Expandable area for host table data display in a mobile device

• US 8,302,028 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Craig, Ronald E., Takamiya, Masaaki, Mitchell, Gerald L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pack, Conrad
• Application Number:
  US12/233,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 715/227, 715/744, 715/798, 715/218
• US Class Current: 715/798
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1462 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the remote displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/343 for systems having a character code-mapped display memory

Abstract

A system, method and computer-readable medium are disclosed for providing improved display of a host terminal application interface. A host application translator reads characters stored in a character buffer of a computer host terminal application that is displayed to a user as a table of horizontal rows and vertical columns of characters. The host application translator receives a preference that determines which vertical columns are to be displayed and a second preference that determines the order in which the vertical columns are to be displayed. The host application translator reconfigures the display of the characters by displaying the vertical columns indicated by the first preference in the order indicated by the second preference and displaying information corresponding to the vertical columns that are not indicated by the first preference, thus providing user-selectable controls to expand or collapse this information.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system comprising:

reading a plurality of characters stored in a character buffer of a computer terminal host application, wherein said computer terminal host application is displayed to a user as data in a table, wherein the table comprises a plurality of horizontal rows of said characters and a plurality of vertical columns of said characters, and wherein said computer terminal host application runs on a host data processing system, and wherein the table describes a state of a mainframe computer that is coupled to the host data processing system, wherein the state of the mainframe computer comprises a processor usage level of subsystems or jobs of the mainframe computer, names of subsystems or jobs within the mainframe computer, and user identifiers of users of the subsystems or jobs within the mainframe computer;

receiving a first preference from said user wherein said first preference determines which of said vertical columns are to be displayed on a small display in a portable data processing system that has a smaller display size than the host data processing system;

receiving a second preference from said user wherein said second preference determines an order in which said vertical columns are to be displayed on a small display in the portable data processing system;

reconfiguring a display of said plurality of characters for an application window that is running on the portable data processing system, wherein said reconfiguring comprises;

displaying in said application window said vertical columns indicated by said first preference in the order indicated by said second preference;

displaying in said application window a first user-selectable control to display information corresponding to said vertical columns that are not indicated by said first preference, wherein said first user-selectable control is one of a plurality of user-selectable controls, and wherein said plurality of user-selectable controls are displayed as a new column in the table;

in response to a first selection by said user of said first user-selectable control;

expanding a row containing said first user-selectable control to create an open space on the application window on the small display in the portable data processing system; and

displaying, in said open space on the application window on said small display in the portable data processing system, information corresponding to only a single row entry from the plurality of horizontal rows, wherein the information comprises information from multiple hidden columns for the single row entry, wherein the information comprises the processor usage level of a subsystem or job of the mainframe computer and the user identifier of a user of the subsystem or job within the mainframe computer, wherein said open space is created by pushing lower rows from the plurality of horizontal rows downward, wherein said lower rows are not obscured by said open space, and wherein an original tabular format of the computer terminal host application is preserved when application window information is displayed in said application window;

displaying, in said application window, a second user-selectable control to hide said information corresponding to only the single row entry from the plurality of horizontal rows, wherein the second user-selectable control is displayed in the new column in the table, and wherein the second user-selectable control replaces the first user-selectable control; and

in response to a second selection by said user of said second user-selectable control;

concealing the display in said application window of information corresponding to said vertical columns that are not indicated by said first preference; and

collapsing the row containing the second user-selectable control to remove the open space on the application window on the small display in the portable data processing system.

2. A data processing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor;

a host application translator populating said memory, said host application translator comprising computer executable instructions for;

reading a plurality of characters stored in a character buffer of a computer terminal host application, wherein said computer terminal host application is displayed to a user as data in a table, wherein the table comprises a plurality of horizontal rows of said characters and a plurality of vertical columns of said characters, and wherein said computer terminal host application runs on a host data processing system, and wherein the table describes a state of a mainframe computer that is coupled to the host data processing system, wherein the state of the mainframe computer comprises a processor usage level of subsystems or jobs of the mainframe computer, names of subsystems or jobs within the mainframe computer, and user identifiers of users of the subsystems or jobs within the mainframe computer;

receiving a first preference from said user wherein said first preference determines which of said vertical columns are to be displayed on a small display in a portable data processing system that has a smaller display size than the host data processing system;

receiving a second preference from said user wherein said second preference determines an order in which said vertical columns are to be displayed on a small display in the portable data processing system;

reconfiguring a display of said plurality of characters for an application window that is running on the portable data processing system, wherein said reconfiguring comprises;

displaying in said application window said vertical columns indicated by said first preference in the order indicated by said second preference;

displaying in said application window a first user-selectable control to display information corresponding to said vertical columns that are not indicated by said first preference, wherein said first user-selectable control is one of a plurality of user-selectable controls, and wherein said plurality of user-selectable controls are displayed as a new column in the table;

in response to a first selection by said user of said first user-selectable control;

expanding a row containing said first user-selectable control to create an open space on the application window on the small display in the portable data processing system; and

displaying, in said open space on the application window on said small display in the portable data processing system, information corresponding to only a single row entry from the plurality of horizontal rows, wherein the information comprises information from multiple hidden columns for the single row entry, wherein the information comprises the processor usage level of a subsystem or job of the mainframe computer and the user identifier of a user of the subsystem or job within the mainframe computer, wherein said open space is created by pushing lower rows from the plurality of horizontal rows downward, wherein said lower rows are not obscured by said open space, and wherein an original tabular format of the computer terminal host application is preserved when application window information is displayed in said application window;

displaying, in said application window, a second user-selectable control to hide said information corresponding to only the single row entry from the plurality of horizontal rows, wherein the second user-selectable control is displayed in the new column in the table, and wherein the second user-selectable control replaces the first user-selectable control; and

in response to a second selection by said user of said second user-selectable control;

concealing the display in said application window of information corresponding to said vertical columns that are not indicated by said first preference; and

collapsing the row containing the second user-selectable control to remove the open space on the application window on the small display in the portable data processing system.

3. A computer program product comprising:

non-transitory computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to read a plurality of characters stored in a character buffer of a computer terminal host application, wherein said computer terminal host application is displayed to a user as data in a table, wherein the table comprises a plurality of horizontal rows of said characters and a plurality of vertical columns of said characters, and wherein said computer terminal host application runs on a host data processing system, and wherein the table describes a state of a mainframe computer that is coupled to the host data processing system, wherein the state of the mainframe computer comprises a processor usage level of subsystems or jobs of the mainframe computer, names of subsystems or jobs within the mainframe computer, and user identifiers of users of the subsystems or jobs within the mainframe computer;

second program instructions to receive a first preference from said user wherein said first preference determines which of said vertical columns are to be displayed on a small display in a portable data processing system that has a smaller display size than the host data processing system;

third program instructions to receive a second preference from said user wherein said second preference determines an order in which said vertical columns are to be displayed on a small display in the portable data processing system;

fourth program instructions to reconfigure a display of said plurality of characters for an application window that is running on the portable data processing system, wherein said reconfiguring comprises;

displaying in said application window said vertical columns indicated by said first preference in the order indicated by said second preference;

displaying in said application window a first user-selectable control to display information corresponding to said vertical columns that are not indicated by said first preference, wherein said first user-selectable control is one of a plurality of user-selectable controls, and wherein said plurality of user-selectable controls are displayed as a new column in the table;

in response to a first selection by said user of said first user-selectable control;

expanding a row containing said first user-selectable control to create an open space on the application window on the small display in the portable data processing system; and

displaying, in said open space on the application window on said small display in the portable data processing system, information corresponding to only a single row entry from the plurality of horizontal rows, wherein the information comprises information from multiple hidden columns for the single row entry, wherein the information comprises the processor usage level of a subsystem or job of the mainframe computer and the user identifier of a user of the subsystem or job within the mainframe computer, wherein said open space is created by pushing lower rows from the plurality of horizontal rows downward, wherein said lower rows are not obscured by said open space, and wherein an original tabular format of the computer terminal host application is preserved when application window information is displayed in said application window;

displaying, in said application window, a second user-selectable control to hide said information corresponding to only the single row entry from the plurality of horizontal rows, wherein the second user-selectable control is displayed in the new column in the table, and wherein the second user-selectable control replaces the first user-selectable control; and

in response to a second selection by said user of said second user-selectable control;

concealing the display in said application window of information corresponding to said vertical columns that are not indicated by said first preference; and

collapsing the row containing the second user-selectable control to remove the open space on the application window on the small display in the portable data processing system; and

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media.