Object and connection organization in a diagram

• US 9,940,107 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bleizeffer, Terry M., Hawkes, Nicholas C., Wu, Aimin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/834,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A computer program product includes computer usable program code configured to present, on a display, a diagram. The presenting of the diagram includes presenting a first row that defines a location where objects of a first object type can be created, wherein a first ghosted object of a first object type is displayed in the first row. The first ghosted object represents a first creatable object of the first object type. The presenting of the diagram includes presenting a second row that defines a location where objects of a second object type can be created. The computer program product is configured to, responsive to a first input to create a first object of the first object type in the first row, creating the first object of the first object type.

Claims

1. A computer program product for displaying a diagram, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage device having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising a computer usable program code configured to;

provide a user interface (UI) for organizing and creating the diagram utilizing a swim lane style row structure for representing types and relationships between different objects and for presenting ghosted objects for use in creation of new objects, wherein the UI further is configured to;

present visible rows upon entry to the UI, wherein each row represents a specific object type, with a first ghosted object on a first row pre-connected with a selected first non-ghosted object from a second row using a first ghosted connection;

responsive to a user selection of the first ghosted object for creation, create a second non-ghosted object to replace the first ghosted object and present a connection between the first non-ghosted object and the second non-ghosted object as a first non-ghosted connection; and

responsive to a user selection of a third non-ghosted object in the same row as the first non-ghosted object, removing at least the second non-ghosted object and first non-ghosted connection, and displaying a number in proximity to the first non-ghosted object, the number representing a number of connections between the first non-ghosted object and a first set of one or more objects connected to the first non-ghosted object that were removed, and adding a second set of one or more objects connected to the third non-ghosted object and one or more connections to the second set of one or more objects.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the UI is further configured to, responsive to selection of the first ghosted object, present a menu including a menu entry, which upon selection, creates the first second non-ghosted object.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the UI is further configured to, responsive to selection of a third object in a third row, automatically present one or more child objects of the third object.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the UI is further configured to provide a card flipping interface, wherein a row of the UI includes a plurality of non-ghosted objects included in the card flipping interface and at least one ghosted object excluded from the card flipping interface, the plurality of non-ghosted objects including a first selected object, wherein the first selected object is fully displayed and is connected to the first ghosted object using the first ghosted connection, and wherein a remainder of the plurality of non-ghosted objects are partially displayed in at least one stack in the row and without any ghosted connections.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the diagram represents a cloud environment.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the diagram comprises a topographical diagram.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a processor communicatively coupled to the display; and

a diagram module executable on the processor, the diagram module configured to provide a user interface (UI) for organizing and creating a diagram utilizing a swim lane style row structure for representing types and relationships between different objects and for presenting ghosted objects for use in creation of new objects, wherein the UI further is configured to;

present visible rows upon entry to the UI, wherein each row represents a specific object type, with a first ghosted object on a first row pre-connected with a selected first non-ghosted object from a second row using a first ghosted connection;

responsive to a user selection of the first ghosted object for creation, create a second non-ghosted object to replace the first ghosted object and present a connection between the first non-ghosted object and the second non-ghosted object as a first non-ghosted connection; and

responsive to a user selection of a third non-ghosted object in the same row as the first non-ghosted object, removing at least the second non-ghosted object and first non-ghosted connection, and displaying a number in proximity to the first non-ghosted object, the number representing a number of connections between the first non-ghosted object and a first set of one or more objects connected to the first non-ghosted object that were removed, and adding a second set of one or more objects connected to the third non-ghosted object and one or more connections to the second set of one or more objects.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the UI is further configured to, responsive to selection of the first ghosted object, present a menu including a menu entry, which upon selection, creates the second non-ghosted object.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the UI is further configured to, responsive to selection of a third object in a third row, automatically present one or more child objects of the third object.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the UI is further configured to provide a card flipping interface, wherein a row of the UI includes a plurality of non-ghosted objects, the plurality of non-ghosted objects included in the card flipping interface and at least one ghosted object excluded from the card flipping interface, the plurality of non-ghosted objects including a first selected object, wherein the first selected object is fully displayed and is connected to the first ghosted object using the first ghosted connection, and wherein a remainder of the plurality of non-ghosted objects are partially displayed in at least one stack in the row and without any ghosted connections.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the diagram represents a cloud environment.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the diagram comprises a topographical diagram.