Method and system for reducing the horizontal space required for displaying a column containing text data

• US 7,168,039 B2
• Filed: 06/02/1998
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bertram, Randal Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, CONG LAC T
• Application Number:
  US09/089,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20010021936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,157 Days
• Field of Search: 707/526, 707/508, 707/509, 707/517, 707/519, 707/534, 707/540, 707/503, 715/526, 715/539, 715/534
• US Class Current: 715/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A method and system for reducing an amount of horizontal space required when displaying a plurality of columns on a display screen is disclosed. The at least one column of the plurality of columns has at least one entry containing text data. The method and system include obtaining the at least one entry from the at least one column, and abbreviating a width of the at least one entry, determining if there is another entry containing text data. The method and system further include repeating the steps of obtaining the at least one entry, abbreviating the at least one entry and determining if there is another entry until all of the at least one entries are abbreviated. The method and system further include displaying the at least one column having the at least one abbreviated entry.

Claims

1. A computer generated method for reducing an amount of horizontal space required when displaying a plurality of column on a display screen, at least one column of the plurality of columns including at least one entry containing text data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) defining a first character type as a space, a second character type as a lower case vowel and a third character type as a lower case letter;

(b) obtaining the at least one entry; and

(c) abbreviating a width of the at least one entry by

(c1) removing at least one of the first character type if the at least one entry includes the at least one of the first character type;

(c2) removing at least one of the second character type if the at least one entry includes the at least one of the second character type; and

(c3) removing at least one of the third character type if the at least one entry includes the at least one of the third character type.

2. A method for reducing an amount of horizontal space required when displaying a plurality of columns on a display screen, at least one column of the plurality of columns having at least one entry containing text data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining the at least one entry from the at least one column;

(b) abbreviating a width of the at least one entry;

(c) determining if there is another entry containing text data;

(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until all of the at least one entry of the at least

one column are abbreviated; and

(e) displaying the at least one column having the at least one abbreviated entry.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one entry includes at least one column heading.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one column heading includes a first plurality of characters;

and wherein abbreviating step (b) further includes the step of;

(b1) removing at least one character of a second plurality of characters if the at least one column heading includes the at least one character.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the second plurality of characters further includes a plurality of lower case vowels.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one column heading includes a plurality of characters, the plurality of characters being capable of containing at least one lower case character not a lower case vowel;

and wherein abbreviating step (b) further includes the step of;

(b1) removing the at least one lower case character if the at least one column heading includes the at least one lower case character.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one column heading includes a plurality of characters, the plurality of characters being capable of containing at least one space;

and wherein abbreviating step (b) further includes the step of;

(b1) removing the at least one space if the at least one column heading includes the at least one space.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the abbreviating step further includes the steps of sequentially removing predetermined individual characters until the at least one entry has a width equivalent to a predetermined number of characteristics.

9. A method for reducing an amount of horizontal space required when displaying a plurality of column on a display screen, at least one column of the plurality of columns including at least one entry containing text data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a character type;

(b) obtaining the at least one entry; and

(c) abbreviating a width of the at least one entry by

(c1) removing at least one character having a first character type if the at least one entry includes the at least one character and if the character type is the first character type;

(c2) removing at least one lower case character if the at least one entry includes the at least one lower case character and if the character type is a second character type, the second character type being a lower case character; and

(c3) removing at least one space if the at least one entry includes the at least one space and if the character type is a third character type, the third character type being a space.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one entry further includes at least one column heading.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for each of the at least one column for a particular character type of the plurality of character types.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

(e) repeating steps (a), (b), and (c) for each of the at least one columns for each of the plurality of character types.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one character of the plurality of characters removing step (c1) further includes the step of:

(c1i) removing the at least one character having the first character type if the at least one column heading includes the at least one character and if the at least one column heading is wider than a particular column width.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one lower case character removing step (c2) further includes the step of:

(c2i) removing the at least one lower case character if the at least one column heading includes the at least one lower case character, if the character type is the second character type, and if the at least one column heading is wider than the particular column width.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one space removing step (c3) further includes the step of:

(c3i) removing at least one space if the at least one column heading includes the at least one space, if the character type is the third character type, and if the at least one column heading is wider than the particular column width.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the abbreviating step (c) further comprises the step of:

(c4) truncating the at least one column heading if the width of the at least one column heading is greater than the particular column width and if the at least one column heading does not contain any character of the first character type, the second character type, or the third character type.

17. A computer-readable medium containing a program for reducing an amount of horizontal space required when displaying a plurality of columns on a display screen, the plurality of columns including at least one column having at least one entry containing text data, the program comprising instructions for:

obtaining the at least one entry of the at least one column;

abbreviating a width of the at least one entry;

determining if there is another entry containing text data;

repeating the instructions for abbreviating the at least one entry and determining if there is another entry containing text data until all of the at least one entry is abbreviated; and

displaying the at least one abbreviate entry of the at least one column.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the at least one entry includes at least one column heading.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the at least one column heading include a first plurality of characters;

and wherein the instructions for abbreviating the at least one column heading further includes instructions for;

removing at least one character of a second plurality of characters if the at least one column heading includes the at least one character.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the second plurality of characters further includes a plurality of lower case vowels.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the at least one column heading includes a first plurality of characters, the plurality of characters being capable of containing at least one lower case character;

and wherein the instructions for abbreviating the column heading further includes instructions for;

removing the at least one lower case character if the at least one column heading includes the at least one lower case character.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the at least one column heading includes a first plurality of characters, the plurality of characters being capable of containing at least one space;

and wherein the instructions for abbreviating the at least one column heading further includes instructions for;

removing the at least one space if the at least one column heading includes the at least one space.

23. A computer-readable medium containing a program for reducing an amount of horizontal space used when displaying a plurality of columns on a display screen, at least one column of the plurality of columns having at least one entry containing text data, the at least one entry including a first plurality of characters, the program comprising instructions for:

(a) determining a character type;

(b) obtaining the at least one entry of the at least one column; and

(c) abbreviating a width of the at least one entry by

(c1) removing at least one character of a second plurality of characters having a first character type if the at least one entry includes the at least one character and if the character type is the first character type;

(c2) removing at least one lower case character if the at least one entry includes the at least one lower case character and if the character type is a second character type, the second character type being a lower case character; and

(c3) removing at least one space if the at least one entry includes the at least one space and if the character type is a third character type, the third character type being a space.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the at least one entry includes at least one column heading.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 further comprising instructions for:

(d) repeating the instructions (b) and (c) for a particular character type of the plurality of character types.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 further comprising instructions for:

(e) repeating the instructions (a), (b), and (c) for each of the plurality of columns for each of the plurality of character types.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 wherein the instructions for removing the at least one character of the plurality of characters (c1) further includes instructions for:

(c1i) removing the at least one character of a second plurality of characters having the first character type if the at least one column heading includes the at least one character, if the character type is the first character type, and if the at least one column heading is wider than a particular column width.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the instructions for removing the at least one lower case character (c2) further includes instructions for:

(c2i) removing at least one lower case character if the at least one column heading includes the at least one lower case character, if the character type is the second character type, and if the at least one column heading is wider than the particular column width.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the instructions for removing the at least one space (c3) further includes instructions for:

(c3i) removing at least one space if the at least one column heading includes the at least one space, if the character type is the third character type, and if the at least one column heading is wider than the particular column width.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the instructions for abbreviating the at least one column heading (c) further includes instructions for:

(c4) truncating the at least one column heading if the at least one column heading is wider than the particular column width and if the at least one column heading does not contain any character of the first character type, the second character type or the third character type.

31. A system for reducing an amount of horizontal space used when displaying a plurality of column on a display screen, at least one column of the plurality of columns having at least one entry containing text data the system comprising:

means for obtaining the at least one entry of the at least one column;

means coupled with the obtaining means for abbreviating a width of the at least one entry; and

means coupled with the abbreviating means for displaying the at least one entry.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the at least one entry includes at least one column heading.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the at least one column heading further includes a plurality of characters and wherein the abbreviating means further comprise:

means for determining a character type for at least one of the plurality of characters, the character type including a first character type, a second character type, and a third character type;

means coupled with the determining means for removing the at least one of the plurality of characters if the character type is the first character type and if the width of the at least one column heading is greater than a particular width;

means coupled with the determining means for removing the at least one character if the character type is a second character type and if the width of the at least one column heading is greater than the particular width, the second character type being a lower case character;

means coupled with the determining means for removing the at least one character if the character type is a third character type and if the width of the at least one column heading is greater than the particular width, the third character type being a space; and

means coupled with the determining means for truncating the column heading if the width of the at least one column heading is greater than the particular width and if the at least one column heading does not contain any character of the first character type, the second character type or the third character type.

34. A computer generated method to abbreviate a character string comprising the acts of:

(a) providing the character string to be abbreviated;

(b) defining N character types to be removed for said character string, wherein N is greater than 1;

(c) defining a character string size having a predetermined number of characters to be in an abbreviated character string;

(d) selecting a character type from the N character types;

(e) searching the character string for a character of the selected character type;

(f) removing the selected character of the selected character type if detected in said search of the character string;

(g) comparing a remaining portion of the character string remaining after the selected character is removed with the character string size set forth in step (c);

(h) terminating removal of additional character type from said remaining portion of the character string if said remaining portion of the character string is not greater than the character string size; and

(i) repeating acts (d) through (h) if the remaining portion of the character string is greater than the character size.

35. The method of claim 34 including the act of displaying on a monitor the abbreviated character string.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein N is 3.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the N character types include type one character representing space, type two character representing lower case vowels and type three character representing lower case letters, excluding vowels.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein searching begins at a last character in said character string proceeding backwards through the string.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein character types are removed in the following order—

type one character, type two character and type 3 character.

40. A method for reducing an amount of horizontal space required when displaying a plurality of column on a display screen, at least one column of the plurality of columns including at least one entry containing text data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining N character types, N greater than 1;

(b) obtaining the at least one entry; and

(c) abbreviating a width of the at least one entry by

(c1) removing at least on space if the at least one entry includes the at least one space and if the at least one space is a first character type of the N character types;

(c2) removing at least one lower case vowel if the at least one entry includes the at least one lower case vowel that is a second character type of the N character types; and

(c3) removing at least one lower case letter if the at least one entry includes the at least one lower case letter which is a third character type of the N character types, wherein removal of characters from the at least one entry begins at a last character of said at least one entry proceeding backwards through characters to a first character of said at least one entry and a portion of the at least one entry remaining after a character type is removed is correlated with a predetermined character size and if the portion of the at least one entry is not greater than the predetermined character size further removal of character type ends.

41. A computer method to abbreviate a character string comprising the acts of:

(a) defining N character types, N greater than 1;

(b) providing the character string;

(c) abbreviating the character string by

(c₁) removing at least a first character if the character string includes the at least first character that is defined as a character type of the N character types.

(c₂) removing at least a second character if the character string includes the at least second character that is defined as a character type of the N character types; and

(c₃) removing at least a third character if the character string includes the at least character that is defined as a character type of the N character types.

42. The computer method of claim 41 further including the acts of defining a character string having a predetermined number of characters to be in the abbreviated character string;

at the completion of each of the act C₁, C₂ and C₃ comparing a remaining portion of the character string with the character string size and terminating character removal if the remaining portion of the character string equals the character string size.