Method and system for navigating a hierarchical structure in a data processing system
First Claim
1. A method (700) of navigating a hierarchical structure in a data processing system, the hierarchical structure having a plurality of nodes, wherein the method includes the steps of:
- displaying (706-709) a visual representation of at least part of the hierarchical structure, the visual representation including a tree of graphical objects each one representing a node, selecting (712) a graphical object representing a selected node among a plurality of sibling nodes dependent on a common parent node, the selected node having at least one child node dependent thereon, expanding (737) the selected graphical object by displaying the graphical objects representing the at least one child node, characterized by the step of updating (735-748) the visual representation to have at most one graphical object interposed between the expanded graphical object and the graphical object representing the parent node.
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Abstract
A method and a corresponding system for navigating a hierarchical structure (such as a file system) in a data processing system are proposed. Typically, the file system is organized as a tree; each node of the tree is represented by a corresponding graphical object (232). Whenever the user selects the object representing a node having one or more child nodes dependent thereon, the selected object is expanded displaying the objects representing the corresponding child nodes. In the method of the invention, all the objects interposed between the object representing the selected node and the object representing its parent node are condensed into a single object (330) or are hidden; alternatively, the object representing the selected node is moved close to the object representing its parent node (rearranging the objects representing its sibling nodes). The proposed solution provides an enhanced perception of the hierarchical structure of the file system, and particularly of the path from a root node to a target node.
84 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method (700) of navigating a hierarchical structure in a data processing system, the hierarchical structure having a plurality of nodes, wherein the method includes the steps of:
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displaying (706-709) a visual representation of at least part of the hierarchical structure, the visual representation including a tree of graphical objects each one representing a node, selecting (712) a graphical object representing a selected node among a plurality of sibling nodes dependent on a common parent node, the selected node having at least one child node dependent thereon, expanding (737) the selected graphical object by displaying the graphical objects representing the at least one child node, characterized by the step of updating (735-748) the visual representation to have at most one graphical object interposed between the expanded graphical object and the graphical object representing the parent node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A data processing system (100) for navigating a hierarchical structure, the hierarchical structure having a plurality of nodes, wherein the system includes means (115, 625) for displaying a visual representation of at least part of the hierarchical structure, the visual representation including a tree of graphical objects each one representing a node, means (125, 620) for selecting a graphical object representing a selected node among a plurality of sibling nodes dependent on a common parent node, the selected node having at least one child node dependent thereon, means (610) for expanding the selected graphical object by displaying the graphical objects representing the at least one child node,
characterized in that the system further includes means (610) for updating the visual representation to have at most one graphical object interposed between the expanded graphical object and the graphical object representing the parent node.
Specification