Managing a drop-down menu having a set of items corresponding with a set of data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952750-B2
Application number	US-201414179924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2014
Priority date	Feb 13, 2014
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A computer implemented method for managing a widget is disclosed. The widget can include a drop-down menu. The method can include opening the drop-down menu having a set of items corresponding with a set of data. The method can also include updating the set of items dynamically in the opened drop-down menu in response to a change in the set of data. The method can also include processing a selected item from the updated set of items in the opened drop-down menu.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method for managing a widget for a drop-down menu in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
opening the drop-down menu having an initial set of items corresponding with a set of data, the initial set of items including a list of valid menu items available when the drop-down menu is opened, wherein each menu item represents a respective computer resource which can be selected and utilized by a user as part of one or more task operations;
updating the list of valid menu items dynamically in real-time while the drop-down menu is open in response to a change in the set of data that occurs while the drop-down menu is open, wherein updating the list of valid menu items includes adding one or more menu items representing one or more respective computer resources, which have become available while the drop-down menu is open, to the list of valid menu items or disabling one or more menu items representing one or more respective computer resources, which have become unavailable while the drop-down menu is open, from the list of valid menu items while the drop-down menu is open; and
processing, from the updated list of valid menu items, a selected menu item in the opened drop-down menu;
wherein disabling the one or more menu items includes providing a visual indicator to indicate that the one or more disabled menu items are invalid;
wherein adding one or more menu items to the list of valid menu items includes displaying contextual information in a pop-up message in response to a cursor hovering over a given one of the one or more menu items, wherein the contextual information includes at least one of a time the respective resource represented by the given one of the one or more menu items became available and a cause of the respective resource becoming available; and
wherein processing the selected menu item in the opened drop-down menu comprises:
receiving user input indicating selection of one of the one or more disabled menu items;
in response to receiving user input indicating selection of the disabled menu item, determining when the respective computer resource corresponding to the selected disabled menu item becomes available; and
in response to determining that the respective computer resource corresponding to the selected disabled menu item is available, executing a task operation utilizing the respective computer resource without receiving additional user input.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of items corresponding with the set of data comprises:
the set of items including a first item configured to have a first state and a second state;
the set of items including a second item configured to have the first state and the second state;
the set of data including a first component configured to have a first condition and a second condition;
the set of data including a second component configured to have the first condition and the second condition;
the first state of the first item corresponding to the first condition of the first component;
the second state of the first item corresponding to the second condition of the first component;
the first state of the second item corresponding to the first condition of the second component; and
the second state of the second item corresponding to the second condition of the second component.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein updating the set of items dynamically in the opened drop-down menu in response to a change in the set of data includes:
a first transition, wherein:
the first component converts from the second condition to the first condition, the first condition representing an accessible condition,
the first item converts from the second state to the first state, the first state representing a valid state, and
the first item is provided in the updated set of items; and
a second transition, wherein:
the second component converts from the first condition to the second condition, the second condition representing an at least partially inaccessible condition,
the second item converts from the first state to the second state, the first state representing an invalid state, and
the second item is not provided in the updated set of items.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drop-down menu is configured to operate in a first mode, the first mode comprising:
providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items;
adding, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and
removing, in response to a second transition, a second item from the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising tagging the first item with a data label having information regarding the first state change.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drop-down menu is configured to operate in a second mode, the second mode comprising:
providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items;
adding, in response to a first transition, a first item to the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and
disabling, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein disabling includes marking the second item with an indicator, the second item associated with an invalid subset of the set of items.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drop-down menu is configured to operate in a third mode, the third mode comprising:
providing, in response to opening the drop-down menu, a valid subset of the set of items and an invalid subset of the set of items;
enabling, in response to a first transition, a first item of the drop-down menu, the first item associated with the valid subset; and
disabling, in response to a second transition, a second item of the drop-down menu, the second menu item associated with the invalid subset.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
marking, in response to the first transition, the first item with a first data label including information related to the first transition and a first indicator, the first item associated with the valid subset; and
marking, in response to a second transition, the second item with a second data label including information related to the second transition and a second indicator, the second menu item associated with the valid subset.

10. A computer implemented method for managing a widget in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
opening the widget having an initial set of items corresponding with a set of data, the initial set of items including a list of valid menu items available when the widget is opened, the initial set of items corresponding with the set of data including:
a first item configured to have a first state and a second state; and
a second item configured to have the first state and the second state;
the set of data including a first component configured to have a first condition and a second condition, wherein the first component is a computer resource that can be utilized by a user as part of one or more respective task operations;
the set of data including a second component configured to have the first condition and the second condition, wherein the second component is a computer resource that can be utilized by the user as part of one or more respective task operations;
the first state of the first item corresponding to the first condition of the first component;
the second state of the first item corresponding to the second condition of the first component;
the first state of the second item correspo

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bertram Randal L
• Hintermeister Gregory R
• Niedergeses David M S
• Yao Hai Feng

Classifications

• G06F9/44

  Arrangements for executing specific programs · CPC title

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F3/04842 Primary

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F9/4443

  Physics · mapped topic