Method and system of help-information control

• US 5,483,632 A
• Filed: 01/20/1995
• Issued: 01/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Masuda, Kiyoshi, Kuwabara, Tadashi, Nonaka, Naomichi, Nakane, Keiichi, Fujiwara, Masaki, Koreeda, Hiroyuki, Kuwamoto, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Application Number:
  US08/375,663
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 395/144-146, 395/153, 395/154, 395/155-161, 395/275, 395/600, 395/650, 395/700, 395/934, 364/188, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 364/419.1, 364/419.13
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A method of help-information control for displaying help information on a display unit of an information processing system executing a plurality of application programs. A status management table for storing the executing status of application programs is provided as common to these programs. During execution of a given application program, the contents of the status information table are updated successively in accordance with the executing status. Whenever an operator makes a help request, the contents of the status management table in effect at that point in time are referenced. The table is searched for the help information corresponding to the request. When found and retrieved, the information is displayed. The search is performed using a program identifier, a message identifier, and a help message searching table that includes the position information containing the corresponding help data. Each application program is equipped with a control data part that makes it possible to reference help data of other application programs.

Claims

1. A method of controlling help-information of an information handling system having a central processing unit (CPU) for executing programs and memory means, input means, and display means connected to the CPU, comprising the steps of:

renewing successively status pointers each of which points to an executing status stored in a status management table in response to execution of a corresponding application program;

referring to said status management table in response to a help request provided from an operator during execution of an application program to obtain an executing status pointed to by a status pointer corresponding to said application program; and

searching help data corresponding to said executing statuses using said obtained executing status of said status management table to display help-information corresponding to said obtained executing status of said application program on the display means;

wherein said status management table stores said executing statuses each of which includes a message identifier corresponding to an executing status of one of said application programs to be executed in the CPU;

wherein said status pointer stores pointers each pointing to an executing status stored in said status management table corresponding to an executing status of an application program to be executed in the CPU.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said status management table is stored in a memory area of the memory means, said memory area being commonly accessed by each of said application programs.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a help-data management table and a help message searching table both formed in the memory means are searched in said searching step, said help-data management table stores a storing position of help-data corresponding to each application program, said help message searching table stores a message identifier related to an executing status corresponding to each of said application programs and a storing position of help message data corresponding to said message identifier of said each application program, said help-data includes a help-message searching table and a plurality of help message data.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a help-information searching table is searched in said searching step, said help-information searching table includes a message identifier and a storing position of help message data related to said message identifier corresponding to each application program.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

assigning a respective window of multi-windows which are to be displayed on the display means to a respective one of said application programs;

simultaneously displaying on the display means said multi-windows for respective ones of the application programs;

selecting one of said multi-windows as an active window by current pointing means.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said help data includes display data to be displayed on the display means and control data each having a message identifier corresponding to each of said application programs.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

judging whether an input, supplied from the input means after displaying said help-information on the display means, is another help request in accordance with said control data; and

searching for another help-data when said input is another help request in accordance with said control data.

8. A system for controlling help-information in an information handling apparatus having a central processing unit (CPU) for executing programs and memory means, input means, and display means connected to the CPU, said system comprising:

a set of programs to be executed in the CPU including a plurality of application programs and an operating system program;

a status management table formed in the memory means, said status management table stores a list of executing statuses each of which includes a message identifier corresponding to an executing status of one of said application programs to be executed in the CPU;

means for successively renewing each of a plurality of status pointers for continuously pointing to an executing status stored in said status management table corresponding to an executing status of an application program to be executed in the CPU, in response to execution of a corresponding application program;

means for referring to an executing status of said status management table pointed to by said status pointer in response to a help request supplied from the input means during execution of one of said application programs to obtain an executing status corresponding to said one application program;

means for searching help message data corresponding to said executing statuses of said status management table using said obtained executing status;

means for supplying help message data corresponding to said obtained executing status to the display means.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said status management table is stored in a memory area of the memory means, said memory area being commonly accessed by each of said application programs.

10. A system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a help-information searching table formed in the memory means, said help-information searching table stores a plurality of sets each having a message identifier, and a storing position of help message data related to said message identifier and corresponding to each of said application programs.

11. A system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a help-data management table formed in the memory means, said help-data management table stores a storing position of help data corresponding to each of said application programs; and

a help message searching table formed in the memory means, said help message searching table stores a plurality of sets each having a message identifier and a storing position of help message data corresponding to said message identifier.

12. A system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for allocating a respective window of multi-windows and a window control block to a respective one of said application programs to enable simultaneous display of said multi-windows on the display means;

wherein each of said window control blocks has a status management table pointer, said status management table pointer points to one of said message identifiers corresponding to one of said application programs.

13. A system according to claim 12, further comprising:

active pointing means for pointing to a window control block corresponding to an active window of said multi-windows.

14. A control apparatus for controlling help facility in an information handling system having a central processing unit (CPU) for executing programs and memory means, input means, and display means connected to the CPU, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of application programs to be executed in the CPU and interrupted in response to a help request provided from the input means;

an operating system program to be executed in the CPU for controlling the system and managing help message data corresponding to an executing status of each of said application programs, said operating system program being informed of said executing status by a corresponding application program;

a status pointer, which is formed in the memory means and successively renewed in response to execution of each application program, for continuously pointing to an executing status stored in said status management table corresponding to an executing status of each application program to be executed in the CPU, in response to execution of said application program; and

a help program to be started in response to said help request and executed in the CPU for referring to an executing status of an application program pointed to by said status pointer interrupted in response to said help request so as to search and deliver help message data corresponding to said executing status of said interrupted application program to the display means.

15. A control apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a help information searching table formed in the memory means, said help information searching table stores said message identifier, and a storing position in the memory means of said help message data corresponding to each of said application programs;

wherein said help program searches said help message data in accordance with said help information searching table.

16. A control apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a help data area formed on the memory means for storing said help message data corresponding to each of said executing statuses including display data to be displayed on the display means and control data which have display positions of said display data, corresponding to program numbers and corresponding message numbers.