Managing a drop-down menu having a set of items corresponding with a set of data

• US 9,952,750 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2014
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bertram, Randal L., Hintermeister, Gregory R., Niedergeses, David M. S., Yao, Hai Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber, Joy M
• Application Number:
  US14/179,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 715810, 715824, 715825
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A computer implemented method for managing a widget is disclosed. The widget can include a drop-down menu. The method can include opening the drop-down menu having a set of items corresponding with a set of data. The method can also include updating the set of items dynamically in the opened drop-down menu in response to a change in the set of data. The method can also include processing a selected item from the updated set of items in the opened drop-down menu.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing a widget for a drop-down menu in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

opening the drop-down menu having an initial set of items corresponding with a set of data, the initial set of items including a list of valid menu items available when the drop-down menu is opened, wherein each menu item represents a respective computer resource which can be selected and utilized by a user as part of one or more task operations;

updating the list of valid menu items dynamically in real-time while the drop-down menu is open in response to a change in the set of data that occurs while the drop-down menu is open, wherein updating the list of valid menu items includes adding one or more menu items representing one or more respective computer resources, which have become available while the drop-down menu is open, to the list of valid menu items or disabling one or more menu items representing one or more respective computer resources, which have become unavailable while the drop-down menu is open, from the list of valid menu items while the drop-down menu is open; and

processing, from the updated list of valid menu items, a selected menu item in the opened drop-down menu;

wherein disabling the one or more menu items includes providing a visual indicator to indicate that the one or more disabled menu items are invalid;

wherein adding one or more menu items to the list of valid menu items includes displaying contextual information in a pop-up message in response to a cursor hovering over a given one of the one or more menu items, wherein the contextual information includes at least one of a time the respective resource represented by the given one of the one or more menu items became available and a cause of the respective resource becoming available; and

wherein processing the selected menu item in the opened drop-down menu comprises;

receiving user input indicating selection of one of the one or more disabled menu items;

in response to receiving user input indicating selection of the disabled menu item, determining when the respective computer resource corresponding to the selected disabled menu item becomes available; and

in response to determining that the respective computer resource corresponding to the selected disabled menu item is available, executing a task operation utilizing the respective computer resource without receiving additional user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of items corresponding with the set of data comprises:

the set of items including a first item configured to have a first state and a second state;

the set of items including a second item configured to have the first state and the second state;

the set of data including a first component configured to have a first condition and a second condition;

the set of data including a second component configured to have the first condition and the second condition;

the first state of the first item corresponding to the first condition of the first component;

the second state of the first item corresponding to the second condition of the first component;

the first state of the second item corresponding to the first condition of the second component; and

the second state of the second item corresponding to the second condition of the second component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein updating the set of items dynamically in the opened drop-down menu in response to a change in the set of data includes:

a first transition, wherein;

the first component converts from the second condition to the first condition, the first condition representing an accessible condition,

the first item converts from the second state to the first state, the first state representing a valid state, and

the first item is provided in the updated set of items; and

a second transition, wherein;

the second component converts from the first condition to the second condition, the second condition representing an at least partially inaccessible condition,

the second item converts from the first state to the second state, the first state representing an invalid state, and

the second item is not provided in the updated set of items.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the drop-down menu is configured to operate in a first mode, the first mode comprising:

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items;

adding, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

removing, in response to a second transition, a second item from the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising tagging the first item with a data label having information regarding the first state change.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the drop-down menu is configured to operate in a second mode, the second mode comprising:

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items;

adding, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

disabling, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein disabling includes marking the second item with an indicator, the second item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the drop-down menu is configured to operate in a third mode, the third mode comprising:

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items and an invalid subset of the set of items;

enabling, in response to a first transition, a first item of the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

disabling, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with the invalid subset.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

marking, in response to the first transition, the first item with a first data label including information related to the first transition and a first indicator, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

marking, in response to a second transition, the second item with a second data label including information related to the second transition and a second indicator, the second menu item associated with the valid subset.

10. A computer implemented method for managing a widget in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

opening the widget having an initial set of items corresponding with a set of data, the initial set of items including a list of valid menu items available when the widget is opened, the initial set of items corresponding with the set of data including;

a first item configured to have a first state and a second state; and

a second item configured to have the first state and the second state;

the set of data including a first component configured to have a first condition and a second condition, wherein the first component is a computer resource that can be utilized by a user as part of one or more respective task operations;

the set of data including a second component configured to have the first condition and the second condition, wherein the second component is a computer resource that can be utilized by the user as part of one or more respective task operations;

the first state of the first item corresponding to the first condition of the first component;

the second state of the first item corresponding to the second condition of the first component;

the first state of the second item corresponding to the first condition of the second component;

the second state of the second item corresponding to the second condition of the second component;

updating the list of valid menu items dynamically in real-time while the widget is open in response to a change in the set of data that occurs while the widget is open, wherein updating the set of items includes;

a first transition, wherein;

the first component converts from the second condition to the first condition while the widget is open, the first condition representing an accessible condition and the second condition representing an at least partially inaccessible condition,

the first item converts from the second state to the first state while the widget is open, the first state representing a valid state, and

the first item is added to the list of valid menu items while the widget is open; and

a second transition, wherein;

the second component converts from the first condition to the second condition while the widget is open, the second condition representing an at least partially inaccessible condition and the first condition representing an accessible condition,

the second item converts from the first state to the second state while the widget is open, the first state representing an invalid state, and

the second item is disabled in the list of valid menu items while the widget is open and a visual indicator is provided indicating that the second item is invalid;

processing, from the updated list of valid menu items, a selected item in the opened widget; and

displaying respective contextual information in a pop-up message in response to a cursor hovering over the first item, wherein the contextual information includes at least one of a time the first component converted from the second condition to the first condition and a cause of the first component converting from the second condition to the first condition;

wherein processing the selected item in the opened widget comprises;

receiving user input indicating selection of the second item while the second item is disabled in the list of valid menu items;

in response to receiving user input indicating selection of the second item while the second item is disabled, monitoring the second component to determine when the second component transitions from the second condition to the first condition; and

in response to determining that the second component transitions to the first condition, executing a task operation utilizing the second component without receiving additional user input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the widget is configured to operate in a first mode if the number of items in the set of items is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, a second mode if the number of items in the set of items is less than the first threshold value and greater than or equal to a second threshold value, and a third mode if the number of items in the set of items is less than the second threshold value, the first mode comprising:

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items,

adding, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset,

removing, in response to a second transition, a second item from the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items, and

tagging the first item with a data label having information regarding the first state change;

the second mode comprising;

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items,

adding, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset, and

disabling, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu, wherein disabling includes marking the second item with an indicator; and

the third mode comprising;

providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items and an invalid subset of the set of items,

enabling, in response to a first transition, a first item of the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset,

disabling, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with the invalid subset,

marking, in response to the first transition, the first item with a first data label including information related to the first transition and a first indicator, the first item associated with the valid subset, and

marking, in response to a second transition, the second item with a second data label including information related to the second transition and a second indicator, the second menu item associated with a the valid subset.

12. A system for managing a widget for a drop-down menu in a graphical user interface, the system comprising:

a computer monitor configured to display the drop-down menu in the graphical user interface;

an input device configured to receive user input; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled to the computer monitor and the input device;

wherein the processing unit is configured to;

output commands to the computer monitor to open the drop-down menu in response to user input received via the input device, the drop-down menu having an initial set of items corresponding with a set of data the initial set of items including a list of valid menu items available when the drop-down menu is opened, wherein each menu item represents a respective computer resource which can be selected and utilized by a user as part of one or more task operations;

update the list of valid menu items dynamically in real-time while the drop-down menu is open in response to a change in the set of data that occurs while the drop-down menu is open, wherein updating the list of valid menu items includes adding one or more menu items representing one or more respective computer resources, which have become available while the drop-down menu is open, to the list of valid menu items or disabling one or more menu items representing one or more respective computer resources, which have become unavailable while the drop-down menu is open, from the list of valid menu items while the drop-down menu is open; and

process, from the updated list of valid menu items, a selected menu item in the opened drop-down menu;

wherein disabling the one or more menu items includes providing a visual indicator to indicate that the one or more disabled menu items are invalid;

wherein adding one or more menu items to the list of valid menu items includes displaying contextual information in a pop-up message in response to a cursor hovering over a given one of the one or more menu items, wherein the contextual information includes at least one of a time the respective resource represented by the given one of the one or more menu items became available and a cause of the respective resource becoming available; and

wherein the processing unit is configured to process the selected menu item in the opened drop-down menu by;

receiving user input indicating selection of one of the one or more disabled menu items;

in response to receiving user input indicating selection of the disabled menu item, determining when the respective computer resource corresponding to the selected disabled menu item becomes available; and

in response to determining that the respective computer resource corresponding to the selected disabled menu item is available, executing a task operation utilizing the respective computer resource without receiving additional user input.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of items corresponding with the set of data comprises:

the set of items including a first item configured to have a first state and a second state;

the set of items including a second item configured to have the first state and the second state;

the set of data including a first component configured to have a first condition and a second condition;

the set of data including a second component configured to have the first condition and the second condition;

the first state of the first item corresponding to the first condition of the first component;

the second state of the first item corresponding to the second condition of the first component;

the first state of the second item corresponding to the first condition of the second component; and

the second state of the second item corresponding to the second condition of the second component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit configured to update the list of valid menu items dynamically in real-time while the drop-down menu is open in response to a change in the set of data includes:

a first transition, wherein;

the first component converts from the second condition to the first condition, the first condition representing an accessible condition,

the first item converts from the second state to the first state, the first state representing a valid state, and

the first item is provided in the updated set of items; and

a second transition, wherein;

the second component converts from the first condition to the second condition, the second condition representing an at least partially inaccessible condition,

the second item converts from the first state to the second state, the first state representing an invalid state, and

the second item is not provided in the updated set of items.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to operate in a first mode to:

provide, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items;

add, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

remove, in response to a second transition, a second item from the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing unit is further configured to tag the first item with a data label having information regarding the first state change.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to operate in a second mode to:

provide, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items;

add, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

disable, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein disabling includes marking the second item with an indicator, the second item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to operate in a third mode to:

provide, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items and an invalid subset of the set of items;

enable, in response to a first transition, a first item of the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

disable, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with the invalid subset.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

mark, in response to the first transition, the first item with a first data label including information related to the first transition and a first indicator, the first item associated with the valid subset; and

mark, in response to a second transition, the second item with a second data label including information related to the second transition and a second indicator, the second menu item associated with the valid subset.