Computer users today are inundated with information, information sources, programs and ways of communicating. Users find it increasingly difficult to find the information they desire as increasing amounts of information become available. The proliferation of software applications and their features only exacerbates these difficulties. Typically, information, such as that provided by spreadsheet, database, or word processing programs, is distinguished and separated from the active program elements or graphical controls for controlling the program. This separation merely adds to the clutter of information and software devices available to users.
In text-based computer systems, the text commands or keystrokes for controlling the system must be known to and entered by a user. In a windowed computer environment, graphical control elements such as buttons, icons, and menus are provided to spare a user from using the text commands or keystrokes required in text-based systems. A common aspect of both types of computer system is that the control elements, whether text, keystrokes, or graphical elements, are all segregated from any underlying information provided by a program.
This distinction reflects a common software characteristic in which a computer program is held to be distinct from information (e.g., a document created in or viewed from the program). With the increasing complexity of computer systems and information provided by such systems, users often find it difficult to obtain either the desired information or the desired computer control elements.
One exception to such common distinctions between computer system control elements and information is the use of hyperlinks in some computer languages such as hyper-text markup language (HTML). HTML allows links to different documents to be integrated into the information included in an HTML document. As a result, HTML allows information in a document to be linked to other relevant information without requiring separate text or graphical control elements. It is the power of such linkages that has contributed to the popularity of information sources such as the Internet and intranets.
While providing an improvement over the way in which conventional document files are related to each other, HTML remains limited to linking separate documents or files. Such linkages merely provide convenient access to fixed files of a common format or protocol and typically would not provide access to a wide range of file formats or information sources. The limitations of HTML are particularly acute with regard to obtaining information from a database data source.
In one implementation of the present invention, therefore, hierarchical graphical listing computer software resides in a computer readable medium and obtains data for and renders hierarchical graphical listings or charts. A hierarchical graphical listing or chart rendered on a display according to this invention includes multiple nodes that are at different hierarchical levels and may include connecting branches that represent hierarchical links.
Each of the nodes is active and has an action associated with it so that the action is integrated into the information in the listing. For reference purposes, the actions may be grouped as Display Actions, View/Play Actions, Editing Actions, and Other Actions. Display actions cause menus, charts, forms, and or network pages to be displayed and made available to a user. View/play actions cause a file of a selected file format to be opened, played, viewed, or run. Similarly, Editing actions allow such files to be edited. Other actions may include running a program, activating a telephone call, sending e-mail, or displaying a particular file type and are analogous to view/play actions.
The hierarchical graphical listing computer software of this invention allows information to be presented to users in a format that improves understanding of the relationships between the information. Examples of the types of information that can be provided include: the hierarchical levels of an organization such as a corporation, government, etc., relationships between the locations (e.g., nations, states, counties, cities, etc.) of people or entities, relationships between components within an article, machine, or software program, relationships between information sources such as computer files, sites on local or global computer networks, printed materials, etc., as well as virtually any other types of information having hierarchical relationships. Associating various possible actions with the nodes in such hierarchical graphical listings provides a powerful tool for conveying complex information.
In addition, such hierarchical graphical listings allow simple retrieval of information from a complex database record having plural fields. In one implementation, multiple successive hierarchical graphical listings are rendered. A user selects from each listing a node that corresponds to information of interest, as well as a field in a database record. The user selections of nodes from successive hierarchical graphical listings is tracked, and a database query is formed from the sequence of selections. In another implementation, the information in subsequent ones of the successive hierarchical graphical listings may also be modified according to the sequence of selections.
In yet another implementation, the information and active control elements are integrated with an information table or spreadsheet. Regions (e.g., rows) in the table or spreadsheet may function in the same way as the nodes of a hierarchical graphical listing. Integrating actions with information in a hierarchical graphical listing, table or spreadsheet provides a wide variety of formats for presenting and accessing information.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.