Method, system and computer program product for providing a user interface with alternative display language choices

• US 6,496,844 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1998
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Hetherington, David James
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US09/211,810
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 707/536, 707/501.1, 707/526, 704/8, 345/703, 345/708, 345/808, 345/809
• US Class Current: 715/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/53 Processing of non-Latin text kana-to-kanji conversion G06F40/129; vowelisation G06F40/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

A user control is provided to selectively display and/or edit the contents of any field within a multi-field text string object having separate fields each containing a different representation of a text string (e.g., Kanji symbols, syllabary characters phonetically spelling the Kanji symbols, and latin characters phonetically spelling the Kanji symbols). The various fields thus encapsulate identification, meaning, and pronunciation information for a single text string. A controller interface between the user control and the multi-field text string object allows methods within the user control to be performed on the multi-field text string object. Contents of the currently selected display field for the multi-string text string object are displayed, together with a selection control. The selection control may be actuated to display an ordered list of the contents of all fields within the multi-field text string object, and the current display field altered by selecting a field from the displayed list. A user unable to recognize, understand, or pronounce a text string based on one representation of a text string may thus switch views to a different representation of the same text string familiar to the user. Contents of the currently selected display field may also be edited.

Claims

1. A method of changing the display of a multi-field text string, comprising:

providing an interface between a user control and a multi-field text string object having separate fields each containing a different representation of a text string;

displaying contents of a current display field for the multi-field text string object in the user control, wherein the step of displaying contents includes;

displaying a first character string from a first field comprising within the multi-field text string object characters employed by a first human language in which the text string was entered;

displaying a second character string from a second field within the multi-field text string object comprising characters employed by the first human language that phonetically spell the text string; and

displaying a third character string from a third field within the multi-field text string object comprising characters employed by a second human language that phonetically spell the text string;

providing a selection control for selectively altering a current display field for the multi-field text string object; and

responsive to user actuation of the selection control, displaying contents of all fields within the multi-field text string object as a list for user selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing an interface between a user control and a multi-field text string object having separate fields each containing a different representation of a text string further comprises:

storing a first character string comprising characters from a first character set employed by a first human language to represent the text string in the first human language within a first field of the multi-field text string object; and

storing a second character string comprising characters from a second character set employed by a second human language to represent the text string in the second human language within a second field of the multi-field text string object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying contents of a current display field for the multi-field text string object in the user control further comprises;

identifying which field of the multi-field text string object is the current display field;

retrieving a character string from the identified field; and

displaying the retrieved character string in a display area within the user control.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to user selection of a field within the multi-field text string object from the list as a new current display field, changing the current display field within the multi-field text string object to the new current display field.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

retrieving a character string from the new current display field; and

displaying the retrieved character string in a display area within the user control.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a character string from the current display field in a display area within the user control;

providing an edit control within the user control for selectively editing contents of the current display field;

responsive to user actuation of the selection control, receiving a new character string for entry in the current display field; and

storing the new character string in the current display field within the multi-field text string object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying contents of all fields within the multi-field text string object as a list for user selection further comprises:

displaying a first character string from a first field comprising within the multi-field text string object characters employed by a first human language in which the text string was entered; and

displaying a second character string from a second field within the multi-field text string object comprising characters which sound-map to characters within the first character string.

8. A system for changing the display of a multi-field text string, comprising:

means for providing an interface between a user control and a multi-field text string object having separate fields each containing a different representation of a text string;

means for displaying contents of a current display field for the multi-field text string object in the user control, wherein the step of displaying contents includes;

means for displaying a first character string from a first field comprising within the multi-field text string object characters employed by a first human language in which the text string was entered;

means for displaying a second character string from a second field within the multi-field text string object comprising characters employed by the first human language that phonetically spell the text string; and

means for displaying a third character string from a third field within the multi-field text string object comprising characters employed by a second human language that phonetically spell the text string;

means for providing a selection control for selectively altering a current display field for the multi-field text string object; and

means, responsive to user actuation of the selection control, for displaying contents of all fields within the multi-field text string object as a list for user selection.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for providing an interface between a user control and a multi-field text string object having separate fields each containing a different representation of a text string further comprises:

means for storing a first character string comprising characters from a first character set employed by a first human language to represent the text string in the first human language within a first field of the multi-field text string object; and

means for storing a second character string comprising characters from a second character set employed by a second human language to represent the text string in the second human language within a second field of the multi-field text string object.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for displaying contents of a current display field for the multi-field text string object in the user control further comprises:

means for identifying which field of the multi-field text string object is the current display field;

means for retrieving a character string from the identified field; and

means for displaying the retrieved character string in a display area within the user control.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means, responsive to user selection of a field within the multi-field text string object from the list as a new current display field, for changing the current display field within the multi-field text string object to the new current display field.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for retrieving a character string from the new current display field; and

means for displaying the retrieved character string in a display area within the user control.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for displaying a character string from the current display field in a display area within the user control;

means for providing an edit control within the user control for selectively editing contents of the current display field;

means, responsive to user actuation of the selection control, for receiving a new character string for entry in the current display field; and

means for storing the new character string in the current display field within the multi-field text string object.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for displaying contents of all fields within the multi-field text string object as a list for user selection further comprises:

means for displaying a first character string from a first field comprising within the multi-field text string object characters employed by a first human language in which the text string was entered; and

means for displaying a second character string from a second field within the multi-field text string object comprising characters which sound-map to characters within the first character string.

15. A computer program product within a computer usable medium for changing the display of a multi-field text string, comprising:

instructions for providing an interface between a user control and a multi-field text string object having separate fields each containing a different representation of a text string;

instructions for displaying contents of a current display field for the multi-field text string object in the user control, wherein the step of displaying contents includes;

instructions for displaying a first character string from a first field comprising within the multi-field text string object characters employed by a first human language in which the text string was entered;

instructions for displaying a second character string from a second field within the multi-field text string object comprising characters employed by the first human language that phonetically spell the text string; and

instructions for displaying a third character string from a third field within the multi-field text string object comprising characters employed by a second human language that phonetically spell the text string;

instructions for providing a selection control for selectively altering a current display field for the multi-field text string object; and

instructions, responsive to user actuation of the selection control, for displaying contents of all fields within the multi-field text string object as a list for user selection.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions for providing an interface between a user control and a multi-field text string object having separate fields each containing a different representation of a text string further comprises:

instructions for storing a first character string comprising characters from a first character set employed by a first human language to represent the text string in the first human language within a first field of the multi-field text string object; and

instructions for storing a second character string comprising characters from a second character set employed by a second human language to represent the text string in the second human language within a second field of the multi-field text string object.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions for displaying contents of a current display field for the multi-field text string object in the user control further comprises:

instructions for identifying which field of the multi-field text string object is the current display field;

instructions for retrieving a character string from the identified field; and

instructions for displaying the retrieved character string in a display area within the user control.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

instructions, responsive to user selection of a field within the multi-field text string object from the list as a new current display field, for changing the current display field within the multi-field text string object to the new current display field.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

instructions for retrieving a character string from the new current display field; and

instructions for displaying the retrieved character string in a display area within the user control.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

instructions for displaying a character string from the current display field in a display area within the user control;

instructions for providing an edit control within the user control for selectively editing contents of the current display field;

instructions, responsive to user actuation of the selection control, for receiving a new character string for entry in the current display field; and

instructions for storing the new character string in the current display field within the multi-field text string object.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions for displaying contents of all fields within the multi-field text string object as a list for user selection further comprises:

instructions for displaying a first character string from a first field comprising within the multi-field text string object characters employed by a first human language in which the text string was entered; and

instructions for displaying a second character string from a second field within the multi-field text string object comprising characters which sound-map to characters within the first character string.