Formatted-item list control

• US 6,964,010 B1
• Filed: 12/14/1998
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sharp, Frederick Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US09/211,712
• Time in Patent Office: 2,521 Days
• Field of Search: 714/46, 714/48, 707/531, 707/507, 345/710, 715505-507, 715/517, 715/526, 715/531, 715/710
• US Class Current: 715/225
• 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 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture, and a memory structure for displaying diagnostic messages is disclosed.

The method comprises the steps of accepting user input into the computer, generating at least one message wherein the message comprises an associated message context, grouping the diagnostic messages according to the message context, and presenting the grouped messages to the user. In one embodiment, the messages are diagnostic messages that are generated for each instance where user input data violates an input constraint, and the messages are grouped according to the violated input constraint. The article of manufacture comprises a program storage device tangibly embodying instructions for performing the method steps defined above.

The apparatus comprises a means for accepting user input into the, computer, means for generating at least one message associated with a message context, means for grouping messages according to the message context, and means for presenting the grouped messages to the user.

Claims

1. A method of displaying messages to a user on a computer, comprising the steps of:

accepting user input data into the computer;

generating at least one diagnostic message based on the user input data, the diagnostic message comprising an associated message context;

grouping message according to the message context; and

presenting the grouped diagnostic message to the user;

wherein the step of accepting user input data into the computer comprises the step of presenting a component to the user, the component comprising an input area for accepting the user input data, wherein the component is associated with a user input type and an input constraint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the grouped diagnostic messages are presented to the user in a text viewing area, and the method further comprises the step of line wrapping the diagnostic messages in the text viewing area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the grouped diagnostic messages are presented to the user in a text viewing area, and the step of presenting the grouped diagnostic messages to the user comprises the steps of:

listing the associated message context in the text viewing area; and

listing all messages associated with the message context adjacent the message context in the text viewing area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting the grouped diagnostic messages to the user comprises the steps of:

listing the user input type in the text viewing area; and

listing all messages violating the input constraint adjacent to the user input type in the text viewing area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

accepting a selected group message from the grouped diagnostic messages presented to the user; and

displaying the component and the user input violating the input constraint to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating a least one diagnostic message based on the user input comprises the step of enforcing an assistance policy associated with the component when the user input data violates the input constraint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the grouped messages are presented to the user in a text viewing area, and the method further comprises the step of formatting the diagnostic message associated with the context in a textual structure.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the grouped diagnostic messages are presented to the user in a text viewing area, and the apparatus further comprises means for formatting the diagnostic message associated with the context in a textual structure.

8. An apparatus for displaying messages to a user on a computer, comprising the steps of:

means for accepting user input data into the computer;

means for generating at least one diagnostic message based on the user input data, the diagnostic message comprising an associated message context;

means for grouping message according to the message context; and

means for presenting the grouped diagnostic message to the user;

wherein the step of accepting user input data into the computer comprises the step of presenting a component to the user, the component comprising an input area for accepting the user input data, wherein the component is associated with a user input type and an input constraint.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the grouped diagnostic messages are presented to the user in a box having a text viewing area, and the apparatus further comprises means for line wrapping the diagnostic messages in the text viewing area.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the grouped diagnostic messages are presented to the user in a box having a text viewing area, and the means for presenting the grouped diagnostic messages to the user comprises:

means for listing the associated message context in the text viewing area; and

means for listing all messages associated with the context adjacent the message context in the text viewing area.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for presenting the grouped diagnostic messages to the user comprises:

means for listing the user input type in the text viewing area; and

means for listing all messages violating the input constraint adjacent to the user input type in the text viewing area.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

means for accepting a selected group diagnostic message from the grouped diagnostic messages presented to the user; and

means for displaying the component and the user input violating the input constraint to the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for generating a least one diagnostic message based on the user data input comprises means for enforcing an assistance policy associated with the component when the user input violates the input constraint.

16. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the grouped diagnostic messages are presented to the user in a box having a text viewing area, and the method steps further comprises the method step of line wrapping the diagnostic messages in the text viewing area.

17. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the grouped diagnostic messages are presented to the user in a box having a text viewing area, and the method step of presenting the grouped diagnostic messages to the user comprises the method steps of:

listing the associated message context in the text viewing area; and

listing all messages associated with the message context adjacent the message context in the text viewing area.

15. A program storage device, readable by a computer having a processor, a memory and a data storage device, tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer perform method steps of displaying diagnostic messages to a user on a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting user input data into the computer;

generating at least one diagnostic message based on the user input data, the diagnostic message comprising an associated message context;

grouping message according to the message context; and

presenting the grouped diagnostic message to the user;

wherein the step of accepting user input data into the computer comprises the step of presenting a component to the user, the component comprising an input area for accepting the user input data, wherein the component is associated with a user input type and an input constraint.

18. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the method step of presenting the grouped diagnostic messages to the user comprises the method steps of:

listing the user input type in the text viewing area; and

listing all diagnosis messages violating the constraint adjacent to the user input type in the text viewing area.

19. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the method steps further comprise the method steps of:

accepting a selected group diagnostic message from the grouped diagnostic messages presented to the user; and

displaying the component and the user input violating the constraint to the user.

20. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the method step of generating a least one diagnostic message for each instance where the user input violates an input constraint comprises the method step of enforcing an assistance policy associated with the component when the user input violates the input constraint.

21. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the grouped diagnostic messages are presented to the user in a text viewing area, and the method steps further comprises the method step of formatting the diagnostic message associated with the context in a textual structure.