Automated help system for reference information

• US 6,467,081 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vaidyanathan, Shankar, Lucido, Philip, Bhatia, Sundeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US09/993,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 717/100, 717/107, 717/168, 717/123, 707/203, 707/511
• US Class Current: 717/123
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Automatic parameter help is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises an editor to provide for developing source code for a computer program, where the source code includes an identifier; and an automatic help module invoked upon a predetermined event by the editor. The automatic help module is operative to display reference information associated with the identifier.

Claims

1. A system that allows a user to create content which includes identifiers and which provides a help system that will display information relevant to the identifiers in order to assist the user in creating the content, the system comprising:

an editor to create content which includes an identifier entered by a user as part of the content; and

an automatic help module invoked upon a predetermined event generated in response to user interaction with the content and operative to display reference information regarding the identifier, the automatic help module being adapted to draw the reference information from at least one of a plurality of sources.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the reference information comprises information associated with the identifier that assists the user in correctly entering a statement containing the identifier.

3. The system recited in claim 2, wherein the information is drawn from a pre-created database.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the reference information comprises information drawn from the content entered by the user.

5. The system recited in claim 4, wherein the reference information is drawn from a store that is dynamically updated to include information entered by the user as part of the content.