Hierarchical Data Display Single Window Editing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Navigating and editing hierarchical data is cumbersome due to the complexity of multiple levels and parent/child relationships, making it difficult for users to locate specific data without traversing through multiple levels.
Innovation Solution
A method for displaying hierarchical data in a single window, where each level includes containers with items, indicating relationships between items and containers, allowing editing without switching windows, and providing a user interface that displays multiple items concurrently with clear indication of their hierarchical structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If hierarchical data is organized in multiple levels with parent/child relationships, then data organization and structure are improved, but navigation complexity and time to locate specific data increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the hierarchical data display into multiple simultaneous views, each representing a different level of the hierarchy. Users can navigate between levels by switching between these segmented views rather than traversing through a single nested structure, reducing the time to locate data while preserving the hierarchical organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension to data navigation by displaying multiple hierarchical levels simultaneously in different windows or panels. This dimensional expansion allows users to view and navigate between levels (e.g., organization, department, team) concurrently, transforming the sequential navigation problem into a parallel viewing solution.
2Stability of the object's composition
If users navigate through multiple levels to access data, then hierarchical relationships are maintained, but ease of operation and editing efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the editing operation across multiple simultaneous views, allowing users to edit data at different hierarchical levels without leaving the current context. Each view can be edited independently while maintaining links to parent and child records, preserving hierarchical relationships while significantly improving editing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary navigation mechanisms that allow users to switch between hierarchical levels and views without breaking the hierarchical relationships. These intermediaries (such as navigation buttons, contextual menus, or automatic navigation on edit) enable efficient operation while maintaining data integrity and relationships.
3Ease of operation
If data is displayed in a single window, then ease of operation is improved, but the ability to display complex hierarchical relationships deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the display into multiple windows or panels, each dedicated to a specific hierarchical level or data type. This segmentation allows complex hierarchical relationships to be displayed clearly without overwhelming the user, as each window can be optimized for its specific level while the collective set provides complete hierarchical context.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for displaying hierarchical data are described. In an implementation, a method includes processing hierarchical data describing a distributed computing environment. The hierarchical data includes a plurality of levels, in which, at least one of the levels includes a plurality of containers, each of the containers includes one or more items, and each of the items is disposed in another level that is a child of the at least one level. The processed hierarchical data is output for display in a single window on a display device such that the hierarchical data indicates a relationship between each of the items and a respective one of the containers and is configured such that each of the items may be edited without interacting with another window.