Method for integration edition of setting file and setting file integration base

• US 7,266,807 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takano, Hideki, Emaru, Hironori, Hirata, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Francis; Mark P.
• Application Number:
  US10/640,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 717121-175, 714 38- 47, 713/1, 709214-313, 705/59, 703/13
• US Class Current: 717/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A conventional configuration file edition method used for changing operation of a program that is operated on a computer involves a problem that a user is required to learn a complex method for changing a configuration file when a plurality of programs are provided in the form of one product because the method is different for respective programs. An intermediate configuration file that stores setting information of a configuration file, a method for forming a configuration screen, and a method for forming a configuration file is prepared, and provided to a configuration file integration base. The configuration file integration base provides an integrated configuration console to a user by use of the intermediate configuration file. The setting information is stored in the intermediate configuration file when a user changes the setting information on the integrated configuration console, and a configuration file is formed from the intermediate configuration file.

Claims

1. A configuration file integrated editing method comprising the steps of:

forming an intermediate configuration file including data that describes a setting content of one or a plurality of types of configuration files to be used for changing operation of a program that is executable on a computer, data that describes a method for forming one or a plurality of types of configuration screens to be used for editing the configuration file, and data that describes a method for forming one or a plurality of types of configuration files;

forming a configuration screen which is able to set various setting information of said configuration file from said intermediate configuration file;

changing said intermediate configuration file when said setting information is changed on said configuration screen; and

forming one or a plurality of types of configuration files from the changed intermediate configuration file,

wherein a value that is used most often among a certain parameter value of said intermediate configuration file is described once as a common value in said intermediate configuration file, and

wherein said certain parameter value is a default value that has been set previously by a developer who develops a setting target program.

2. The configuration file integrated editing method according to claim 1,

wherein the step of forming one or a plurality of types of configuration files from the changed intermediate configuration file forms one or a plurality of types of configuration files that change the operation of the program if the setting information in said intermediate configuration file is changed when the program activation request occurs.

3. The configuration file integrated editing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of;

restarting said program to make the setting effective by means of a program restart function after one or a plurality of types of configuration files are formed and disposed on the program that uses the configuration file.

4. The configuration file integrated editing method according to claim 1, the step of forming a configuration screen which is able to set various setting information of said configuration file from said intermediate configuration file, further comprises the step of:

displaying the setting information on the configuration screen that is probably set from among one or a plurality of types of setting information stored in the intermediate configuration file that is extracted as a candidate when said configuration screen is formed.

5. A configuration file integration base comprising:

an intermediate configuration file that stores data for describing a setting content of one or a plurality of types of configuration files used for changing operation of a program that is executable on a computer, and data for describing a method for forming one or a plurality of types of configuration screens for editing a configuration file;

a configuration screen creation function for forming a configuration screen on which a parameter value is input according to said intermediate configuration file; and

a user setting reflection function for reflecting changed setting information input from said configuration screen on said intermediate configuration file,

wherein a value that is used most often among a certain parameter value of said intermediate configuration file is described once as a common value in said intermediate configuration file, and

wherein said certain parameter value is a default value that has been set previously by a developer who develops a setting target program.

6. The configuration file integration base according to claim 5,

wherein said intermediate configuration file further stores data that describes a method for forming one or a plurality of types of configuration files, and

wherein said intermediate configuration file is provided with a configuration file generation function far forming a configuration file according to said intermediate configuration file.

7. The configuration file integration base according to claim 6,

wherein said configuration file generation function forms said configuration file in response to a configuration file forming request received from said user setting reflection function.

8. The configuration file integration base according to claim 6, further comprising:

an OK button that is used for, after the setting information is changed, reflecting the change on said intermediate configuration file on said configuration screen; and

a distribution button for forming a configuration file according to said intermediate configuration file after the change of all the setting information is reflected on said intermediate configuration file,

wherein said user setting reflection function updates said intermediate configuration file in response to pushing down of said OK button, and

wherein said configuration file generation function forms said configuration file in response to pushing down of said distribution button.

9. The configuration file integration base according to claim 6,

wherein the configuration file integration base requests said configuration file generation function to form a configuration file, and gets a program execution control function for executing the program when the configuration file is formed.

10. The configuration file integration base according to claim 6,

wherein the configuration file integration base has a program restart function for controlling restart of the program that makes an update of the configuration file of a program in execution effective after said configuration file is formed.

11. The configuration file integration base according to claim 5,

wherein said configuration screen creation function has a plurality of configuration screen templates.

12. The configuration file integration base according to claim 6,

wherein said configuration file generation function has a plurality of configuration file templates.

13. The configuration file integration base according to claim 5,

wherein the data describing said setting content that is used most often is described only once as a common value in said intermediate configuration file.

14. A configuration file integration base comprising:

an intermediate configuration file that stores data for describing a setting content of one or a plurality of types of configuration files used for changing operation of a program that is executable on a computer, and data for describing a method for forming one or a plurality of types of configuration screens for editing a configuration file;

a configuration screen creation function for forming a configuration screen on which a parameter value is input according to said intermediate configuration file; and

a user setting reflection function for reflecting changed setting information input from said configuration screen on said intermediate configuration file,

wherein said intermediate configuration file further stores data that describes a method for forming one or a plurality of types of configuration files,

wherein said intermediate configuration file is provided with a configuration file generation function for forming a configuration file according to said intermediate configuration file, and

wherein a configuration file disposition function provided in another computer disposes the configuration file formed by means of said configuration file generation function to the program.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having a recorded integrated editing program for controlling a computer to execute, in order to form the configuration file:

a procedure for grouping collectively data of an intermediate configuration file, where the data describes a setting content of one or a plurality of types of configuration files used for changing operation of a program that is executable on a computer, data that describes a method for forming one or a plurality of configuration screens used for editing the configuration file, and data that describes a method for forming one or a plurality of types of configuration files;

a procedure for forming a configuration screen for setting various setting information of said configuration file from said intermediate configuration file,

a procedure for changing said intermediate configuration file when said setting information is changed on said configuration screen; and

a procedure for forming one or a plurality of types of configuration files from the changed intermediate configuration file,

wherein a value that is used most often among a certain parameter value of said intermediate configuration file is described once as a common value in said intermediate configuration file, and

wherein said certain parameter value is a default value that has been set previously by a developer who develops a setting target program.

16. A configuration file integrated editing method comprising the steps of:

forming an intermediate configuration file including data that describes a setting content of one or a plurality of types of configuration files to be used for changing operation of a program that is executable on a computer, data that describes a method for forming one or a plurality of types of configuration screens to be used for editing the configuration file, and data that describes a method for forming one or a plurality of types of configuration files;

forming a configuration screen which is able to set various setting information of said configuration file from said intermediate configuration file,

changing said intermediate configuration file when said setting information is changed on said configuration screen;

forming one or a plurality of types of configuration files from the changed intermediate configuration file; and

disposing by a configuration file disposition function provided in another computer the configuration files formed to the program,

wherein a value that is used most often among a certain parameter value of said intermediate configuration file is described once as a common value in said intermediate configuration file, and

wherein said certain parameter value is a default value that has been set previously by a developer who develops a selling target program.