Enhanced data tip system and method
First Claim
1. A method of avoiding pop-up windows and excessive scrolling while displaying data sub-items corresponding to an object displayed on a computer screen, the method comprising:
- determining that a cursor is initially hovering over the object on the computer screen, wherein the object represents a variable incorporated into a line of program code that is currently displayed on the computer screen;
evaluating the object to determine if the object;
has a variable value; and
has related data sub-items;
assembling variable values for the object and the related data sub-items; and
generating an expansion tree of data tips incorporating an auto-expansion feature, the auto-expansion feature comprising;
displaying on the computer screen the values of the object in a parent data tip, the parent data tip containing a first expansion widget indicator of the related data sub-items;
determining that the cursor is next hovering over the first expansion widget indicator, and automatically launching a first child data tip that is a part of the expansion tree of data tips, the first child data tip displaying the related data sub-items together with associated data values for each individual data sub-item; and
automatically dismissing the first child data tip upon determining that the cursor has been moved out of the first child data tip and is hovering inside the parent data tip.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Displaying data sub-items corresponding to a cursor-selected object displayed on a computer screen involves determining that a cursor is positioned to point at an object on the computer screen, loading the cursor-selected object, evaluating the cursor-selected object to determine it has a fixed value, has related data sub-items or if the related data sub-items are capable of expansion into lower-tier sub-items. The values for the object and the related data sub-items are assembled and displayed in a window that indicates the values of the object and the related data sub-items along with an indication of a presence of lower-tier sub-items which can in turn be further examined.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of avoiding pop-up windows and excessive scrolling while displaying data sub-items corresponding to an object displayed on a computer screen, the method comprising:
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determining that a cursor is initially hovering over the object on the computer screen, wherein the object represents a variable incorporated into a line of program code that is currently displayed on the computer screen; evaluating the object to determine if the object; has a variable value; and has related data sub-items; assembling variable values for the object and the related data sub-items; and generating an expansion tree of data tips incorporating an auto-expansion feature, the auto-expansion feature comprising; displaying on the computer screen the values of the object in a parent data tip, the parent data tip containing a first expansion widget indicator of the related data sub-items; determining that the cursor is next hovering over the first expansion widget indicator, and automatically launching a first child data tip that is a part of the expansion tree of data tips, the first child data tip displaying the related data sub-items together with associated data values for each individual data sub-item; and automatically dismissing the first child data tip upon determining that the cursor has been moved out of the first child data tip and is hovering inside the parent data tip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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3. A system for displaying an expansion tree of data tips related to an object displayed on a computer screen, the system comprising:
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a computer screen to display the object and the expansion tree of data tips; a processor for executing instructions corresponding to the method of; determining that a cursor is initially hovering over the object, wherein the object represents a variable incorporated into a line of program code; loading and evaluating the object to determine if the object; has a variable value associated with the variable; and has related data sub-items; if the related data sub-items are capable of expansion into lower-tier sub-items; assembling variable values for the object and the related data sub-items; displaying the variable values of the object in a parent data tip located adjacent to the cursor selected object; and determining that the cursor is next hovering over a first expansion widget indicator contained in the parent data tip, and automatically launching; a child data tip as an expansion data tip to the parent data tip, the child data tip window having a second expansion widget indicator associated with a first data sub-item contained inside the first child data tip;
a third expansion widget indicator associated with a second data sub-item contained inside the first child data tip; and
wherein upon determining that the cursor is hovering over one of the second or the third expansion widget indicators, a second child data tip is automatically launched as a part of the expansion tree of data tips; andautomatically dismissing the first child data tip upon determining that the cursor has been moved outside the first child data tip. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. A machine-readable storage medium having instructions therein, executable by a machine to perform a method comprising:
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determining that a cursor on a computer screen is positioned to point at the object, wherein the object represents a variable incorporated into a line of program code that is currently displayed on the computer screen; loading the cursor-selected object; evaluating the object to determine if the object; has a variable value associated with the variable; has related data sub-items; and if the related data sub-items are capable of expansion into lower-tier sub-items; assembling variable values for the object and the related data sub-items, wherein the object and the related data sub-items are related in a parent and child relationship; and generating an expansion tree of data tips incorporating an auto-expansion feature, the auto-expansion feature comprising; displaying on the computer screen the variable values of the object in a parent data tip, the parent data tip containing a first expansion widget indicator of the related data sub-items; determining that the cursor is next positioned to point to the first expansion widget indicator, and automatically launching a first child data tip that is a part of the expansion tree of data tips, the first child data tip including the lower-tier sub-items; and automatically dismissing the first child data tip upon determining that the cursor has been moved outside the first child data tip.
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8. A computer-implemented method for indicating on a computer display, the values of variables in a software program, the computer-implemented method comprising:
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displaying on the computer display, an expression that is a part of the software program, the expression containing a variable; detecting the positioning of a pointer upon the variable; displaying thereon, a first data tip showing a first expanded version of the variable, the first expanded version showing at least one individual data element that defines the variable, together with a data value for the at least one individual data element; detecting the positioning of the pointer upon an expansion widget contained in the first data tip; automatically displaying thereon, a child data tip with at least a portion of the child data tip overlapping the parent data tip, in an expansion tree of interactive data tips that occupies less visible area on the computer display than an equivalent number of watch windows; and automatically dismissing the first child data tip upon determining that the cursor has been moved outside the first child data tip. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification