Method and system for defining page size when displaying a data list

• US 7,735,006 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twitter Inc (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grotjohn, David Kirk, Alexander, Geoffrey David, Perry, Jeremy Gray, Santos-Gomez, Lucinio
• Primary Examiner(s): Stork; Kyle R
• Application Number:
  US11/250,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20070089068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715/234, 715/243, 715/254
• US Class Current: 715/243
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A system for setting data list parameters for displaying a data list in pages. An application program receives a first and second user input, wherein the first user input defines a number of items displayed within a page, and wherein the second user input defines a page size tolerance. In response to receiving the first and second user input, the application program sets the number of items displayed within the page and the page size tolerance. Then the application program displays the data list in a graphical user interface according to the set number of items displayed within the page and the set page size tolerance.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for setting data list parameters for displaying a data list in pages, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a first and second user input, wherein the first user input defines a number of items displayed within a page, and wherein the second user input defines a page size tolerance;

responsive to receiving the first and second user input, setting the number of items displayed within the page and the page size tolerance to form a set number of items displayed within the page and a set page size tolerance; and

displaying the data list in a graphical user interface according to the set number of items displayed within the page and the set page size tolerance, the data list displayed in a plurality of pages including at least one full page, each full page having at least the set number of items and no page having fewer data items than the page size tolerance, the set number of items being exceeded on at least one full page when a remaining number of data items is less than the page size tolerance.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third user input, wherein the third user input enables a behavior, and wherein the behavior is at least one of a maximized, normalized, and user specified behavior, and wherein the maximized, normalized, and user specified behavior determines how to aggregate extra data list items from a last page.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a fourth user input, wherein the fourth user input is received only when the third user input enables the user specified behavior, and wherein the fourth user input defines a number of pages across which the extra data list items from the last page are aggregated.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the user specified behavior aggregates the extra data list items from the last page evenly across a user specified number of previously full pages as defined by the fourth user input.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the maximized behavior aggregates the extra data list items from the last page to a previously full page up to a maximum page size tolerance limit in reverse sequential page order.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the normalized behavior aggregates the extra data list items from the last page to one or more previously full pages evenly up to a maximum page size tolerance limit in reverse sequential page order.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user to display the data list in pages in the graphical user interface; and

responsive to receiving the request from the user to display the data list, displaying a data list preference setting window.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set number of items displayed within the page defines a number of data list items displayed per page, and wherein the set page size tolerance defines the number of data list items displayed on a last page, and wherein the number of data list items displayed on the last page cannot be equal to or less than the set page size tolerance.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the set page size tolerance also defines an amount of page size increase, and wherein the amount of page size increase is used for aggregation of extra data list items from the last page when the number of data list items on the last page is equal to or less than the set page size tolerance.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the data list in the graphical user interface is defined by an algorithm, and wherein a software programmer locates the algorithm within an application program.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the number of items displayed within the page is defined by a page size range, and wherein the page size range includes an inherent page size tolerance, and wherein the inherent page size tolerance determines a minimum number of data list items displayed on a last page.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the number of items displayed within the page and page size tolerance are determined by physical pixels.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, setting, and displaying steps are performed by an application program.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the number of items displayed within the page is divided into a total number of data list items to be displayed in order to determine a total number of pages to be displayed for the total number of data list items on the graphical user interface.

15. A data processing system for setting data list parameters for displaying a data list in pages, comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to receive a first and second user input, and wherein the first user input defines a number of items displayed within a page, and wherein the second user input defines a page size tolerance;

set the number of items displayed within the page and the page size tolerance to form a set number of items displayed within the page and a set page size tolerance in response to receiving the first and second user input; and

display the data list in a graphical user interface according to the set number of items displayed within the page and the set page size tolerance, the data list displayed in a plurality of pages including at least one full page, each full page having at least the set number of items and no page having fewer data items than the page size tolerance, the set number of items being exceeded on at least one full page when a remaining number of data items is less than the page size tolerance.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the set number of items displayed within the page defines a number of data list items displayed per page, and wherein the set page size tolerance defines the number of data list items displayed on a last page, and wherein the number of data list items displayed on the last page cannot be equal to or less than the set page size tolerance.

17. A computer program product for setting data list parameters for displaying a data list in pages, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable medium comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a first and second user input, wherein the first user input defines a number of items displayed within a page, and wherein the second user input defines a page size tolerance;

computer readable program code configured to set the number of items displayed within the page and the page size tolerance to form a set number of items displayed within the page and a set page size tolerance in response to receiving the first and second user input; and

computer readable program code configured to display the data list in a graphical user interface according to the set number of items displayed within the page and the set page size tolerance, the data list displayed in a plurality of pages including at least one full page, each full page having at least the set number of items and no page having fewer data items than the page size tolerance, the set number of items being exceeded on at least one full page when a remaining number of data items is less than the page size tolerance.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to receive a third user input, wherein the third user input enables a behavior, and wherein the behavior is at least one of a maximized, normalized, and user specified behavior, and wherein the maximized, normalized, and user specified behavior determines how to aggregate extra data list items from a last page.

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

computer readable program code configured to receive a fourth user input, wherein the fourth user input is received only when the third user input enables the user specified behavior, and wherein the fourth user input defines a number of pages across which the extra data list items from the last page are aggregated.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to receive a request from a user to display the data list in pages in the graphical user interface; and

computer readable program code configured to display a data list preference setting window in response to receiving the request from the user to display the data list.