Claims
- 1. A data processor controlled user interactive display interface comprising a tree view having:
- a plurality of selectable elements arranged in a hierarchy, each of said elements capable of being associated with a plurality of data entities;
- at least one virtual element associated with a selectable element, wherein each virtual element does not have an associated data entity, and wherein each virtual element of one selectable element provides an organized interface of the data entities associated with the selectable element.
- 2. The display interface of claim 1 wherein said virtual element has child elements respectively associated with data entities.
- 3. The display interface of claim 1 wherein said interface is for the interactive control of production operations.
- 4. The display interface of claim 3 wherein said production operations are printing operations.
- 5. The display interface of claim 1, wherein the data entities of one selectable element comprise one of processes executing in a computer system and resources available in the computer system associated with the selectable element.
- 6. A data processor controlled user interactive display interface comprising a tree view having:
- a plurality of selectable objects arranged in a hierarchy, each of said objects capable of being associated with a plurality of data entities;
- at least one of said objects having a plurality of virtual child objects, each of said virtual objects associated with a selectable element, wherein each virtual object does not have an associated data entity, and wherein each virtual object of one selectable object provides an organized interface of the data entities associated with the selectable object.
- 7. The display interface of claim 6 wherein at least one of said virtual child objects has child objects respectively associated with data entities.
- 8. The display interface of claim 6, wherein said virtual child objects are receptively of types based upon non-hierarchical properties of the data entities to which the virtual child object provides an organized interface.
- 9. The display interface of claim 6, wherein the data entities of one selectable element comprise one of processes executing in a computer system and resources available in the computer system associated with the selectable element.
- 10. A method for interactively interfacing with a data processor controlled display interface comprising:
- providing a tree view of a plurality of selectable elements arranged in a hierarchy, each of said elements capable of being associated with a plurality of data entities,
- providing at least one virtual element associated with a selectable element, wherein each virtual element does not have an associated data entity, wherein each virtual element of one selectable elements provides an organized interface of the data entities associated with the selectable element in said tree view.
- 11. The method of claim 10 wherein said virtual element has child elements respectively associated with data entities.
- 12. The method of claim 10 wherein said interface is for the interactive control of production operations.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein said production operations are printing operations.
- 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the data entities of one selectable element comprise one of processes executing in a computer system and resources available in the computer system associated with the selectable element.
- 15. A method for interactively interfacing with a data processor controlled display interface comprising:
- providing a tree view of a plurality of selectable objects arranged in a hierarchy, each of said objects capable of being associated with a plurality of data entities;
- providing at least one selectable object in said tree view having a plurality of virtual child objects, each of said virtual child objects associated with a selectable element, wherein each virtual child object does not have an associated data entity, and wherein each virtual child object of one selectable object provides an organized interface of the data entities associated with the selectable object.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of said virtual child objects has child objects respectively associated with data entities.
- 17. The method of claim 15, wherein said virtual child objects are respectively of types based upon non-hierarchical properties of the data entities to which the virtual child object provides an organized interface.
- 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the data entities of one selectable element comprise one of processes executing in a computer system and resources available in the computer system associated with the selectable element.
- 19. 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 having:
- a plurality of selectable elements arranged in a hierarchy, each of said elements capable of being associated with a plurality of data entities;
- at least one virtual element associated with a selectable element, wherein each virtual element does not have an associated data entity, wherein each virtual element of one selectable element provides an organized interface of the data entities associated with the selectable element.
- 20. The program of claim 19 wherein said virtual element has child elements respectively associated with data entities.
- 21. The program of claim 19 wherein said interface is for the interactive control of production operations.
- 22. The program of claim 21 wherein said production operations are printing operations.
- 23. The program of claim 19, wherein the data entities of one selectable element comprise one of processes executing in a computer system and resources available in the computer system associated with the selectable element.
- 24. 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 having:
- a plurality of selectable objects arranged in a hierarchy, each of said objects capable of being associated with a plurality of data entities;
- at least one of said selectable objects having a plurality of virtual child objects, each of said virtual child objects associated with a selectable element, wherein each virtual object does not have an associated data entity, and wherein each virtual object of one selectable object provides an organized interface of the data entities associated with the selectable object.
- 25. The program of claim 24 wherein at least one of said virtual child objects has child objects respectively associated with data entities.
- 26. The program of claim 24, wherein said virtual child objects are respectively of types based upon non-hierarchical properties of the data entities to which the virtual object provides an organized interface.
- 27. The program of claim 24, wherein the data entities of one selectable element comprise one of processes executing in a computer system and resources available in the computer system associated with the selectable element.
- 28. In a data processor controlled user interactive display interface comprising a tree view of a plurality of selectable elements arranged in a hierarchy, each of said elements capable of being associated with a plurality of data entities, a structure for enhancing the organization of said tree view comprising:
- at least one virtual element associated with a selectable element, wherein each virtual element does not have an associated data entity, and wherein each virtual element of one selectable elements provides an organized interface of the data entities associated with the selectable element.
- 29. The display interface of claim 28 wherein said virtual element has a parent element associated with a data entity and at least one child element associated with a data entity.
- 30. The display interface of claim 28, wherein the data entities of one selectable element comprise one of processes executing in a computer system and resources available in the computer system associated with the selectable element.
- 31. In a method for interactively interfacing with a data processor controlled user interactive display comprising providing a tree view of a plurality of selectable elements arranged in a hierarchy, each of said elements capable of being associated with a plurality of data entities, a method for enhancing the organization of said tree view comprising:
- providing at least one virtual element associated with a selectable element, wherein each virtual element does not have an associated data entity, and wherein each virtual element of one selectable elements provides an organized interface of the data entities associated with the selectable element.
- 32. The method of claim 31 wherein said virtual element has a parent element associated with a data entity and at least one child element associated with a data entity.
- 33. The method of claim 31, wherein the data entities of one selectable element comprise one of processes executing in a computer system and resources available in the computer system associated with the selectable element.
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 Display Interface With Tree Hierarchy of Elements View Expandable into Multiple Detailed Views", U.S. Ser. No. 09/053,209; "Data Processor Controlled Interface with Multiple Tree of Elements Views Expandable into Individual Detail Views", U.S. Ser. No. 09/052,858; and "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; all are assigned to International Business Machines Corporation by Claudia Alimpich et al. and all are filed concurrently herewith.
US Referenced Citations (8)