Abstraction-aware distributed window configurations in complex graphical user interfaces

• US 8,028,243 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: O'Riordan, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECKER, SHASHI KAMALA
• Application Number:
  US11/476,717
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 715/765, 715/762, 715/763, 715/764
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A user interface to an application processing complex data of multiple data view abstractions allows selection, placement, size and other configurable characteristics of interface components to be controlled by a user and then associated with the data abstraction and processing task. Multiple configurations may be created to simplify the interface to include only necessary controls given an abstraction level of the data view and the task on that data. The configurations may be stored using symbolic references and subsequently loaded on demand into the interface. Mechanisms may be applied to ensure that similarly referenced configurations in storage are resolved and only the desired configuration is applied.

Claims

1. A method for selectively displaying user interface configurations comprising:

generating at least two different user interfaces, each having a corresponding set of circuit design graphical user-operable controls, said circuit design graphical user-operable control sets of said interfaces being different from one another, wherein each said user interface is configured specifically for one of a plurality of different types of data view representations for a circuit design;

storing in a persistent storage system, through a reference to a data view representation, a list for each user interface defining a set of adjustable configurations of said circuit design graphical user-operable controls;

each of said data view representations comprising at least one cellview of a cell;

wherein said cell includes at least one abstraction level of representation for said circuit design;

retrieving said list for a corresponding user interface from said persistent storage system by said reference responsive to an event associated with selecting a data view representation; and

displaying said user interface adaptively configured based on the different types of said data view representations selected, said corresponding set of said circuit design graphical user-operable controls configured in accordance with said retrieved list specific to the selected data view representation.

2. The method for selectively displaying user interface configurations as recited in claim 1 further including:

storing in said persistent storage system, through a reference to another data view representation, another list including another set of said circuit design graphical user-operable controls;

retrieving said other list from said persistent storage system by said reference to said other data view representation responsive to an event associated with selecting said other data view representation; and

displaying said other data view representation and said other set of said circuit design graphical user-operable controls as specified in said other list.

3. The method for selectively displaying user interface configurations as recited in claim 1, where said retrieving of said list includes:

searching said persistent storage system for said list by locating said reference to said data view representation;

retrieving a plurality of lists referenced by said data view representation;

storing said plurality of lists in a memory cache; and

selecting one of said plurality of lists as said list specifying said set of said circuit design graphical user-operable controls for display.

4. The method for selectively displaying user interface configurations as recited in claim 3, where said storing said list in said persistent storage system includes providing said list with a symbolic reference.

5. The method for selectively displaying user interface configurations as recited in claim 4, where said selecting of said list includes activating a user-operable control to select said list by said symbolic reference provided thereto.

6. The method for selectively displaying user interface configurations as recited in claim 4 further including:

providing a file system for maintaining files on said persistent storage system;

providing a file name in accordance with said file system as said symbolic reference; and

storing in said persistent storage system said list by said file name.

7. The method for selectively displaying user interface configurations as recited in claim 1 further including:

providing said user interface to an application executed by a processor, said application operated to perform data processing tasks on the data residing in memory; and

providing an application programming interface to said application for generating said list of said set of circuit design graphical user-operable controls.

8. The method for selectively displaying user interface configurations as recited in claim 1 further including:

activating a first user-operable control and responsive thereto displaying a subset of said circuit design graphical user-operable controls absent at least one of said set of circuit design graphical user-operable controls; and

activating a second user-operable control to redisplay said set of circuit design graphical user-operable controls.

9. The method for selectively displaying user interface configurations as recited in claim 1 where at least one of activating said first user-operable control and activating said a second user-operable control is performed without activating a circuit design graphical user-operable control.

10. A data processing system comprising:

a processor executing an application to perform data processing operations and to display data for a circuit design in a plurality of data view representations via a plurality of different graphical adjustable user interface configurations, said graphical adjustable user interface configurations each defining a set of adjustably configurable circuit design graphical user-operable controls configured specifically for one of a plurality of different types of data view representations of said electronic circuit design, said circuit design graphical user-operable control sets of said interface configurations being different from one another;

each of said plurality of data view representations comprising at least one cellview of a cell;

wherein said cell includes at least one abstraction level of representation for said electronic circuit design;

a persistent storage system having separately stored therein said plurality of adjustable user interface configurations, each of said adjustable user interface configurations selectively associated with a corresponding one of said data view representations and defining a corresponding placement of an associated set of circuit design graphical user-operable controls in a display; and

an event notification mechanism actuated responsive to said circuit design graphical user-operable controls to transmit to said application a notification associated with selecting one of said data view representations, said application adaptively retrieving from said persistent storage system at least one of said adjustable user interface configurations based on the different types of said data view representations selected and placing said corresponding set of circuit design graphical user-operable controls in a graphical user interface for said selected data view representation.

11. The data processing system as recited in claim 10 further including a search and precedence system for searching said persistent storage system for said set of said interface configurations associated with said one of said data view representations and providing to said application said at least one of said interface configurations topmost in a selective order of precedence.

12. The data processing system as recited in claim 10, wherein said persistent storage system includes a file system, said plurality of interface configurations being stored as files in said persistent storage system in accordance with said file system.

13. The data processing system as recited in claim 12, wherein said persistent storage system is partitioned into a plurality of user volumes each containing a corresponding plurality of said adjustable interface configurations, each of said plurality of user volumes having a name provided by a user in accordance with said file system.

14. The data processing system as recited in claim 13 further including a search and precedence system for searching said file system for said at least one of said interface configurations associated with said one of said data view representations and providing to said application said set of said files topmost in a selective order of precedence of said volume names.

15. The data processing system as recited in claim 10 further including a selection control for selecting one of said set of said interface configurations to apply to said graphical user interface from among said at least one of said interface configurations retrieved by said application.

16. The data processing system as recited in claim 10 further including a default mechanism for specifying a default interface configuration from said at least one interface configurations retrieved by said application to apply to said graphical user interface.

17. The data processing system as recited in claim 10 further including a memory system for caching said set of interface configurations upon retrieval thereof from said persistent storage system.

18. A data processing system having a configurable user interface comprising:

a data storage device having stored therein data respectively presentable to a user in at least first and second data view representations of different type;

said first and second data view representations comprising at least one cellview of a cell;

wherein said cell includes at least one abstraction level of representation for a circuit design;

a processor coupled to said data storage device and accessing said data therein, said processor executing a first instance of an Electronic Design Automation (EDA) application to perform data processing operations on said data;

an input/output system coupled to said processor to provide input to and output from said EDA application, said input/output system including at least one input device for generating user-initiated events, said input/output system including an output device for displaying configurable controls generated by said EDA application;

an application programming interface to said EDA application operable by a designated user to associate said first data view representation respectively with a plurality of first configurable circuit design graphical controls and to associate said second data view representation respectively with a plurality of second configurable circuit design graphical controls;

a user interface operable by an end user to select from said plurality of first configurable circuit design graphical controls and to distribute said selected first configurable circuit design graphical controls into at least a first configuration specifically for said first data view representation, said user interface operable by said end user to select from said plurality of second configurable circuit design graphical controls and to distribute said selected second configurable circuit design graphical controls into at least a second configuration specifically for said second data view representation, said first and second circuit design graphical controls of the first and second interface configurations being different from one another;

a persistent storage system to separately store said first configuration of configurable controls and said second configuration of configurable controls so as to be respectively retrievable by a reference to said first data view representation and said second data view representation in accordance with a corresponding association established by said application programming interface, said first configuration of configurable controls and said second configuration of configurable controls retrievable from said persistent storage system in a second instance of said EDA application invoked subsequent to termination of said first instance of said EDA application;

an event notification mechanism responsive to said user-initiated events to transmit to said EDA application a notification associated with said first data view representation or said second data view representation, said EDA application adaptively retrieving from said persistent storage system at least one of said first and second configurations of configurable controls based on the different types of data view representations selected for display as indicated by said notification; and

a memory cache for storing as a plurality of effective configurations said plurality of first configurations of configurable controls or said plurality of said second configurations of configurable controls retrieved from said persistent storage system, said application subsequently displaying on said display one of said effective configurations selected from said memory cache.

19. The data processing system having a configurable user interface as recited in claim 18, wherein said user interface stores one of said effective configurations to said persistent storage system upon activation of one of said controls.

20. The data processing system having a configurable user interface as recited in claim 18 further including a search and precedence mechanism for searching said persistent storage system and retrieving said plurality of configurations therefrom in accordance with a selective order of precedence.