Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Attributes
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-20
2004-12-14
Tung, Kee M. (Department: 2676)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Attributes
C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06831655
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of computer science. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining display element attribute values.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Software applications such as Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) that display information about a program or a file system typically display the information using a particular display form. The system to be displayed is typically divided into objects that may be related to one or more other objects. A display element is an object or element that represents an object. The represented object may be any object used in the system being represented, such as an application file, database record or Java™ field. A display form determines how display elements are displayed. Some typical examples of display forms include a tree form, a cascade form and a list form. Each display element has a set of attributes that is determined by a particular display form; the set of attributes is independent from the object that is represented by the display element. These relationships are illustrated with reference to
FIGS. 1-5
, below.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram that illustrates a tree display form. Tree
100
represents a data hierarchy using NetBeans Explorer, available from Sun Microsystems of Palo Alto, Calif. Tree
100
includes display elements
102
-
150
. Each display element has several properties. The single-valued properties include the name and icon. The multi-valued properties include the children, actions and referenced object properties. The children property includes display elements that are displayed under another display element. For example, the children property of display element
110
includes display elements
112
and
114
. The “actions” property includes actions that may be performed on the display element. The actions may be displayed in a pop-up menu
152
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the actions available for display element
146
include Open
154
, “Customize Bean”
156
, Compile
158
, Execute
160
, Cut
162
, Copy
164
, New
166
, Delete
168
, Rename
170
and “Save as Template”
172
. The referenced object properties are properties of the object represented by the display element. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the properties for the object represented by display element
146
are presented in a separate window
174
.
FIG. 2
is a block diagram that illustrates another tree display form. Tree
200
represents a file system displayed using Microsoft Explorer, available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. The properties of display element
202
include the actions that can be performed on the display element, represented by pop-up menu
204
. The properties of display element
202
also include the properties of the represented object, represented by window
206
.
FIG. 2
also illustrates a containment relationship. A containment relationship shows the objects contained by another object. This relationship is typically displayed in the form of a tree. For example, folder beans
208
is “contained” by folder bdk1.1 (
210
) and folder bdk1.1 (
210
) is contained by folder
212
.
FIG. 3
is a block diagram that illustrates a cascade display form. Unlike the tree display form, cascade display form
300
has only single-valued action attributes. The only action is the action performed when the user clicks on the element. The cascade display form
300
also has no referenced object properties. In other words, the cascade display form
300
does not display properties of the object represented by the display element.
FIG. 4
is a block diagram that illustrates a list display form. List display form
400
has the following single-valued attributes: display name, icon and type. The type attribute values are displayed in column
402
. List display form
400
also includes a multi-valued “actions” attribute. The actions are for display element
404
displayed in pop-up menu
406
.
FIG. 5
is a block diagram that illustrates another list display form. Display form
500
is the same as display form
400
in
FIG. 4
, except that list display form
500
has no “Type” property.
Present day software applications typically lack the ability to display multiple types of object relationships. What is needed is a solution that enables the display of selected object relationships. A further need exists for such a solution that is configurable and that provides for multiple ways of viewing object relationships within the same net.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A method for determining display element attribute values from an object represented by the display element includes defining a display element view including at least one elementary view that is capable of determining a display element attribute value, receiving a display element attribute value request, determining the first view for the display element and ascertaining at least one display element attribute value for the display element based upon the first view. An apparatus for determining display element attribute values from an object represented by the display element includes a definer to define a display element view including at least one elementary view that is capable of determining a display element attribute value, a receiver to receive a display element attribute value request, a determiner to determine the first view for the display element and an ascertainer to ascertain at least one display element attribute value for the display element based upon the first view.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5818444 (1998-10-01), Alimpich et al.
Hrebejk Petr
Matula Martin
Gunnison McKay & Hodgson, L.L.P.
Sun Microsystems Inc.
Tran Tam
Tung Kee M.
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