JPH0744446A - Relating method for grouped information - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the operation of link setting by grouping link destination or link source and setting a link at once to plural grouped objects. CONSTITUTION:A link setting section 141 reads an optional information file stored in a storage device 15 and sets a link source according to the request of the user from an input output device. In this case, to designate a link source area, a grouping processing section 1411 groups link sources designated consecutively by the user. Furthermore, a link destination information display section 142 reads a link source information file 151 stored in the storage device 15, receives the request of the user from the input output device, a link destination information file 152 related to the designated link source is displayed on a display device 11 and when a link is set in the displayed link destination information file, the information file is used as the link source information file to receive the request of the user and link destination information is displayed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hypermedia system for facilitating a search by associating elements of multimedia composed of various kinds of media such as character strings, figures and images with each other. The present invention relates to a method for facilitating an association operation between a plurality of groups and a search method for the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an example of one embodiment of a hypermedia system, a hypertext system in which media to be associated with is limited to a character string has been put into practical use (Nikkei Bytes, 1990.04. No70,
pp. 200-230).

In this hypertext system, information files are created by dividing information into elements of a certain size, and these information files are associated with each other to develop for various applications and It is available. Then, in the state where these elements are associated with each other and the other element can be designated from the designation of one element, the former is referred to as a “link source” and the latter is referred to as a “link destination”. Further, when the associating operation of the both is performed, pointer information indicating the file positions of the link source and the link destination is stored in a state of being added to the information file in which the link source exists.

This series of associating operations is called "linking", and the concept is shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the information file A is the information file B and the link information 1 ...
2, the information file B has link information 3 to the information file A, and the information file C has link information 4 to the information file B.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the configuration of a system for establishing such a link. In this configuration example, the information file to which the link information is added is stored in the memory 72 or the external storage device 76. Therefore, the user uses the pointing device such as the mouse 75 or the keyboard 74 to set the link information or refer to the linked information file with respect to the information file displayed on the display 71 through the window system 73. , The result is displayed on a plurality of windows on the display 71. In this case, one information file is normally displayed in one window.

Next, as one implementation example of a hypertext system in which links are provided between text strings of a document,
"Review" Japanese Guide Hypertext Program "Nikkei Bytes, 1990.4, No. 70, pp. Two
Attention is paid to the method described in 20-230 ".

A procedure for establishing a link according to this method will be described with reference to FIG. First, the link source (Japanese Gui
In de, the part to be called "button") is put in the selected state (the part shown by the diagonal lines in the figure), and the link type is determined by the command (step a). Next, the information file of the link destination indicated by the arrow of the mouse in the figure is edited or specified (step b), and the association is confirmed by the command and completed (step c). In this procedure for linking, multiple link sources can be set in one link information file, but there is always one link destination for one link source, and one link is specified for each link source specification. It is a style that stretches. Therefore, if there are multiple link destinations or link source elements, it is necessary to repeat the procedure for linking a plurality of times.

[0008]

However, the conventional hypertext system as described above has the following problems with respect to the procedure for linking. For example, as shown by the two shaded areas in FIG. 9, if you want to add a comment to both the drawing and the document in which the explanatory text of the drawing is described,
Both the drawing and the description must be specified as the link source.
When trying to create a link using the conventional method, first associate the comment information file with the link source of either the drawing or the description, and then specify the comment information file with the same operation for the remaining link sources. Must be associated. In other words, if you want to associate one link destination with multiple link sources, you must repeat the operation of creating one link for each link source specification multiple times, which is a very complicated operation. .

An object of the present invention is to establish a link as a procedure.
Have a function to group link destinations or link sources,
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for efficiently setting relevant information for a hypermedia system.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, in the grouping information associating method according to the present invention,
A method for setting a link source table and its management table, registering multiple elements that the user has continuously specified for grouping in the link source table, and grouping them, and a plurality of targets grouped by this Link to by means of linking. Further, the link destination information is displayed by means of displaying an information file associated with the group by designating an arbitrary link source that constitutes the group.

[0011]

With this method of associating the grouping information, the link destination or the link source is grouped, and the plurality of grouped objects can be linked at once, so that the linking operation is simplified. And has a great labor-saving effect.

[0012]

EXAMPLES An example of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a hypermedia system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a procedure for grouping link sources and a procedure for linking a grouped link source and a related information file. 3 is a principle diagram showing the structure of link information and the link management method, and FIG.
Is a state diagram of screen display by the link information management method shown in FIG. 3B, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a link display procedure.

The system of FIG. 1 includes a display 11, a keyboard 12 and a mouse 13, which are input / output devices,
The link processing unit 14 and the storage device 15 are included. It is assumed that a plurality of windows can be opened on the display 11 and one information file is displayed in this one opened window.

In such a system configuration, the user of the system uses the mouse 12 or the keyboard 13 for the information file displayed on the display 11 to set the link and refer to the link destination information file. Also, the link processing unit 14 is a grouping processing unit 1411.
And a link destination information display unit 14 including a link setting unit 141 including
2 and.

The link setting unit 141 reads an arbitrary information file stored in the storage device 15 and sets the link source according to the user's request from the input / output device.
In this case, in order to specify the link source area, the grouping processing unit 1411 groups the link sources continuously specified by the user. Then, the link setting unit 141 reads the information file of the element requested by the user as the link destination, and generates the link information. And
The set link information is added to the information file in which the link source exists, and the information file is linked source information file 1
It is stored in the storage device 15 as 51.

That is, the link setting section selects the information file to which the user wants to set a link, displays it on the display 11, sets the link source area and the information file of the link destination in the information file, and links. A processing unit having a function of adding information to the information file of the link source after the information is generated, and includes a program and hardware for executing the program.

Further, the link destination information display section 142 reads the link source information file 151 stored in the storage device 15, receives the user's request from the input / output device,
The link destination information file 152 associated with the designated link source is displayed on the display 11. If a link is set in the displayed link destination information file, the information file is used as a link source information file to receive the user's request and display the link destination information.

As the processing contents of the link information display section, the contents of the storage device 15 are read and the contents are displayed on the display 11
It is also the part that controls the display for displaying. The storage device 15 includes a link source information file 151 and a link destination information file 152. The link source information file and the link destination information file are relative names, and any information file can be either the former or the latter, or both.

In FIG. 3, (a) shows a link source management table and a link source table, and (b) shows a related example of the table when a link is set. In this embodiment, the information file to which the link is set (the information file whose link source is specified) is (a) when the link is set.
The link information is stored in the link source management table 31 having the format shown in FIG. The link source management table 31 includes a link type 311, link destination information 312, and link source entry 3
13, it has a pointer 314 to the link source table 32. The link source table 32 has a link source type 321.
The remaining items are used differently depending on the type of the link source element.

When the element type 321 of the link source is a document,
322 and 323 are used for the number of leading bytes and the number of ending bytes of the text of the link source, and 324 and 325 are unused. If the link source type 321 is a figure, 322,
323, 324, and 325 are the upper left X coordinate, the upper left Y coordinate, the lower right X coordinate, and the lower right Y coordinate of the link source area, respectively.
However, the respective coordinates in this case are XY coordinates such that the upper left corner on the document becomes the origin.

A plurality of link source elements designated by the user are stored in this link source table to form a group. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the link source and the link destination are associated with each other via the pointer information in the link source management / borrowing table.

How the table structure for linking as described above looks to the user on the display screen will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the display 21 has an information file 41 with a link, an information file 42 as a link destination, and an information file 43.
Is displayed. The information file 41 has two types of links. The first is the reference link 44 between the link source 411 and the information file 42, and the second is the link source 4
12 and a reference link 45 between the graphic link source 413 and the information file 43. The reference links 44 and 45 are
Not actually displayed on the screen. The reference link 45 is
Although it is set between the group of the link sources 412 and 413 and the information file 43 of the link destination, each of the link source 412 and the link source 413 and the information file 43 are semantically defined.
Link source 412, link source 413
Whichever is specified, the information file 43 is displayed.

Next, the procedure for setting the link and the procedure for displaying the linked information file will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, in order to set a link, if an information file (link source setting document) for which a link source is to be set does not exist as shown in FIG. 2, an empty information file display window is displayed on the display 11. Create a document using the keyboard 12 and mouse 13 (step 2
02), the external storage device 15 with the window displayed
It is stored as the link source information file 151 (step 203).

On the other hand, if the link source document exists but is not yet displayed on the display 11, the link source information file 151, which is the link source setting document, is read from the external storage device 15 (step 205) and displayed. 11 is displayed (step 206). Next, with the mouse 13, the area on the link source setting document to be designated as the link source is designated (207), and the information of the link source is registered in the link source management table (step 208). To further specify the link source, return to step 207,
After the link source is specified, the process moves to the link destination specification step.

In order to specify the information file of the link destination (document to be the link destination), the information file must exist and be displayed on the display 11. Therefore, if the linked document does not exist, an empty information file display window is displayed on the display 11 as in the link source setting document, a document is created using the keyboard 12 (211), and the window is displayed. The link information file 152 is stored as it is in the external storage device 15 (step 212). On the other hand, if the linked document exists but is not yet displayed on the display 11, the linked information file 152 is read from the external storage device 15 (step 214) and displayed on the display 11. (Step 215). Then, the window of the link destination information file is designated from the information files displayed on the display 11 (step 216), and the link command corresponding to the type of the link is selected from the menu to confirm the link (step 216). 217), and the link information is stored in the external storage device 15 (step 218). To continue the link setting, the process returns to step 201. When all the link settings are completed, all the displayed documents are erased from the display 11 (step 220), and the process ends.

Next, the procedure for displaying the linked information file will be described. Here, it is assumed that the information file for which the link source is set is in a state of being displayed on the display 11. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, an arbitrary position of the document designated as the link source is designated with the mouse 13 (step 501).

If there is a display of the link source area before, the display is erased (step 503). Next, it is determined whether the designated position is on the document or the graphic (step 504). In this determination, if the specified position is the document, the position on the specified document is acquired as the number of bytes from the beginning of the document (step 505). on the other hand,
If the specified position is a figure, the specified position on the document is acquired as the XY coordinates with the upper left corner of the document as the origin (step 506). Then, the link source management table is searched using the acquired link source type and position information (step 507). If there is no corresponding link source, the process returns to step 501, and if there is a corresponding link source, each link source area of the link source group including the link source is displayed (step 509). Next, when the link destination document of the link source group is not displayed, the process returns to step 501.

To display the link destination document, the user can specify the desired area of the displayed link source area with the mouse 13 (step 511) to obtain the link destination information from the link source management table (step 511). 51
2), link destination information file 152 which is a link destination document
Is read from the external storage device 15 (step 513),
It is displayed on the display 11 (step 514) and the whole process is completed.

[0030]

According to the present invention, when the link destinations are associated with a plurality of link sources, the association operation is completed by one link setting operation, so that the work efficiency is significantly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hypermedia system.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure for establishing a link.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a structure of link information and a management method thereof.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a screen display state.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a search / display procedure for linked information.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of linking related information.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a conventional hypertext system.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a link setting procedure.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram in the case of linking to a plurality of elements.

[Explanation of reference numerals] 11 ... Display device for displaying association information, 12 ... Keyboard for inputting various commands,
13 ... Mouse for specifying position and menu, 14 ...
Link processing unit for grouping elements and linking related elements, 141 ... Link setting unit, 1411 ... Grouping processing unit, 142 ... Link destination information display unit, 15 ... Store results of grouping and grouping A storage device for executing 151 ... Link source information file, 152 ... Link destination information file.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A means for storing multimedia information composed of various kinds of media such as character strings, graphics, images, etc. as processing elements, grouping those elements, and resulting grouping information. And a means for storing link information for associating related groups in the group, and a means for displaying the related information retrieved by using the link on the screen. Link between groups by specifying the source and link destinations with a single operation to create links between groups, search related information from the designation of one of the groups, and display it on the screen. Method. 2. The method for associating grouping information according to claim 1, wherein pointer information for grouping media of different types such as text and graphics is stored and managed. 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising means for directly designating an element to be grouped on the screen and adding the element to the group, and means for directly designating an unnecessary element from the group on the screen and deleting it. A method of associating grouping information having a.