In present day machine tools, numerical controls are used to machine workpieces using an NC program. These NC programs are processed by a numerical control, which controls the machine tool and initiates necessary machining steps. These steps can include, for instance, choosing the tool, guiding the workpiece on a tool path, or introducing and removing cooling agents. As machine tools become more and more efficient, NC programs are keeping pace with this development. For that reason, generating or editing an NC program constitutes an important step in the machining of workpieces using numerically controlled machine tools, and one that is requiring more financial expense. Therefore, it may be important to support the developer of such an NC program in the best manner possible, so that he or she will be able to solve large and complex programming tasks efficiently and accurately. A support of this kind is not only helpful when actually creating the NC programs, but also for other preparatory measures for setting up the NC program, such as in the automatic fitting of the tool magazine, setting up a workpiece, calibrating a tool, etc.
European Published Patent Application No. 0 553 433 relates to a device, as well as a method for supporting the programmer, who, with the aid of an automatic programming system, generates an NC program. During the program creation, at appropriate points in the programming, predefined selection lists including corresponding data records for useful and/or permissible entries are presented, from which merely the desired input still needs to be selected. Selection lists, for example, may present potential problems, however when the selection lists do not offer the selection of tools that are usable at this point in the NC program.
Depending on the machining or machine type, various selection lists are required at different points of the program creation and/or in the programming mode. How to flexibly adapt such selection lists or input aids to various machining and machine conditions cannot be inferred from European Published Patent Application No. 0 553 433.