U.S. patent application number 09/229328 was filed with the patent office on 2002-05-16 for file handling device, and a recording medium storing a file handling program.
Invention is credited to TAKAHASHI, OSAMU, YAGI, TAKAO.
Application Number | 20020059288 09/229328 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 16835175 |
Filed Date | 2002-05-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020059288 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YAGI, TAKAO ; et
al. |
May 16, 2002 |
FILE HANDLING DEVICE, AND A RECORDING MEDIUM STORING A FILE
HANDLING PROGRAM
Abstract
A file handling device designed to improve the efficiency of
file selection in a GUI environment. When a menu is opened with a
file, a folder or an icon selected in a file menu, a file selection
screen, a folder tree menu or a file browser or with an icon on the
desktop selected, file menu item creation/display unit, file
selection screen item creation/display means, folder tree item
creation/display unit and file/icon menu item creation/display unit
read out data set by means of environment setting unit and stored
in settings storing unit, as well as history data stored in history
storing unit, and additionally display the read data in the menu or
the like. At the time of drag-and-drop operation, drop list window
creation/display unit reads out the set data and the history data
and displays a list of the read data in a drop list window.
Inventors: |
YAGI, TAKAO; (TOYAMA,
JP) ; TAKAHASHI, OSAMU; (TOYAMA, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STAAS & HALSEY LLP
700 11TH STREET, NW
SUITE 500
WASHINGTON
DC
20001
US
|
Family ID: |
16835175 |
Appl. No.: |
09/229328 |
Filed: |
January 13, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ;
707/999.102; 707/E17.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/10 20190101;
Y10S 707/918 20130101; Y10S 707/99943 20130101; G06F 3/0481
20130101; G06F 3/0486 20130101; Y10S 707/99945 20130101; G06F
3/0482 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/102 |
International
Class: |
G06F 007/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 10, 1998 |
JP |
10-225811 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A file handling device permitting handling of a file/folder in
an application and in a file browser and handling of an icon on
desktop, comprising: environment setting means for setting items to
be displayed as menu items; settings storing means for storing
contents of settings set by means of said environment setting
means; history storing means for storing a history of opened
files/folders; file menu item creation/display means for
additionally displaying, in a file menu, items of recently accessed
files/folders stored in said history storing means or items of
files/folders stored in said settings storing means; file selection
screen item creation/display means for additionally displaying, in
a file selection screen, the items of recently accessed
files/folders stored in said history storing means or the items of
files/folders stored in said settings storing means; folder tree
item creation/display means for additionally displaying, in a
folder tree menu, the items of recently accessed files/folders
stored in said history storing means or the items of files/folders
stored in said settings storing means; drop list window
creation/display means, responsive to a drag operation, for
creating and displaying a drop list window showing, as target
files/folders of drop operation, the items of recently accessed
files/folders stored in said history storing means or the items of
files/folders stored in said settings storing means; and file/icon
menu item creation/display means for additionally displaying, in a
menu which is opened in a situation where a file/folder is selected
in the file browser or an icon on the desktop is selected, the
items of recently accessed files/folders stored in said history
storing means or the items of files/folders stored in said settings
storing means.
2. The file handling device according to claim 1, wherein said file
menu item creation/display means includes file menu item creating
means, responsive to an operation to open the file menu, for
acquiring items of recently accessed files/folders from said
history storing means and items of files/folders set by means of
said environment setting means from said settings storing means and
creating file menu items, and file menu control means for
displaying the file menu while adding thereto the file menu items
created by said file menu item creating means.
3. The file handling device according to claim 2, wherein said file
selection screen item creation/display means includes file
selection screen item creating means, responsive to an operation to
select an item "Open" in the file menu, for acquiring the items of
recently accessed files/folders from said history storing means and
the items of files/folders set by means of said environment setting
means from said settings storing means and creating file selection
screen items, and file selection screen control means for
displaying the file selection screen while adding thereto the file
selection screen items created by said file selection screen item
creating means.
4. The file handling device according to claim 3, wherein said file
selection screen item creating means switches a current folder to a
selected folder in response to an operation to select a folder item
added by said file menu item creating means in the file menu
displayed by said file menu control means, and switches the current
folder to a standard folder in response to an operation to select
the item "Open" in the file menu.
5. The file handling device according to claim 3, wherein said file
selection screen control means has an "Open and Add File" button
whereby a file selected in the file selection screen is opened
while being added to a file list in said history storing means as a
recently accessed file, an "Open and Add Folder" button whereby a
file selected in the file selection screen is opened while a folder
containing the selected file is added to a folder list in said
history storing means as a recently accessed folder, and an "Open
and Add File and Folder" button whereby a file selected in the file
selection screen is opened while the selected file and a folder
containing the selected file are added to the file list and the
folder list, respectively, of said history storing means as
recently accessed file and folder.
6. The file handling device according to claim 3, wherein said
folder tree item creation/display means includes folder tree item
creating means, responsive to a depression of a "Browse" button in
the file selection screen displayed by said file selection screen
control means, for acquiring the items of recently accessed
files/folders from said history storing means and the items of
files/folders set by means of said environment setting means from
said settings storing means and creating folder tree items, and
folder tree screen control means for displaying a folder tree
screen while adding thereto the folder tree items created by said
folder tree item creating means.
7. The file handling device according to claim 1, wherein said drop
list window creation/display means includes drop list window
display item creating means, responsive to start of a drag
operation of a selected file/folder, for acquiring items of
recently accessed folders from said history storing means and items
of files/folders set by means of said environment setting means
from said settings storing means and creating drop list window
display items, drop list window display position calculating means
for calculating a position where the drop list window is to be
displayed, based on a starting position of the drag operation and
in accordance with display conditions set by means of said
environment setting means, and drop list window control means for
displaying the drop list window showing the drop list window
display items created by said drop list window display item
creating means, at the display position calculated by said drop
list window display position calculating means as a foreground
window.
8. The file handling device according to claim 7, wherein said drop
list window display item creating means acquires items of recently
accessed folders from said history storing means and items of
application files and folders set by means of said environment
setting means from said settings storing means if a dragged object
is at least one data file, and acquires items of recently accessed
folders from said history storing means and items of folders set by
means of said environment setting means from said settings storing
means if the dragged object is not at least one data file.
9. The file handling device according to claim 1, wherein said
file/icon menu item creation/display means includes file/icon menu
item creating means, responsive to an operation to display a menu
in a situation where a file/folder displayed in the file browser is
selected or an icon on the desktop is selected, for acquiring items
of recently accessed files/folders from said history storing means
and items of files/folders set by means of said environment setting
means from said settings storing means and creating file/icon menu
items, and file/icon menu control means for additionally
displaying, in a file/icon menu, the file/icon menu items created
by said file/icon menu item creating means.
10. The file handling device according to claim 9, wherein said
file/icon menu item creating means acquires items of recently
accessed files from said history storing means and items of files
set by means of said environment setting means from said settings
storing means to create file/icon menu items if a file selected in
the file browser or a file represented by an icon selected on the
desktop is an application file.
11. The file handling device according to claim 9, wherein said
file/icon menu item creating means acquires items of recently
accessed folders from said history storing means and items of
application files/folders set by means of said environment setting
means from said settings storing means to create file/icon menu
items if a file selected in the file browser or a file represented
by an icon selected on the desktop is a data file.
12. The file handling device according to claim 9, wherein said
file/icon menu item creating means acquires items of recently
accessed folders from said history storing means and items of
folders set by means of said environment setting means from said
settings storing means to create file/icon menu items if a folder
is selected in the file browser.
13. The file handling device according to claim 1, wherein said
history storing means stores a history of files/folders opened by
said file menu item creation/display means, said file selection
screen item creation/display means or said folder tree item
creation/display means within a range set by means of said
environment setting means with respect to numbers of files/folders
to be recorded, by removing history data on an oldest file/folder
if the opened file/folder is not included in the files/folders
already stored.
14. The file handling device according to claim 1, wherein said
environment setting means includes display item setting means for
setting items to be displayed as menu items, and drag-and-drop
setting means for setting a display format, display position and
display conditions for the drop list window which is displayed
during drag-and-drop operation.
15. A computer-readable recording medium storing a file handling
program permitting handling of a file/folder in an application and
in a file browser and handling of an icon on desktop, the program
comprising environment setting means for setting, storing and
updating items to be displayed as menu items, file menu item
creation/display means, responsive to an operation to display a
file menu, for acquiring items of recently accessed files/folders
from history storing means which stores a history of opened
files/folders and items of set files/folders from settings storing
means which stores contents of settings set by means of the
environment setting means, and additionally displaying the acquired
items in the file menu, file selection screen item creation/display
means, responsive to an operation to select an item "Open" in the
file menu, for acquiring the items of recently accessed
files/folders from the history storing means and the items of set
files/folders from the settings storing means and additionally
displaying the acquired items in a file selection screen, folder
tree item creation/display means, responsive to a depression of a
"Browse" button in the file selection screen, for acquiring the
items of recently accessed files/folders from the history storing
means and the items of set files/folders from the settings storing
means and additionally displaying the acquired items in a folder
tree menu, drop list window creation/display means, responsive to
start of a drag operation, for creating and displaying a drop list
window showing, as target files/folders of drop operation, the
items of recently accessed files/folders acquired from the history
storing means and the items of set files/folders acquired from the
settings storing means, and file/icon menu item creation/display
means, responsive to an operation to display a menu in a situation
where a file/folder is selected in the file browser or an icon on
the desktop is selected, for acquiring the items of recently
accessed files/folders from the history storing means and the items
of set files/folders from the settings storing means and
additionally displaying the acquired items in the menu
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] (1) Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a file handling device, and
more particularly, to a file handling device capable of improving
the efficiency of manipulation on a file menu of an application, a
menu of a file browser such as Explorer, and a menu of an icon on
the desktop, the drag-and-drop operation on the file browser, etc.
during handling of files in a GUI (Graphical User Interface)
environment, that is, during selection of a file to be opened in an
application, selection of a location to which a file is to be
copied, and selection of an application in which a file is to be
opened.
[0003] (2) Description of the Related Art
[0004] In GUI environments, files are handled basically with the
use of a mouse, and almost all operations except for the entry of
characters, such as the selection of a data file to be opened from
within an application and the operation of selecting, copying or
moving files listed in a file browser, can be performed with the
mouse.
[0005] In an operating system based on a GUI environment, for
example, in Windows (trademark of Microsoft Corporation, U.S. A.,
registered in the United States and other countries), file handling
described below is available.
[0006] Clicking "File" in the menu bar of an application which is
already started opens a file menu. The file menu displays, in
addition to items such as "New" and "Open", a list of recently
accessed files, and by specifying a file item in the list, it is
possible to select with ease a file to be opened. The number of
items to be displayed in the list of recently accessed files is set
beforehand. Each time a file that is not on the list of recently
accessed files is selected, it is added to the list, and when the
number of files added becomes greater than the set number of items,
the oldest item is removed from the list so that only the latest
file items may always be displayed.
[0007] Also, right-clicking the mouse with a file selected in a
file browser or with an icon on the desktop selected opens a menu
including the item "Open". By selecting the item "Open", it is
possible to start the selected application or to open the selected
file with its associated application started.
[0008] If the item "Open" is selected in the file menu which has
been opened by clicking "File" in the menu bar, a file selection
screen is displayed. The file selection screen displays, in the
case, the contents of the last accessed folder (i.e., directory).
If a target file exists in the current folder, it can be opened by
specifying the corresponding file item and then double-clicking the
item or pressing the "Open" button. If the target file does not
exist in the current folder, a "Select Folder (Select Directory)"
button is pressed and a folder including the target file is
selected in a folder selection screen to switch to that folder, so
that the target file can be selected.
[0009] Selecting the item "Open" in the file menu which has been
opened by clicking "File" in the menu bar displays the file
selection screen, and this file selection screen shows the contents
of the last accessed folder, as mentioned above. If, in this case,
a target file does not exist in the current folder, a "Browse"
button is pressed to display a folder tree screen, and a folder
including the target file is selected in the screen to switch to
that folder, so that the target file can be selected.
[0010] Further, a file selected in the file browser may be dragged
and dropped onto an application which is already started, an icon
of an application or folder on the desktop, or an icon of an
application file or folder displayed in the file browser, all
visibly shown on the screen. By dropping the selected file onto an
icon of an application, it is possible to start the application and
open the dragged file. Also, dropping the selected file onto an
icon representing a folder permits the dragged file to be
copied/moved to that folder.
[0011] In cases where a target file is not on the list of recently
accessed files in the file menu which has been opened by clicking
"File" in the menu bar, however, the item "Open" is selected to
display the file selection screen, and if the target file still
does not exist in the current folder displayed in the file
selection screen, double-clicking operation or the like usually
needs to be performed a plurality of times in the folder selection
screen, which is displayed in response to depression of the "Select
Folder" button or the "Browse" button, to switch the current folder
to a folder containing the target file before the target file is
finally selected.
[0012] Also, where a menu is opened with a file selected in the
file browser or an icon on the desktop selected, selecting the item
"Open" in the menu merely starts the application represented by the
selected file or icon, or starts an application associated with the
file represented by the selected file or icon and then opens the
file. Accordingly, in the former case, a file needs to be opened
after the application is started, and in the latter case, the file
cannot be opened in an application that is not associated with the
file.
[0013] In the file menu which opens upon clicking "File" in the
menu bar, the item "Open" is located at a position easiest to
select in the menu. Since it is easier to select the item "Open"
than the list of recently accessed files located at the bottom of
the menu, in many cases the item "Open" is selected to open the
file selection screen without the items in the list being checked.
The file selection screen usually opens the last accessed folder,
and therefore, if a target file exists in another folder, it is
necessary that the current folder be switched to the folder
containing the target file.
[0014] Also, in the drag-and-drop operation, the dragged file can
be dropped only onto an application which is already started, an
icon of an application or folder on the desktop, or an icon of an
application file or folder displayed in the file browser, all
visibly shown on the screen, regardless of the position from which
the file is dragged. In general, applications and folders which a
user frequently uses are presumably limited in number. However, in
cases where the target of drop operation is an application which is
already started or an icon of an application file or folder
displayed in the file browser, the application needs to be started
beforehand, and where the target of drop operation is an icon of an
application or folder on the desktop, such an icon needs to be
placed on the desktop beforehand. Icons on the desktop remain
displayed even after the drop operation is completed and thus the
icons are unnecessary any longer; therefore, if the number of icons
displayed increases, the desktop is crowded with icons and it is
also difficult to find a target icon when a dragged file is to be
dropped, lowering the operation efficiency. Further, in cases where
the target of drop operation is distant from the position from
which a file is dragged, the file needs to be dragged over a long
distance to the position of the target of drop operation, hindering
efficient drop operation. If the target of drop operation is hidden
behind another window, moreover, a problem arises in that the drop
operation cannot be performed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] An object of the present invention is to provide a file
handling device which eliminates the need for manipulation or
reduces the number of manipulations on a file selection screen
during handling of files especially in a GUI environment, to
thereby facilitate the selection of a file to be opened or started
or of an icon as a target of drop operation.
[0016] To achieve the above object, there is provided a file
handling device permitting handling of a file/folder in an
application and in a file browser and handling of an icon on
desktop. The file handling device comprises environment setting
means for setting items to be displayed as menu items, settings
storing means for storing contents of settings set by means of the
environment setting means, history storing means for storing a
history of opened files/folders, file menu item creation/display
means for additionally displaying, in a file menu, items of
recently accessed files/folders stored in the history storing means
or items of files/folders stored in the settings storing means,
file selection screen item creation/display means for additionally
displaying, in a file selection screen, the items of recently
accessed files/folders stored in the history storing means or the
items of files/folders stored in the settings storing means, folder
tree item creation/display means for additionally displaying, in a
folder tree menu, the items of recently accessed files/folders
stored in the history storing means or the items of files/folders
stored in the settings storing means, drop list window
creation/display means, responsive to a drag operation, for
creating and displaying a drop list window showing, as target
files/folders of drop operation, the items of recently accessed
files/folders stored in the history storing means or the items of
files/folders stored in the settings storing means, and file/icon
menu item creation/display means for additionally displaying, in a
menu which is opened in a situation where a file/folder is selected
in the file browser or an icon on the desktop is selected, the
items of recently accessed files/folders stored in the history
storing means or the items of files/folders stored in the settings
storing means.
[0017] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent from the following
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present
invention by way of example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a theoretical configuration
according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing, by way of example, the
configuration of a computer system which functions as a file
handling device;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the
file handling device;
[0021] FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) are diagrams showing screens displayed
by a setting screen control section, wherein
[0022] FIG. 4(A) shows a menu bar and
[0023] FIG. 4(B) shows a display item setting screen;
[0024] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a drag-and-drop setting screen
displayed by the setting screen control section;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a screen displayed by a file
menu control section;
[0026] FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B) are diagrams showing screens displayed
by a file selection screen control section, wherein
[0027] FIG. 7(A) shows a case where recently accessed files are
displayed and
[0028] FIG. 7(B) shows a case where all items are displayed;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another screen displayed by the
file selection screen control section;
[0030] FIGS. 9(A) and 9(B) are diagrams illustrating an operation
performed when a "Browse" button is pressed, wherein
[0031] FIG. 9(A) shows a screen displayed by the file selection
screen control section and
[0032] FIG. 9(B) shows a screen displayed by a folder tree screen
control section;
[0033] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a screen displayed by a drop
list window control section when a drag operation is performed;
[0034] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a first screen displayed by a
file/icon menu control section;
[0035] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a second screen displayed by
the file/icon menu control section;
[0036] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a third screen displayed by the
file/icon menu control section;
[0037] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of a file menu
selection process;
[0038] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of a file menu item
creation process;
[0039] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of a file selection
screen process;
[0040] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of a file/folder
item creation process;
[0041] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the flow of a folder tree
screen process;
[0042] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the flow of a list window
process executed during a drag operation;
[0043] FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the flow of a list window
creation process;
[0044] FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the flow of a list window
position calculation process;
[0045] FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the flow of a list window
drop process;
[0046] FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the flow of a file/icon menu
selection process;
[0047] FIG. 24 is a flowchart (part 1) showing the flow of a
file/icon menu item creation process; and
[0048] FIG. 25 is a flowchart (part 2) showing the flow of the
file/icon menu item creation process.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0049] The present invention will be outlined first with reference
to the drawings.
[0050] FIG. 1 shows a theoretical configuration according to the
present invention. In FIG. 1, a file handling device according to
the present invention comprises environment setting means 1
permitting the user to set display items, display conditions, etc.,
settings storing means 2 for storing the contents of settings set
by means of the environment setting means 1, history storing means
3 for storing a history of opened files/folders, file menu item
creation/display means 4 functioning in relation to a file menu
which is manipulated for selecting a file in an application, file
selection screen item creation/display means 5 functioning in
relation to a file selection screen which is displayed when an item
"Open" is selected in the file menu, folder tree item
creation/display means 6 functioning in relation to a folder tree
menu which is displayed when a "Browse" button is pressed in the
file selection screen, drop list window creation/display means 7
for displaying a list of targets of drop operation during a drag
operation, and file/icon menu item creation/display means 8
functioning in relation to a menu which opens in a situation where
a file/folder is selected in a file browser or an icon on desktop
is selected.
[0051] The environment setting means 1 is used to set items
displayed as menu items in menus to be displayed, such as the file
menu, the file selection screen, the folder tree menu, the drop
list window and the file/icon menu, display conditions at
drag-and-drop operation, etc., and the settings are made by the
user. The contents of the settings by means of the environment
setting means 1 are stored in the settings storing means 2, and are
read out as needed by the file menu item creation/display means 4,
the file selection screen item creation/display means 5, the folder
tree item creation/display means 6, the drop list window
creation/display means 7 or the file/icon menu item
creation/display means 8. The history storing means 3 stores the
history of opened files/folders in accordance with conditions set
in the settings storing means 2 in relation to the numbers of
display items.
[0052] When the file menu is displayed in an application, the file
menu item creation/display means 4 acquires items of recently
accessed files/folders from the history storing means 3 and items
of prespecified files/folders from the settings storing means 2,
and adds the acquired items to the file menu to be displayed. The
added items each serve as an object of selection, whereby
manipulation on the file selection screen can be omitted or the
number of manipulations required until a target file is selected
can be reduced, thus improving the operation efficiency during the
selection of a file. When the file selection screen is opened as a
result of the selection of the item "Open" in the file menu of an
application, the file selection screen item creation/display means
5 acquires the items of recently accessed files/folders from the
history storing means 3 and the items of the prespecified
files/folders from the settings storing means 2, and adds the
acquired items to the file selection screen to be displayed. When
the file selection screen is to be opened as a result of the
selection of a folder item added in the file menu of an application
by the file menu item creation/display means 4, the file selection
screen opens with its current folder switched to the selected
folder. By selecting an added item, it is possible to reduce the
number of manipulations required until a target file is selected
and also the number of times the current folder is switched,
whereby the efficiency of manipulation on the file selection screen
and the efficiency in selecting a file can be improved. When the
folder tree menu opens in response to depression of the "Browse"
button in the file selection screen, the folder tree item
creation/display means 6 acquires the items of recently accessed
files/folders from the history storing means 3 and the items of the
prespecified files/folders from the settings storing means 2, and
adds the acquired items to the folder tree menu to be displayed.
This improves the efficiency of manipulation on the folder tree
menu as well as the efficiency in file selection. When a drag
operation is started with a file/folder selected in a file browser,
the drop list window creation/display means 7 acquires the items of
recently accessed files/folders from the history storing means 3
and the items of the prespecified files/folders from the settings
storing means 2, and displays the acquired items in the drop list
window as target files/folders of drop operation onto which the
selected file/folder may be dropped. Thus, after the start of a
drag operation, the drop list window showing items onto which the
selected file/folder may be dropped is displayed, whereby the
efficiency of the drag-and-drop operation is improved. When a menu
is displayed in a situation where a file/folder is selected in the
file browser or an icon on the desktop is selected, the file/icon
menu item creation/display means 8 acquires the items of recently
accessed files/folders from the history storing means 3 and the
items of the prespecified files/folders from the settings storing
means 2, and additionally displays the acquired items in the menu
which opens in the situation where a file/folder is selected in the
file browser or an icon on the desktop is selected. By selecting an
added folder item, it is possible to improve the efficiency in
copying/moving a selected folder to one of the recently accessed
folders and the prespecified folders, the efficiency in opening a
recently accessed file or a prespecified file with a selected
application file started, and the efficiency in opening a selected
file with a prespecified application started.
[0053] An embodiment of the present invention will be now described
on the assumption that the invention is applied to Windows as an
operating system based on a GUI environment, by way of example.
[0054] FIG. 2 shows an example of configuration of a computer
system which functions as the file handling device. The computer
system comprises a central processing unit (CPU) 11, a memory 12, a
floppy disk drive 13, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory)
drive 14, a hard disk drive 15, a keyboard 16, a mouse 17, and a
display device 18. The central processing unit 11, the memory 12,
the floppy disk drive 13, the CD-ROM drive 14, the hard disk drive
15, the keyboard 16, the mouse 17 and the display device 18 are
interconnected by a system bus 19.
[0055] The hard disk drive 15 stores an operating system,
application programs, and a file handling program according to
which the computer system functions as the file handling device.
The file handling program is read out from the hard disk drive 15,
loaded in the memory 12, and executed by the central processing
unit 11.
[0056] The system configuration of the file handling device will be
now described.
[0057] FIG. 3 shows the system configuration of the file handling
device. In the figure, elements enclosed by a rectangle represent
logical devices each comprising a program having no screen,
elements enclosed by a double line represent logical devices each
comprising a program having a screen on which the user manipulates,
and elements indicated by a cylindrical sign represent storage
devices including a physical area, such as the hard disk drive 15
or the memory 12. A setting screen control section 21 constitutes a
screen for the setting of a variety of items for operating the file
handling device and permits the setting of items (files, folders)
to be displayed and the display setting for the drop list window.
The setting screen control section 21 is connected to a settings
storing section 22, and the contents of the settings by means of
the setting screen control section 21 are stored in the settings
storing section 22. At the time of setting, the contents of the
settings previously stored in the settings storing section 22 are
read out and reflected in the screen. The settings storing section
22 stores format data for items to be displayed, data on
files/folders, and format data for the list window, all set by
means of the setting screen control section 21.
[0058] The settings storing section 22 is connected to a history
storing section 23. The history storing section 23 is provided to
store a history of recently used files and folders, and stores data
on recently accessed files and folders corresponding in number to
the set display items stored in the settings storing section 22. If
the number of display items are exceeded because a newly accessed
file/folder does not coincide with any of the recently accessed
file/folder items stored in the history storing section 23, the
oldest history data is removed while the newly accessed file/folder
item is added, and the updated history is stored in the history
storing section 23.
[0059] A file menu item creating section 24 receives necessary data
from the settings storing section 22 and the history storing
section 23 when the file menu is to be displayed and manipulated,
and the output thereof is connected to a file menu control section
25. The file menu control section 25 includes, as menu items, at
least added folder items, an item "Open", and added file items. The
added folder items and the item "Open" are associated with a file
selection screen item creating section 26 such that when any one of
these items is selected, the section 26 is called. When any one of
the added file items is selected, no special process is executed
and the corresponding file is opened.
[0060] The file selection screen item creating section 26 receives
necessary data from the settings storing section 22 and the history
storing section 23 when called by the file menu control section 25,
and the output thereof is connected to a file selection screen
control section 27. The file selection screen control section 27
includes a "Browse" button. The "Browse" button is associated so as
to call a folder tree item creating section 28. When an operation
other than the depression of the "Browse" button is performed, a
file is opened.
[0061] The folder tree item creating section 28 receives necessary
data from the settings storing section 22 and the history storing
section 23 when called by the file selection screen control section
27, and the output thereof is connected to a folder tree screen
control section 29. When a file is finally selected at the folder
tree screen control section 29, it is opened.
[0062] A drop list window display item creating section 30 receives
necessary data from the settings storing section 22 and the history
storing section 23 when a drag operation is started on the desktop
or on the file browser, and the output thereof is connected via a
drop list window display position calculating section 31 to a drop
list window control section 32. The drop list window control
section 32 includes application file items and folder items. When a
dragged file is dropped onto an application file item, an
application represented by the application file item is started and
the dragged file is opened. When a dragged file is dropped onto a
folder item, the dragged file is copied/moved to a folder
represented by the folder item.
[0063] When the file/icon menu is to be opened in a situation where
a file/folder is selected in the file browser or an icon on the
desktop is selected, a file/icon menu item creating section 33
receives necessary data from the settings storing section 22 and
the history storing section 23, and the output thereof is connected
to a file/icon menu control section 34. The file/icon menu control
section 34 includes added file items and added folder items. If an
added file item is specified, the corresponding file is opened with
its associated application started, and if an added folder item is
selected, the file is copied/moved to the selected folder.
[0064] Examples of how screens are constructed by the respective
control sections will be now described in order.
[0065] FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) show screens displayed by the setting
screen control section, wherein FIG. 4(A) shows a menu bar and FIG.
4(B) shows a display item setting screen. As shown in FIG. 4(A), an
application is provided with a menu bar 41 for performing various
operations, and left-clicking an item "Others" shown in the menu
bar 41 displays a menu 42 near the clicked position. If an item
"Settings" is selected in the menu 42, a setting screen 43 shown in
FIG. 4(B) is displayed. The setting screen 43 is provided with a
display item setting screen 44 and a drag-and-drop setting screen
45.
[0066] The display item setting screen 44 is provided, for each of
the file menu, the folder tree and the drop list window, with an
entry field for the display/non-display switching of the file menu,
the folder tree or the drop list window (entry field for specifying
whether to display or not the corresponding one of the file menu,
the folder tree and the drop list window), entry fields for the
display/non-display switching of recently accessed files/folders
and files/folders set by the user, and entry fields for the numbers
of display items for specifying how many recently accessed
files/folders and set files/folders are to be displayed. Below
"Specify files to be displayed:" is located an entry screen for
adding file names to be set, and below "Specify folders to be
displayed:" is located an entry screen for adding folder names to
be set. These entry screens are also provided with buttons for
setting the order of priority of the items.
[0067] Thus, the display item setting screen 44 permits the user to
customize the display/non-display setting of individual items, the
setting of the numbers of items to be displayed, and the setting of
the order of priority of items in accordance with the environment
and usage of the user.
[0068] Clicking the "Drag & Drop Settings" tab in the setting
screen switches the screen to the drag-and-drop setting screen
45.
[0069] FIG. 5 shows the drag-and-drop setting screen displayed by
the setting screen control section. The drag-and-drop setting
screen 45 is a screen which permits the user to set conditions for
displaying the list window at the time of drag-and-drop operation,
and is provided with screens for setting the display format,
display position and display conditions for the list window.
[0070] "List Window Display Format" allows the user to specify
whether icons or file names are to be shown as display formats when
the drop list window is displayed, whether the icons/file names are
to be arranged in tabular form or not, and if the icons/file names
are to be arranged in tabular form, whether the icons/file names
are to be arranged vertically or horizontally.
[0071] In "List Window Display Position", the user can specify
whether the drop list window is to be displayed in the moving
direction of the mouse cursor, above, below, to the left or to the
right of the mouse cursor position, and also can specify by the
number of pixels how far the drop list window is to be displayed
from the mouse cursor position.
[0072] "Display Conditions" permits the user to set, by the
distance of movement or by time, conditions for causing the drop
list window to appear and disappear from the start of drag
operation. Distance can be set by the number of pixels and time can
be set in seconds.
[0073] Thus, the user can customize the drop list window to be
displayed in accordance with the environment and usage, and also
can set the drop list window so that the displayed window may
automatically disappear in case no drop operation is actually
performed.
[0074] The display items and the display conditions set in the
display item setting screen 44 and the drag-and-drop setting screen
45 are stored in the settings storing section 22. The numbers of
display items set in the display item setting screen 44 define the
numbers of files and folders to be kept in history in the history
storing section 23.
[0075] The file menu control section 25 has a screen described
below, for example.
[0076] FIG. 6 shows a screen displayed by the file menu control
section. Clicking "File" on the menu bar 41 of an application
displays a file menu 51. In this case, the file menu 51
additionally displays a list 52 of recently accessed folders, a
list 53 of folders prespecified by the settings, and a list 54 of
files prespecified by the settings, all created by the file menu
item creating section 24. The illustrated example of the file menu
51 shows a case where the display item setting screen 44 in FIG. 4
has been set such that all file/folder items are to be displayed.
Where any of the items are set so as not to be displayed, the file
menu shows files/folders according to such settings.
[0077] The list 52 of recently accessed folders in the file menu 51
shows a list of folders recently accessed by the application
concerned, the list 53 of prespecified folders shows a list of the
folders set by the user, and the list 54 of prespecified files
shows a list of the files set by the user.
[0078] Thus, when the file menu 51 is opened, recently accessed
files/folders and the files/folders set by the user are displayed
in the form of list, whereby files/folders which are used
frequently can be selected with high efficiency.
[0079] By selecting a file prespecified by the settings or a
recently accessed file, it is possible to open the file. When a
recently accessed folder or a folder prespecified by the settings
is selected, the file selection screen opens. The file selection
screen displayed in this case is the same as that which opens when
the item "Open" is selected in the file menu 51, but the current
folder then displayed is the selected folder which was recently
accessed or prespecified by the settings. It is therefore
unnecessary to switch the current folder to a folder containing a
target file, unlike the case where the item "Open" is simply
selected.
[0080] When the item "Open", a recently accessed folder or a folder
prespecified by the settings is selected in the file menu 51, the
file selection screen opens, and an example of the file selection
screen will be now described.
[0081] FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B) show screens displayed by the file
selection screen control section, wherein FIG. 7(A) illustrates a
case where recently accessed files are displayed and FIG. 7(B)
illustrates a case where all items are displayed. A file selection
screen 61 shown in FIG. 7(A) is the screen which is displayed when
settings have been made in the display item setting screen 44 of
the setting screen 43 such that only recently accessed files should
be displayed. This file selection screen 61 includes a "Location of
file:" field showing a current folder, a list box showing a list of
files contained in the folder, a "File name:" field in which the
name of a file to be opened is entered, a "Files of type:" field
for specifying the type of files to be listed in the list box, and
also a "Recently accessed files:" list box 62 located at the bottom
of the screen and showing recently accessed files which have been
set to be displayed in the display item setting screen 44.
[0082] The "Recently accessed files:" list box 62 is created by the
file selection screen item creating section 26 and is additionally
displayed in the file selection screen 61.
[0083] In cases where settings have been made in the display item
setting screen 44 such that recently accessed files, the files
prespecified by the settings, recently accessed folders and the
folders prespecified by the settings should be displayed,
corresponding list boxes 64, 65, 66 and 67 are additionally shown
in a file selection screen 63 as shown in FIG. 7(B).
[0084] When a file listed in the list box 64 or 65 is selected, the
name thereof appears in the "File name:" field, and the file can be
opened by pressing the "Open" button. When a folder listed in the
list box 66 or 67 is selected, on the other hand, the current
folder displayed in the file selection screen 63 is switched to the
selected folder with the selected folder name shown in the
"Location of file:" field, and a list of files contained in this
folder is shown in the list box 68. By selecting a file in the list
box 68 and pressing the "Open" button, it is possible to open the
file.
[0085] Thus, when the file selection screen 63 opens, it shows a
list of recently accessed files and the files set by the user, and
accordingly, frequently used files can be selected with high
efficiency. Even in the case where a target file does not exist in
the folder displayed by the file selection screen 63, folders can
be easily switched because a list of recently accessed folders and
the folders set by the user, which are frequently used, is
displayed.
[0086] FIG. 8 shows another screen displayed by the file selection
screen control section. A file selection screen 71 which is
displayed when the item "Open" is selected in the file menu
includes a "Location of file:" field showing a current folder, a
list box showing a list of files contained in the folder, a "File
name:" field in which the name of a file to be opened is entered, a
"Files of type:" field for specifying the type of files to be
listed in the list box, an "Open" button for opening a file of
which the name has been entered in the "File name:" field, and a
"Cancel" button. The file selection screen 71 additionally includes
an "Open +Add File" button 72, an "Open +Add Folder" button 73, and
an "Open +Add File & Folder" button 74.
[0087] Usually, a file of which the name has been entered in the
"File name:" field can be opened by pressing the "Open" button. In
this case, the "Open +Add File" button 72 may be pressed instead of
the "Open" button, whereupon the file is opened with data on the
file added to the list of recently accessed files in the history
storing section 23. Pressing the "Open +Add Folder" button 73 opens
the file with data on the folder added to the list of recently
accessed folders in the history storing section 23, and pressing
the "Open +Add File & Folder" button 74 opens the file with
data on the file and folder added to the respective lists of
recently accessed files and folders stored in the history storing
section 23. In this manner, when a selected file is opened, data
thereon can be positively added to the applicable list of the
history storing section 23 as recently accessed file/folder data.
This is useful because the user very often makes a decision whether
a file is to be displayed in the file menu or not in the course of
actual work, and the above buttons permit the user to specify
files/folders that should be kept in history to be displayed when a
file is opened.
[0088] In the example shown in FIG. 8, when the "Open +Add File"
button 72, the "Open +Add Folder" button 73 or the "Open +Add File
& Folder" button 74 is pressed, data on the file/folder is
added to the list(s) of recently accessed files/folders in the
history storing section 23. Alternatively, the user may be allowed
the option to selectively specify the list of recently accessed
files/folders or the list of the files/folders prespecified by the
settings.
[0089] Some file selection screens include a "Browse" button to
facilitate the locating of a target folder, and the following
describes a folder tree screen displayed when the "Browse" button
is pressed.
[0090] FIGS. 9(A) and 9(B) illustrate the operation performed when
the "Browse" button is pressed, wherein FIG. 9(A) shows a screen
displayed by the file selection screen control section and FIG.
9(B) shows a screen displayed by the folder tree screen control
section. As shown in FIG. 9(A), a file selection screen 81
displayed when the item "Open" is selected in the file menu
includes a "Browse" button 82, in addition to the "Location of
file:" field showing a current folder and the list box showing a
list of files contained in the folder. When the "Browse" button 82
is pressed, the folder tree item creating section 28 is started.
The folder tree item creating section 28 creates folder tree items
in accordance with the display conditions set in the display item
setting screen 44 of the setting screen 43, and the folder tree
screen control section 29 displays a folder tree screen 83 as shown
in FIG. 9(B). The folder tree screen 83 displays, in addition to
ordinary folder tree information, a list 84 of recently accessed
files, a list 85 of files prespecified by the settings, a list 86
of recently accessed folders, and a list 87 of folders prespecified
by the settings.
[0091] By selecting from the folder tree screen 83 a recently
accessed file or a file prespecified by the settings, it is
possible to directly open the file. When a recently accessed folder
or a folder prespecified by the settings is selected in the folder
tree screen 83, the current folder of the file selection screen 81
shown in FIG. 9(A) switches to the selected folder.
[0092] Thus, when the folder tree screen 83 opens, it shows the
lists of recently accessed files/folders and the user-specified
files/folders, and therefore, it is unnecessary to manipulate the
folder tree a plurality of times until a folder containing a target
file is located, permitting efficient selection of frequently used
files/folders.
[0093] A drop target list window which is displayed at the time of
drag-and-drop operation will be now described. By selecting a
file/folder displayed in a file browser such as "Explorer" or an
icon on the desktop, then moving (dragging) the selected object to
another file, folder or icon with the mouse button held down, and
releasing the mouse button (dropping the selected object), it is
possible to copy/move the file/folder or to open the file with the
application started. In this case, a file, folder or icon onto
which the selected object is to be dropped must be visible on the
screen. A window is therefore created and displayed which lists the
files (application files)/folders set by the user as well as
recently accessed folders in icon/label format and which permits
drop operation. An example of the window displayed on screen will
be described below. Since a file/folder is dragged on the file
browser in the same manner as in dragging an icon on the desktop,
in the following a drag operation of a file/folder on the file
browser will be explained.
[0094] FIG. 10 shows a screen which is displayed by the drop list
window control section at the time of drag operation. In FIG. 10 is
shown a file browser 91. Let it be assumed that the folder "images"
is selected and drag operation is started with the file
"MyImage.bmp" specified, then a drop target list window 92 is
displayed as a foreground window in the vicinity of the position
where the drag operation has been started. The drop target list
window 92 is displayed in accordance with the display conditions
set in the drag-and-drop setting screen 45. If the drag-and-drop
setting screen 45 has been set as shown in FIG. 5, for example, the
drop target list window 92 is displayed at a distance of 50 pixels
in the moving direction of the mouse cursor and at a distance of
one pixel from the mouser cursor, and shows icons as display
objects in tabular form. When drag operation is started,
displacements of the mouse in the X- and Y-axis directions are
detected, and based on a position separated by the distance
calculated from the magnitudes of the detected displacements, a
position in the vicinity of the position where the drag operation
has been started is determined. This calculation is performed by
the drop list window display position calculating section 31. The
drop target list window 92 shows, for example, the icons of
"Application File 1", "Application File 2", "Folder 1" and "Folder
2" prespecified by the settings, and the icons of "Folder 1" and
"Folder 2" recently accessed. These icons are prepared by the drop
list window display item creating section 30.
[0095] By continuously dragging a file and then dropping it onto an
icon of an application prespecified by the settings, it is possible
to open the dragged file in the application represented by the icon
onto which the file has been dropped. Where the icon onto which the
file is dropped is a folder prespecified by the settings or a
recently accessed folder, the dragged file can be copied/moved to
the folder represented by the icon onto which the file has been
dropped. Whether a copy or move operation is performed is governed
by general manipulations defined in the environment concerned. For
example, if a file is dropped with the "Ctrl" key held down, the
file is copied, and if a file is dropped without the "Ctrl" key
being depressed, the file is moved.
[0096] The items displayed in the drop target list window 92 are
switched depending on the object to be dragged. Specifically, if
the dragged object is a single or a plurality of data files,
applications and folders are selected as display items to be
listed. On the other hand, if the dragged object is a single or a
plurality of application files, a combination of an application
file and a data file, or a combination of a single or a plurality
of folders and a single or a plurality of files, folders are
selected as display items to be listed. In the example shown in
FIG. 10, applications and folders are displayed in the drop target
list window 92 because the dragged object is a data file containing
a bit-mapped image.
[0097] Thus, at the time of drag operation, the drop target list
window 92 showing the lists of the user-specified files
(application files)/folders and recently accessed folders in
icon/label format and permitting drop operation is displayed as a
foreground window at an optimum position in the vicinity of the
mouse cursor position. By dropping the dragged file onto an item
representing an application, it is possible to start the
application represented by the item and then open the file therein,
and by dropping the dragged file onto an item representing a
folder, it is possible to copy/move the file to the folder.
Accordingly, drag-and-drop operation can always be performed with a
minimum number of manipulations regardless of the position where
the drag operation has been started, whereby the efficiency of
drag-and-drop operation is improved. Since it is unnecessary to
place application/folder icons that the user desires to use in
advance on the desktop, it is possible to minimize the number of
icons displayed uselessly and thus to prevent the desktop from
being crowded with icons. Further, a list of suggested drop targets
registered beforehand is displayed in advance of drop operation as
a foreground window, and this permits drop operation to be
performed even when many windows are displayed on the screen.
[0098] A menu which opens in a situation where a file/folder is
selected in the file browser or an icon on the desktop is selected
will be now described. The menu which opens while a file/folder is
selected in the file browser is the same as that which opens while
an icon on the desktop is selected, and therefore, in the following
description, the former menu will be taken as an example.
[0099] FIG. 11 shows a first screen displayed by the file/icon menu
control section. In FIG. 11, a file browser 101 is shown, and with
a "Program Files" folder selected, "MyApplication.exe", which is a
single application file, is selected and then right-clicked or
"MyApplication.exe" is directly right-clicked, whereupon a menu 102
opens. This menu 102 additionally displays an "Open Recently
Accessed File" list 103 and an "Open Prespecified File" list 104,
both created by the file/icon menu item creating section 33. The
added menu items are also shown in the menu which appears when an
icon of a single application file on the desktop or in the browser
or a shortcut icon on the desktop is selected and
right-clicked.
[0100] By selecting a recently accessed file or prespecified file
from the menu 102, it is possible to open the file in the
previously selected application. Thus, unlike the conventional menu
which merely starts the application when the item "Open" is
selected therein, the menu 102 permits an operation such that when
a file is selected therein, the selected file is automatically
opened with the application started. Since recently used files and
the files prespecified by the user are shown in the "Open Recently
Accessed File" list 103 and the "Open Prespecified File" list 104,
respectively, frequently used files can be quickly opened in the
selected application. Thus, only a few operations are required to
start the application and to open a desired file from the file
browser, whereby the operation efficiency is improved.
[0101] FIG. 12 shows a second screen displayed by the file/icon
menu control section. In FIG. 12, the file browser 101 is shown,
and with an "images" folder selected, "MyImage1.bmp", which is a
data file, is selected and then right-clicked or "MyImage1.bmp" is
directly right-clicked, whereupon a menu 105 opens. This menu 105
additionally displays an "Open in Prespecified Application" list
106, a "Copy/Move to Recently Accessed Folder" list 107 and a
"Copy/Move to Prespecified Folder" list 108, all created by the
file/icon menu item creating section 33. The added menu items are
also shown in the menu which appears when a single or a plurality
of data files or icons thereof are selected and right-clicked on
the desktop or in the browser.
[0102] By selecting a prespecified application from the menu 105,
it is possible to start the application and open the previously
selected data file. Thus, unlike the conventional menu which starts
the only one application defined in Windows when the item "Open" is
selected therein, the menu 105 permits a selected file to be opened
in a desired application, regardless of the Windows definitions, by
setting a plurality of applications beforehand.
[0103] Also, by selecting an item "Copy/Move to Recently Accessed
Folder" or "Copy/Move to Prespecified Folder" in the menu 105, it
is possible to copy/move the selected data file to the folder
represented by the selected item. Whether a copy or move operation
is performed is governed by general manipulations defined in the
environment.
[0104] FIG. 13 shows a third screen displayed by the file/icon menu
control section. In FIG. 13, the file browser 101 is shown, and
with the "images" folder selected, a folder "MyImageFolder" is
selected and then right-clicked or the folder "MyImageFolder" is
directly right-clicked, where upon a menu 109 opens. This menu 109
additionally displays the "Copy/Move to Recently Accessed Folder"
list 107 and the "Copy/Move to Prespecified Folder" list 108, both
created by the file/icon menu item creating section 33. The added
menu items are also shown in the menu which appears when an icon
representing a file or a folder or a plurality of application
files, data files or folders are selected and right-clicked on the
desktop or in the browser.
[0105] By selecting an item "Copy/Move to Recently Accessed Folder"
or "Copy/Move to Prespecified Folder" in the menu 109, it is
possible to copy/move the selected folder to the folder represented
by the selected item. Thus, with a few operations in the file
browser 101, a desired folder can be copied/moved to frequently
used folders.
[0106] The flows of processes executed by the item creating
sections etc. mentioned above will be now described.
[0107] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of a file menu
selection process. In the file menu selection process, when "File"
is selected in an application, for example, file menu items are
created by means of the file menu item creating section (Step S1).
Creation of file menu items will be explained later. It is then
determined whether or not the item "Open" has been selected in the
file menu in which the created file menu items are additionally
displayed (Step S2). If the item "Open" has been selected, a
standard folder of the application concerned is set (Step S3), and
the file selection screen is called with its current folder
switched to the standard folder in a file selection screen process
(Step S4). The file selection screen process will be described
later. Subsequently, a file is selected in the file selection
screen (Step S5), data on the selected file and the folder
containing the selected file is output as history data to the
history storing section (Step S6), and the selected file is opened
in the application (Step S7).
[0108] If it is judged in Step S2 that the item "Open" has not been
selected, it is determined whether the item selected in the file
menu is a recently accessed folder item or a folder item
prespecified by the settings (Step S8, S9). If either folder item
is selected in the file menu, the folder represented by the
selected item is set (Step S10), and the file selection screen
process is executed with the current folder switched to the set
folder.
[0109] If it is judged in Steps S8 and S9 that no folder item has
been selected, it is determined whether or not a prespecified file
item has been selected (Step S11). When a file item has been
selected, a file represented by this menu item is selected (Step
S12), and the flow proceeds to the step of storing data on the file
in history.
[0110] In cases where a menu item in the file menu other than the
item "Open" and the items created and added by the file menu item
creating section has been selected, a corresponding process is
executed as in the conventional menu (Step S13).
[0111] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of the file menu
item creation process. In the file menu item creation process,
first, basic menu items originally possessed by the application
concerned are created (Step S21), and the settings are read from
the settings storing section (Step S22).
[0112] Subsequently, the number of recently accessed folder items
to be displayed is checked (Step S23); if the set number of display
items is not "0", n folder names are read from the history storing
section and folder items are created (Step S24). If it is judged in
Step S23 that the set number of display items is "0", then the
number of prespecified folder items to be displayed is checked
(Step S25); if the set number of display items is not "0", n folder
names are read from the settings storing section and folder items
are created (Step S26). If it is judged in Step S25 that the set
number of display items is "0", then the number of prespecified
file items to be displayed is checked (Step S27); if the set number
of display items is not "0", n file names are read from the
settings storing section and file items are created (Step S28).
Subsequently, other basic menu items are created (Step S29).
[0113] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of the file
selection screen process. First, in the file selection screen
process, a file/folder item creation process is executed (Step
S31). The file/folder item creation process will be explained
later. Subsequently, it is determined whether the selected item is
a recently accessed folder item or a folder item prespecified by
the settings (Step S32, S33). When the selected item is a folder
item, a folder represented by the selected item is set and the
current folder of the currently open file selection screen is
switched to the set folder (Step S34), whereupon the flow returns
to Step S32.
[0114] Where the file selection screen has the "Browse" button, it
is then determined whether or not the "Browse" button has been
pressed (Step S35). If the "Browse" button has been pressed, a
folder tree screen process is executed (Step S36), and if an item
is selected in the folder tree screen, the file selection screen is
closed (Step S37). The folder tree screen process will be described
later.
[0115] Subsequently, it is determined whether or not a file item
prespecified by the settings has been selected (Step S38), and if a
prespecified file item has been selected, a file represented by the
selected file item is selected (Step S39), and the flow proceeds to
Step S37 to close the file selection screen. If other originally
existing items or some other items are selected, corresponding
selection processes are executed (Step S40).
[0116] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of the file/folder
item creation process. In the file/folder item creation process,
first, the settings are read from the settings storing section
(Step S41). Then, the number of recently accessed folder items to
be displayed is checked (Step S42), and if the set number of
display items is not "0", n folder names are read from the history
storing section and folder items are created (Step S43). If it is
judged in Step S42 that the set number of display items is "0",
then the number of prespecified folder items to be displayed is
checked (Step S44), and if the set number of display items is not
"0", n folder names are read from the settings storing section and
folder items are created (Step S45). If it is judged in Step S44
that the set number of display items is "0", then the number of
prespecified file items to be displayed is checked (Step S46), and
if the set number of display items is not "0", n file names are
read from the settings storing section and file items are created
(Step S47).
[0117] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the flow of the folder tree
screen process. In the folder tree screen process, first, the
file/folder item creation process shown in FIG. 17 is executed
(Step S51). Subsequently, it is determined whether the selected
item is a recently accessed folder item or a folder item
prespecified by the settings (Step S52, S53). When the selected
item is a folder item, a folder represented by the selected item is
set and is opened in the displayed tree (Step S54), whereupon the
flow returns to Step S52.
[0118] Subsequently, it is determined whether or not a prespecified
file item has been selected (Step S55); if a prespecified file item
has been selected, the corresponding file is selected (Step S56)
and the screen is closed (Step S57). If the selected item is not a
prespecified file item, a corresponding selection process of the
folder tree screen is carried out (Step S58).
[0119] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the flow of a list window
process executed at the time of drag operation. The list window
process for drag operation is initiated in response to start of a
drag operation. When a drag operation is started, various settings
are read from the settings storing section (Step S61) and the
cursor position at the start of the drag operation is stored (Step
S62).
[0120] Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the list
window is displayed (Step S63), and if the list window is not
displayed, then it is determined whether or not the conditions for
displaying the list window are fulfilled (Step S64). If the display
conditions are fulfilled, a list window is created (Step S65), the
position of the list window is calculated (Step S66), and the
created list window is displayed at the calculated position as a
foreground window (Step S67). The list window creation process and
the list window position calculation process will be described in
detail later. If the display conditions are not fulfilled, the flow
proceeds to an ordinary drop process.
[0121] If it is judged in Step S63 that the list window is
displayed, it is determined whether or not a drop operation has
been performed on the list window (Step S68), and if a drop
operation has been performed on the list window, a list window drop
process is executed (Step S69). The list window drop process will
be described later.
[0122] Then, it is determined whether or not the conditions for
closing the list window are fulfilled (Step S70). If the list
window closing conditions are fulfilled, the list window is closed
(Step S71). A standard drop process is thereafter carried out (Step
S72), and it is then determined whether or not the drag process has
ended (Step S73). If the drag process has not ended yet, the flow
returns to Step S63, and if the drag process has ended, this
process is terminated.
[0123] FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the flow of the list window
creation process. In the list window creation process, first, a
basic window is created (Step S81), and the settings such as
display position, display format, etc. are read from the settings
storing section (Step S82).
[0124] It is then determined whether or not the dragged object is a
data file (Step S83), and if the dragged object is a data file, the
number of prespecified file items to be displayed is checked (Step
S84). If the set number of display items is not "0", n application
file names are read from the settings storing section and file
items are created (Step S85). Subsequently, the number of recently
accessed folder items to be displayed is checked (Step S86); if the
set number of display items is not "0", n folder names are read
from the history storing section and folder items are created (Step
S87). Then, the number of prespecified folder items to be displayed
is checked (Step S88); if the set number of display items is not
"0", n folder names are read from the settings storing section and
folder items are created (Step S89).
[0125] FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the flow of the list window
position calculation process. First, in the list window position
calculation process, the mouse cursor position at the start of the
drag operation is acquired (Step S91). Then, the list window
display conditions are read from the settings storing section (Step
S92), and the cursor position at the current point of time is
acquired (Step S93). Based on the acquired cursor positions at the
start of the drag operation and at the current point of time, the
moving direction of the cursor is calculated (Step S94).
Subsequently, the position where the list window is to be displayed
is calculated based on the position and moving direction of the
cursor (Step S95).
[0126] FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the flow of the list window
drop process. First, in the list window drop process, when the
dragged file/folder is dropped onto an object in the list window, a
determination is made as to whether or not the target object of
drop operation is a recently accessed folder item, and then whether
or not the target object of drop operation is a folder item
prespecified by the settings (Step S101, S102). When either folder
item is the target object of drop operation, it is determined
whether or not the "CTRL" key had been depressed during the drop
operation (Step S103). If the "CTRL" key had been pressed during
the drop operation, the dragged file/folder is copied to the folder
represented by the item onto which the file/folder was dropped
(Step S104), and if not, the dragged file/folder is moved to the
folder represented by the item onto which the file/folder was
dropped (Step S105). If the item onto which the dragged file/folder
has been dropped is not a folder item, it is determined whether or
not the item in question is an application item (Step S106). If the
item is not an application item, the flow returns to Step S101; if
the item is an application item, on the other hand, the application
represented by the item onto which the dragged file has been
dropped is started (Step S107) and the dragged file is opened (Step
S108).
[0127] A menu selection process for a file in the file browser or
an icon on the desktop will be now described.
[0128] FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the flow of the file/icon
menu selection process. In the menu selection process for a file in
the file browser or an icon on the desktop, first, when a menu is
to be opened in response to a right-click etc., a process for
creating file/icon menu items is executed (Step S111). The
file/icon menu item creation process will be described in detail
later.
[0129] Subsequently, it is determined whether an item selected in
the displayed menu is a recently accessed folder item or a folder
item prespecified by the settings (Step S112, S113). When either
folder item has been selected, it is determined whether or not the
"CTRL" key had then been depressed (Step S114). If the "CTRL" key
had been depressed during the menu selection, the file/folder
selected in advance of the opening of the menu is copied to the
folder specified by the menu selection (Step S115), and if not, the
previously selected file/folder is moved to the folder specified by
the menu selection (Step S116).
[0130] It is then determined whether or not the menu selection
designates a file item prespecified by the settings (Step S117),
and if the selected item is not a file item prespecified by the
settings, other menu item processes are executed (Step S118). If it
is judged in Step S117 that a file item prespecified by the
settings has been selected in the menu, it is determined whether or
not the file selected in the menu is a data file (Step S119). If
the file item selected in the menu represents a data file, the
application represented by the file/icon selected in advance is
started (Step S120) and the data file represented by the menu item
selected in the menu is opened (Step S121). If, on the other hand,
it is judged in Step S119 that the file item selected in the menu
is not a data file, that is, the selected file item is an
application file, the application represented by the file item
selected in the menu is started (Step S122) and the data file
represented by the file/icon selected in advance is opened (Step
S123).
[0131] FIGS. 24 and 25 show the flow of the file/icon menu item
creation process. When a file/folder in the file browser or an icon
on the desktop is right-clicked, first, basic items are created
(Step S131) and the settings are read from the settings storing
section (Step S132). It is then determined whether or not the
selected file/icon is a single application (Step S133). If the
file/icon on which the menu has been opened is an application, the
number of recently accessed file items to be displayed is checked
(Step S134); if the set number of display items is not "0", n file
names are read from the history storing section and file items are
created (Step S135). Subsequently, the number of prespecified file
items to be displayed is checked (Step S136); if the set number of
display items is not "0", n file names are read from the settings
storing section and file items are created (Step S137). The other
remaining items of the menu are then created (Step S138).
[0132] If it is judged in Step S133 that the selected file/icon is
not a single application, it is determined whether or not the
selected file/icon is a data file (Step S139). If the selected
file/icon is a data file, the number of prespecified file items to
be displayed is checked (Step S140); if the set number of display
items is not "0", n application file names are read from the
settings storing section and file items are created (Step S141).
Subsequently, the number of recently accessed folder items to be
displayed is checked (Step S142); if the set number of display
items is not "0", n folder names are read from the history storing
section and folder items are created (Step S143). Then; the number
of prespecified folder items to be displayed is checked (Step
S144); if the set number of display items is not "0", n folder
names are read from the settings storing section and folder items
are created (Step S145). Finally, the other remaining items of the
menu are created (Step S146).
[0133] The contents of the above-described processes achieved by
the function of the computer may be described in a program to be
recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The program is
executed by the computer, whereupon the above processes are
achieved by the computer. The computer-readable recording medium
includes a magnetic storage device and a semiconductor memory. In
order to bring the program to market, the program may be stored in
portable recording media, such as CD-ROMs or floppy disks, to be
distributed, or the program may be stored in a storage device of a
computer connected to a network so that it can be transferred to
other computers through the network. The program is stored in a
hard disk drive or the like of a computer, and when it is to be
executed by the computer, the program is loaded in the main memory
and executed.
[0134] As described above, according to the present invention,
preset numbers of preset menu items are additionally displayed in
the file menu, the file selection screen and the folder tree
screen, which open from within applications, as well as in the menu
which opens in relation to a file/folder or an icon thereof
displayed in the file browser or on the desktop, and also preset
numbers of preset items as target objects of drop operation are
displayed as a window during drag-and-drop operation. This permits
frequently used files/folders to be added to the menus in advance,
making it possible to eliminate multiple selections required until
a target file is opened or to greatly reduce the number of
selections. At the time of drag-and-drop operation, the drop target
list window in which frequently used files/folders are listed and
which permits drop operation is displayed as a foreground window in
the vicinity of the mouse cursor after the drag operation is
started, and this eliminates the need to start an application in
advance, to move a target object of drop operation to a position
permitting drop operation, or to display a target object of drop
operation such that drop operation can be performed, thus improving
the efficiency of drag-and-drop operation. Further, since the items
to be additionally displayed in the menus etc. and their display
conditions can be set, the menus can be freely customized in
accordance with user environments.
[0135] The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the
principles of the present invention. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and applications shown and described, and accordingly,
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be regarded as
falling within the scope of the invention in the appended claims
and their equivalents
* * * * *