Freezing Non-Adjacent Table Columns in UI Scrolling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing user interfaces for displaying tabular information on computing devices face challenges in relating non-adjacent columns or rows due to limited screen size, where scrolling can be confusing and fails to ensure that information of interest remains visible.
Innovation Solution
The method involves freezing selected non-adjacent columns or rows, along with border rows or columns, to maintain their display while scrolling, allowing users to relate information better by keeping relevant headers visible at all times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the table is scrolled to bring additional columns or rows into view, then more information becomes visible on the screen, but the column or row headings become invisible and lose their reference value
Solution Approach 1:
The table display area is segmented into multiple panes: a frozen pane that contains the selected columns or rows (and their headings) that remain fixed, and a scrollable pane that displays the remaining table content. This segmentation allows different parts of the table to be treated independently, with the frozen pane maintaining its position while the scrollable pane moves to reveal additional content.
Solution Approach 2:
The selected columns or rows are frozen in advance before scrolling occurs. By pre-positioning these elements in a fixed pane, the system ensures that the headings and reference information remain visible and accessible throughout the scrolling operation, eliminating the need to scroll back to locate them.
2Loss of information
If traditional freezing is used to keep column or row labels visible, then headings remain visible during scrolling, but non-adjacent columns or rows of interest cannot be frozen to appear simultaneously on the screen
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically determines which columns or rows to freeze based on user selections, allowing any combination of adjacent or non-adjacent elements to be frozen together. The freezing configuration is not fixed but adapts to user needs, enabling flexible selection of multiple discrete columns or rows that can be positioned anywhere in the table.
Solution Approach 2:
The frozen pane serves multiple functions simultaneously: it displays column or row headings for reference, it presents selected non-adjacent columns or rows of interest, and it provides a stable reference frame during scrolling. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate mechanisms for different freezing scenarios.
3Quantity of substance
If the screen size is increased to display more columns or rows at once, then more information is visible without scrolling, but the device complexity and screen real estate requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves from a single two-dimensional display space to a multi-pane layout that effectively creates additional display dimensions. By dividing the screen into frozen and scrollable panes, the system allows users to view selected columns or rows in the frozen pane while simultaneously accessing additional content in the scrollable pane, maximizing the utilization of available screen real estate.
Data Source
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AI summary
Displaying tabular information in a user interface (UI) on a display screen is enhanced by freezing selected non-adjacent columns (rows). Freezing ensures the display of the selected non-adjacent columns (rows) when scrolling to bring other columns (rows) into the table for display. Border rows (columns) may also be frozen when scrolling. A table in a document navigable by moving a focus to scroll the document may be displayed by a Ul control configured to automatically display the frozen border rows (columns). When scrolling a focus in the document at an edge of the display screen to bring the Ul control into the display, the Ul control aligns a portion of the table with the edge and paints the frozen border row (column). The Ul control maintain the display of the border row (column) when scrolling through the table.