Display control apparatus, message display method, and storage medium for message display control software product

A display control method used by a display control apparatus, which includes a display device and an input device and which displays an obtained message in the display area of a window with a scroll bar on said display device, said display control method comprising the steps of:

• (a) referring to scroll option information, which is stored in advance in said display control apparatus, to determine whether said scroll option information specifies an automatic scroll mode;
• (b) removing from said display area, when it is ascertained at said step (a) that said scroll option information specifies said automatic scroll mode, at least one portion of a message that is currently displayed, and displaying in said display area at least one portion of a received new message by said display control apparatus;
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• (c) adding said received new message to a virtual display area, when it is ascertained at said step (a) that said scroll option information does not specify said automatic scroll mode, and setting said display control apparatus to a state wherein said operator can use said scroll bar to refer to a desired message included in said virtual display area.

A display control apparatus, which includes a display device and an input device, that displays an obtained message, in the display area of a window with a scroll bar, said display control apparatus comprising:

• (a) a scroll option change unit for storing scroll option information in response to a scroll option change operation performed by an operator;
• (b) an input event detector for detecting the reception of a new message;
• (c) a new message processor for referring to said stored scroll option information to determine whether an automatic scroll mode is thereby specified;
• (d) a display area manager for, when it is ascertained that said automatic scroll mode is specified by said scroll option information, removing from said display area at least one portion of a message that is currently displayed, and displaying in said display area at least one portion of said new message, and for, when it is ascertained that said automatic scroll mode is not specified by said scroll option information, adding said new message to a virtual display area, and setting a state wherein said operator can use said scroll bar to refer to a desired message included in said virtual display area.

A storage medium storing a message display control software product for a display control apparatus, which includes a display device and an input device and which displays an obtained message, in the display area of a window with a scroll bar, said display control software product comprising:

• (a) program code for instructing said display control apparatus to store scroll option information in response to a scroll option change operation performed by an operator;
• (b) program code for instructing said display control apparatus to detect the reception of a new message;
• (c) program code for instructing said display control apparatus to refer to said stored scroll option information to determine whether an automatic scroll mode is thereby specified;
• (d) program code for instructing said display control apparatus to remove from said display area, when it is ascertained at said step (c) that said automatic scroll mode is specified by said scroll option information, at least one portion of a message that is currently displayed, and to display in said display area at least one portion of said new message;
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• (e) program code for instructing said display control apparatus to add said new message to a virtual display area, when it is ascertained at said step (c) that said automatic scroll mode is not specified by said scroll option information, and to set a state wherein said operator can use said scroll bar to refer to a desired message included in said virtual display area.

A storage medium storing a message display control software product for a display control apparatus, which includes a display device and an input device and which displays an obtained message in the display area of a window with a scroll bar on said display device, said display control software product comprising:

• (a) program code for instructing said display control apparatus to refer to scroll option information, which is stored in advance in said display control apparatus, to determine whether said scroll option information specifies an automatic scroll mode;
• (b) program code for instructing said display control apparatus to remove from said display area, when it is ascertained that said scroll option information specifies said automatic scroll mode, at least one portion of a message that is currently displayed, and to display in said display area at least one portion of received new message by said display control apparatus;
• and
• (c) program code for instructing said display control apparatus to add said received new message to a virtual display area, when it is ascertained that said scroll option information does not specify said automatic scroll mode, and to set said display control apparatus to a state wherein said operator can use said scroll bar to refer to a desired message included in said virtual display area.