tree representation includes at least one branch containing a portion of the set of hierarchical data; and

a tree view control panel disposed within the display window adjacent the tree view display, wherein the tree view control panel comprises a plurality of user selectable indicia which select a corresponding one of a plurality of functions which modify the tree view display, and wherein the plurality of user selectable indicia are selectable from a predefined set of user selectable indicia, and wherein the tree view display and the tree view control panel appear to the user as a single integrated graphical user interface.

2. The composite graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said plurality of functions are exclusively associated with the tree view display.

3. The composite graphical user interface of claim 2, wherein the tree view control panel comprises a toolbar and wherein the user selectable indicia comprise a plurality of function buttons.

4. The composite graphical user interface of claim 3, wherein one of the plurality of functions sub-sets the tree representation at a branch below the root level.

5. The composite graphical user interface of claim 3, further comprising selection means operably associated with the tree view display for selecting at least one branch of the tree representation and wherein a first of the plurality of functions corresponding to the function buttons modifies the hierarchical data displayed in the tree representation, and wherein a second of the plurality of functions corresponding to the function buttons modifies how the hierarchical data in the tree representation is displayed.

6. The composite graphical user interface of claim 5, wherein said first of the plurality of functions is selected from the set of:

deleting the portion of the hierarchical data selected by the selection means;

inserting hierarchical data adjacent the branch selected by the selection means;

changing the color of at least one branch;

changing the font of at least one branch;

changing the font size of at least one branch.

7. The composite graphical user interface of claim 5, wherein said second of the plurality of functions is selected from the set of:

sorting the hierarchical data displayed in the tree representation based on a selected criteria;

filtering the hierarchical data displayed in the tree representation based on a selected criteria;

expanding the tree representation to display all branches on all levels;

expanding the tree representation to display all branches one level below the currently selected branch;

expanding the tree representation to display all branches below the currently selected branch;

expanding all branches of the tree representation that are at the same level as the currently selected branch to display all branches one level down;

collapsing the tree representation to only display branches at the root level;

collapsing the tree representation to hide all branches below the currently selected branch;

collapsing the tree representation to hide all branches below the currently selected branch and all branches below the branches at the same level as the currently selected branch

sub-setting the tree representation at the level of the currently selected branch.

8. The composite graphical user interface of claim 5, wherein a third of the plurality of functions corresponding to the function buttons moves the selection means from a currently selected branch to a different branch in the tree representation.

9. The composite graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein said third of the plurality of functions is selected from the set of:

scrolls down the tree representation to the next branch of the same level;

scrolls up the tree representation to the next branch of the same level.

10. The composite graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein the tree representation further comprises graphical indicia which reflect information regarding the tree representation, and wherein a fourth of the plurality of functions corresponding to the function buttons modifies the graphical indicia.

11. The composite graphical user interface of claim 3, wherein the computer display window further comprises a horizontal scroll bar and a vertical scroll bar, and wherein the computer display window is horizontally and vertically extendable and retractable.

12. A programmable user interface object for representing and manipulating a set of hierarchical data associated with a computer application, the programmable user interface object comprising:

a tree viewer object for depicting the set of hierarchical data within a display window in a tree view display having a root level and at least one lower level, wherein each level of the tree view display includes at least one branch containing a portion of the set of hierarchical data;

a tree view control object integrated with the tree viewer object such that the tree viewer object and the tree view control object comprise a composite user interface object, wherein the tree view control object comprises a plurality of functions for modifying the tree view display and a plurality of user selectable indicia which are displayed in a control panel within the display window and which select a corresponding one of the plurality of functions, and wherein the control panel is displayed adjacent the tree view display within the display window so as to appear to the user as an integrated tree view display and associated control panel; and

a common interface mechanism for associating the tree viewer object and the tree view control object with the computer application.

13. The user interface object of claim 12, wherein the plurality of functions are exclusively associated with the tree view display, and wherein the plurality of user selectable control indicia are selectable from a predefined set of user selectable indicia.

14. The user interface object of claim 13, wherein the tree view control panel comprises a toolbar and wherein the user selectable indicia comprise a plurality of function buttons.

15. The user interface object of claim 14, further comprising selection means operably associated with the tree viewer object for selecting at least one branch of the tree view display and wherein a first of the plurality of functions corresponding to the function buttons modifies the hierarchical data displayed in the tree view display, a second of the plurality of functions corresponding to the function buttons modifies how the hierarchical data in the tree view display is displayed, and a third of the plurality of functions corresponding to the function buttons moves the selection means from a currently selected branch to a different branch in the tree view display.

16. A method for displaying and manipulating a set of hierarchical data on a computer display device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a display window on the computer display device;

displaying a tree view display within the display window, wherein the tree view display depicts the set of hierarchical data in a tree representation having a root level and at least one lower level, and wherein each level of the tree representation includes at least one branch containing a portion of the set of hierarchical data;

selecting, from a predefined set of user selectable indicia, user selectable indicia for display on a tree view control panel;

displaying the tree view control panel within the display window adjacent the tree view display such that the tree view display and the tree view control panel appear to the user as a single integrated graphical user interface, wherein the tree view control panel includes the selected user selectable indicia;

accepting user input for selection of one of the user selectable indicia which are displayed on the tree view control panel; and

activating the one of a plurality of functions corresponding to the user selectable indicia selected by the user so as to modify the tree view display.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of functions are exclusively associated with the tree view display.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the tree view control panel comprises a toolbar and wherein the user selectable indicia comprise a plurality of function buttons.

19. A computer program product for displaying and manipulating a set of hierarchical data on a computer display device, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

computer-readable program code means for providing a display window on the computer display device;

computer-readable program code means for displaying a tree view display within the display window, wherein the tree view display depicts the set of hierarchical data in a tree representation having a root level and at least one lower level, and wherein each level of the tree representation includes at least one branch containing a portion of the set of hierarchical data;

computer-readable program code means for selecting, from a predefined set of user selectable indicia, user selectable indicia for display on a tree view control panel;

computer-readable program code means for displaying the tree view control panel within the display window adjacent the tree view display such that the tree view display and the tree view control panel appear to the user as a single integrated graphical user interface, wherein the tree view control panel includes the selected user selectable indicia;

computer-readable program code means for accepting user input for selection of one of the user selectable indicia which are displayed on the tree view control panel; and

computer-readable program code means for activating the one of a plurality of functions corresponding to the user selectable indicia selected by the user so as to modify the tree view display.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said plurality of functions are exclusively associated with the tree view display.

21. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the tree view control panel comprises a toolbar and wherein the user selectable indicia comprise a plurality of function buttons.