Apparatus and method for displaying windows

A window displaying method comprising the steps of:

• displaying a first application specified graphical user interface for an application program including a plurality of windows on a display screen;
• reading information specifying the graphical user interface, the information including a set of window types for the windows from a memory, each window type displaying information in a different form;
• displaying in each of the windows, parts of the graphical user interface as specified in the information;
• changing the application specified graphical user interface to a user specified graphical user interface in response to user input during runtime of the application, the changing step including changing the window type of at least one window from an application specified window type to a user specified window type;
• and
• displaying the user specified graphical user interface including the at least one window according to the changed window type.

In a computer program product on a computer readable medium for displaying windows executable on a computer system, said program product comprising:

• program code means for displaying a first application specified graphical user interface for an application program including a fixed plural number of windows on a display screen without overlapping and in a fixed arrangement;
• program code means for reading information specifying the graphical user interface, the information including a window type for each of the windows from a memory, each window type displaying information in a different form;
• program code means for displaying in each of said windows, parts of the graphical user interface based on the information read from the memory;
• and,
• program code means responsive to user input for changing the application specified graphical user interface to a user specified graphical user interface during runtime of the application program including means for changing the window type of at least one window from an application specified window type to a user specified window type;
• and
• program code means for displaying the user specified graphical user interface including at least one window according to the changed window type.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• processing information storing means for storing information to be processed;
• a processor for processing the information to be processed that is stored in the storing means;
• means for displaying a fixed plural number of windows on a display screen in a fixed arrangement;
• user interface specifying information storing means for storing information specifying a first application specified graphical user interface for an application program which specifies a window type for each of the windows, each window type displaying information in a different form;
• means for displaying, for each of the windows, parts of the graphical user interface in an associated window in accordance with the user interface specified with respect to the associated window;
• means for controlling, for each of the windows, an interaction with a user via the parts of the associated window;
• and
• means responsive to user input for changing the application specified graphical user interface to a user specified graphical user interface during runtime of the application program including means for changing the window type of at least one window from an application specified window type to a user specified window type.

An information displaying apparatus comprising:

• means for displaying a first application specified graphical user interface for an application program including a plurality of windows on a display screen;
• means for displaying a set of information elements in the windows according to a window type and window state for each of the windows, each window type displaying information in a different form, each window state initially in an application specified state;
• means for selecting one information element among the set of displayed information elements in a first window;
• means for changing the application specified state to a user specified import state of a second window in response to user input, the import state designating the second window to display detailed information on the selected information element in the first window;
• and
• means for displaying, in the second window, detailed information on the information element that has been selected in one window.

A method for changing a graphical user interface from an initial application specified state to a user specified state, comprising the steps of:

• displaying the graphical user interface in the application specified state each of a plurality of windows in an initial application specified state, a first window in the plurality including a set of selectable elements;
• selecting an element in the set of selectable elements;
• changing the initial application specified state of a second window to a user specified state for importing data about the selected element;
• and
• displaying the graphical user interface in the user specified import state, wherein detailed data concerning the selected element is displayed in the second window.

A computer program in a computer readable medium for changing a graphical user interface from an initial application specified state to a user specified state, comprising:

• means for displaying each of a plurality of windows in an initial application specified state and a list of selectable elements in a first window;
• means for selecting an element in the list of selectable elements;
• means for changing the initial application specified state of a second window to a user specified import state;
• and
• means for displaying the second window in the import state so that detailed data concerning the selected element is displayed in the second window.