Providing dynamic context assist for a command line interface

• US 8,694,886 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Acedo, Mario F., Cervantes, Ezequiel, Jennas, Paul A. II, Peipelman, Jason L., Ward, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hur, Ece
• Application Number:
  US11/968,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,288 Days
• Field of Search: 715/708, 345/338
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for providing dynamic context assistance to a user of a system, such as a storage system. One or more current command line interface (CLI) entries that are entered in a CLI of the system are received and a current state of the system is determined. Dynamic context assistance is then generated for one or more current CLI entries based on entered values of the one or more CLI entries. In this regard, the dynamic context assistance can be generated and displayed in a text or graphical form when one or more dynamic context assist keys are entered in the CLI in conjunction with the current CLI entry.

Claims

1. A method of providing assistance to a user of a system that has a command line interface (CLI), comprising:

receiving at least one current command line interface (CLI) entry, wherein the at least one CLI entry includes one or more command names and one or more command flags; and

in response to detecting entry of at least one predefined execution key to the system;

generating a pop-up graphical user interface (GUI) window with one or more parameter values, wherein the number of parameter values presented in the pop-up GUI window changes based on the type of entry provided by the user, wherein a valid parameter value may be selected from a display of the one or more valid parameter values provided within the pop-up GUI window, and wherein only one of the displayed one or more valid parameter values may be selected for execution within the at least one CLI entry;

displaying the generated dynamic context assistance within the pop-up GUI window; and

in response to determining a parameter value of the at least one CLI entry is not completed;

determining a current state of the system, wherein the current state of the system is a configuration based upon one or more entered values and one or more executed values of one or more CLI entries after the at least one predefined execution key entry is received;

identifying, for the at least one CLI entry, one or more valid parameter values to be passed to each of the one or more command flags based on the current state of the system and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry, wherein entry of the one or more valid parameter values in the at least one CLI entry completes the at least one CLI entry;

generating the dynamic context assistance for the command based on the current state of the system, wherein the dynamic context assistance comprises the one or more valid parameter values; and

displaying the generated dynamic context assistance comprising the one or more valid parameter values for the command;

wherein the at least one predefined execution key entry indicates a request to initiate a dynamic context assistance

wherein the system is storage system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the generated dynamic context assistance in at least one of a graphical form and a textual form;

wherein the system is a storage system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selected parameter value responsive to generating the dynamic context assistance; and

appropriately entering the selected parameter value in the CLI.

4. The method of claim 1, in response to a determination that no valid parameter values are available for output, communicating a warning notification.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined execution key entry to the system is a key sequence.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether each of the one or more command names and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry are completed;

in response to determining each of the one or more command names and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry are not completed, outputting, based on a static list, one or more valid command names corresponding to each of the one or more command names and one or more valid command flags corresponding to each of the one or more command flags; and

in response to determining each of the one or more command names and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry are complete, determining whether a parameter value of the at least one CLI entry is completed.

5. A storage system, comprising:

a display;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the display, wherein the processor is configured with executable code to;

receive at least one current command line interface (CLI) entry, wherein the at least one CLI entry includes one or more command names and one or more command flags; and

in response to detecting entry of at least one predefined execution key;

generate a pop-up graphical user interface (GUI) window with one or more parameter values, wherein the number of parameter values presented in the pop-up GUI window changes based on the type of entry provided by the user, wherein a valid parameter value may be selected from a display of the one or more valid parameter values provided within the pop-up GUI window, and wherein only one of the displayed one or more valid parameter values may be selected for execution within the at least one CLI entry;

display the generated dynamic context assistance within the pop-up GUI window; and

in response to determining a parameter value of the at least one CLI entry is not completed;

determine a current state of the system, wherein the current state of the system is a configuration based upon one or more entered values and one or more executed values of one or more CLI entries after the at least one predefined execution key entry is received;

identify, for the at least one CLI entry, one or more valid parameter values to be passed to each of the one or more command flags based on the current state of the system and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry, wherein entry of the one or more valid parameter values in the at least one CLI entry completes the at least one CLI entry;

generate the dynamic context assistance for the command based on the current state of the system, wherein the dynamic context assistance comprises the one or more valid parameter values; and

display the generated dynamic context assistance comprising the one or more valid parameter values for the command;

wherein the at least one predefined execution key entry indicates a request to initiate a dynamic context assistance.

6. The storage system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display the generated dynamic context assistance in at least one of a graphical form and a textual form.

7. The storage system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured with executable code to:

receive a selected value responsive to generating the dynamic context assistance; and

appropriately enter the selected parameter value in the CLI.

8. The storage system of claim 5, in response to a determination that no valid parameter values are available for output, communicate a warning notification.

14. The storage system of claim 5, wherein the at least one predefined execution key entry to the system is a key sequence.

15. The storage system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured with executable code to:

determine whether each of the one or more command names and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry are completed;

in response to determining each of the one or more command names and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry are not completed, output, based on a static list, one or more valid command names corresponding to each of the one or more command names and one or more valid command flags corresponding to each of the one or more command flags; and

in response to determining each of the one or more command names and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry are complete, determine whether a parameter value of the at least one CLI entry is completed.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-usable storage medium for containing and storing program code; and

program code embodied on the non-transitory computer storage medium that when executed by a processor provides the functions of;

receiving at least one current command line interface (CLI) entry, wherein the at least one CLI entry includes one or more command names and one or more command flags; and

in response to detecting entry of at least one predefined execution key to a storage system;

generating a pop-up graphical user interface (GUI) window with one or more parameter values, wherein the number of parameter values presented in the pop-up GUI window changes based on the type of entry provided by the user, wherein a valid parameter value may be selected from a display of the one or more valid parameter values provided within the pop-up GUI window, and wherein only one of the displayed one or more valid parameter values may be selected for execution within the at least one CLI entry; and

displaying the generated dynamic context assistance within the pop-up GUI window; and

in response to determining a parameter value of the at least one CLI entry is not completed;

determining a current state of the system, wherein the current state of the system is a configuration based upon one or more entered values and one or more executed values of one or more CLI entries after the at least one predefined execution key entry is received;

identifying, for the at least one CLI entry, one or more valid parameter values to be passed to each of the one or more command flags based on the current state of the system and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry, wherein entry of the one or more valid parameter values in the at least one CLI entry completes the at least one CLI entry;

generating the dynamic context assistance for the command based on the current state of the system, wherein the dynamic context assistance comprises the one or more valid parameter values; and

displaying the generated dynamic context assistance comprising the one or more valid parameter values for the command;

wherein the at least one predefined execution key entry indicates a request to initiate a dynamic context assistance.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, the program code further providing the functions of:

displaying the generated dynamic context assistance in at least one of a graphical form and a textual form; and

in response to a determination that no valid parameter values are available for output, communicating a warning notification;

wherein the system is a storage system.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, the program code further providing the functions of:

receiving a selected value responsive to generating the dynamic context assistance; and

appropriately entering the selected parameter value in the CLI.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the at least one predefined execution key entry to the system is a key sequence.

17. The computer program product of claim 9, the program code further provides the function of:

determining whether each of the one or more command names and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry are completed;

in response to determining each of the one or more command names and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry are not completed, outputting, based on a static list, one or more valid command names corresponding to each of the one or more command names and one or more valid command flags corresponding to each of the one or more command flags; and

in response to determining each of the one or more command names and the one or more command flags of the at least one CLI entry are complete, determining whether a parameter value of the at least one CLI entry is completed.