Claims
- 1. A data processor controlled user interactive display interface comprising:
- a tree view of selectable elements arranged in a hierarchy in one region of a display interface screen, at least one of said selectable elements having a plurality of different types of child elements, and
- means responsive to the selection of an element having child elements of different types for displaying attributes of said child elements in a plurality of separate screen regions, each screen region respectively containing the attributes of one of said different types of elements, wherein each different type of child element has different displayed attributes.
- 2. The display interface of claim 1, wherein said plurality of different child elements are at different hierarchical levels.
- 3. The display interface of claim 1, wherein,
- said elements are parent objects, and
- said different types of child elements arc child objects respectively of types in subclasses inheriting some attributes of the class of the selected parent object type.
- 4. The display interface of claim 1, wherein the selected element is a member of a container class.
- 5. The display interface of claim 3 wherein said selectable parent objects in said tree view hierarchy includes at least one object of a container class and at least one object having different types of child objects in subclasses inheriting the attributes of the class of said selected object type.
- 6. The display interface of claim 1 wherein said interface is for the interactive control of production operations.
- 7. The display interface of claim 6 wherein said production operations are printing operations.
- 8. A method for interactively interfacing with a data processor controlled displayed comprising:
- providing a tree view of selectable elements arranged in a hierarchy in one region of a display interface screen, at least one of said selectable elements having a plurality of different types of child elements, and
- selecting an element having child elements of different types, and
- displaying attributes of the child elements of said child elements in a plurality of separate screen regions, each screen region respectively containing the attributes of one of said different types of elements, wherein each different type of child element has different displayed attributes.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said plurality of different child elements are at different hierarchical levels.
- 10. The method of claim 8, wherein,
- said elements are parent objects, and
- said different types of child elements arc child objects respectively of types in subclasses inheriting the attributes of the class of said selected object type.
- 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected element is a member of a container class.
- 12. The method of claim 10 wherein said selectable parent objects in said tree view hierarchy include at least one object of a container class and at least one object having different types of child objects in subclasses inheriting the attributes of the class of said selected object type.
- 13. The method of claim 8 wherein said method is for the interactive control of production operations.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said production operations are printing operations.
- 15. A computer controlled display program having program code included on a computer readable medium for a user interactive interface to a computer controlled display comprising:
- a tree view of selectable elements arranged in a hierarchy in one region of a display interface screen, at least one of said selectable elements having a plurality of different types of child elements, and
- means responsive to the selection of an element having child elements of different types for displaying attributes of said child elements in a plurality of separate screen regions, each screen region respectively containing the attributes of one of said different types of elements, wherein each different type of child element has different displayed attributes.
- 16. The computer controlled display program of claim 15, wherein said plurality of different child elements are at different hierarchical levels.
- 17. The computer controlled display program of claim 15, wherein,
- said elements are parent objects, and
- said different types of child elements are child objects respectively of types in subclasses inheriting some attributes of the class of the selected parent object type.
- 18. The computer controlled display program of claim 15, wherein the selected element is a member of a container class.
- 19. The computer controlled display program of claim 17 wherein said selectable parent objects in said tree view hierarchy include at least one object of a container class and at least one object having different types of child objects in subclasses inheriting the attributes of the class of said selected object type.
- 20. The computer controlled display program of claim 15 wherein said interface is for the interactive control of production operations.
- 21. The computer controlled display program of claim 20 wherein said production operations are printing operations.
- 22. A data processor controlled user interactive display interface for controlling printers in a print shop operation comprising:
- a tree view of selectable elements arranged in a hierarchy in one region of a display interface screen, at least one of said selectable elements having a plurality of different types of child elements, and
- means responsive to the selection of an element having child elements of different types for displaying attributes of said child elements in a plurality of separate screen regions, each screen region respectively containing the attributes of one of said different types of elements, wherein each different type of child element has different displayed attributes.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED COPENDING PATENT APPLICATIONS
The following patent applications which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention cover subject matter related to the subject matter of the present invention: "Data Processor Controlled Display System With a Plurality of Selectable Basic Function Interfaces for the Control of Varying Types of Customer Requirements and With Additional Customized Functions", U.S. Ser. No. 09/053,210; "Data Processor Controlled Display System With a Plurality of Switchable Customized Basic Function Interfaces for the Control of Varying Types of Operations", U.S. Ser. No. 09/053,214; "Data Processor Controlled Display System for the Control of Operations With Control Properties Which are Selectably Constant or Variable", U.S. Ser. No. 09/053,207; "Data Processor Controlled Interface with Multiple Tree of Elements Views Expandable into Individual Detail Views", U.S. Ser. No. 09/052,858; "Data Processor Controlled Display With a Tree of Items With Modification of Child Item Properties Designated at Parent Level Without Modification of Parent Item Properties", U.S. Ser. No. 09/053,211; and "Data Processor Controlled Display System With a Tree Hierarchy of Elements View Having Virtual Nodes", U.S. Ser. No. 09/053,213; all are assigned to International Business Machines Corporation by Claudia Alimpich et al. and all are filed concurrently herewith.
US Referenced Citations (6)