Using introspection for access of class resource bundle information for messages

A method for displaying textual help information through a graphical user interface (“GUI”) to a user, comprising steps of:

• providing a data structure comprising (i) a first array containing topic pairs, each of the topic pairs comprising a topic key and an associated topic text string and (ii) a second array containing text pairs, each of the text pairs comprising a text key and an associated text string;
• providing a plurality of key pairs, each of the key pairs comprising a first key and a second key, each of the first keys pointing to one of the topic keys and each of the second keys pointing to one of the text keys, such that the topic text string associated with the pointed-to topic key is thus associated with the text string associated with the pointed-to text key;
• displaying through the GUI a window having a first interactive panel and a second interactive panel;
• displaying within the first interactive panel, for selection by the user, at least a portion of the topic text strings;
• responsive to selection of a particular topic text string from the displayed portion, introspecting through the plurality of key pairs to locate the text string associated with the selected topic text string;
• and
• displaying the located text string within the second interactive panel.

A computer program product for accessing textual data, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising:

• computer-readable program code means for encapsulating a data structure comprising (i) a set of topic pairs, each of the topic pairs comprising a topic key and an associated topic text string and (ii) a set of text pairs, each of the text pairs comprising a text key and an associated text string;
• computer-readable program code means for providing a set of key pairs, each of the key pairs comprising a first key and a second key, each of the first keys pointing to one of the topic keys and each of the second keys pointing to one of the text keys, such that the topic text string associated with the pointed-to topic key is thus associated with the text string associated with the pointed-to text key;
• computer-readable program code means for retrieving the set of key pairs through introspection;
• computer-readable program code means for displaying a user interface having a first interactive panel and a second interactive panel;
• computer-readable program code means for displaying within the first interactive panel, for selection by a user, at least a portion of the topic text strings;
• computer-readable program code means, responsive to selection of a particular one of the displayed topic text strings by the user, for locating the text string associated therewith using the retrieved set of key pairs;
• and
• computer-readable program code means for displaying the located text string within the second interactive panel.

A system for displaying data for selection by a user, comprising:

• means for providing a data structure comprising (i) a set of topic pairs, each of the topic pairs comprising a topic key and an associated topic text string and (ii) a set of text pairs, each of the text pairs comprising a text key and an associated text string;
• means for providing a set of key pairs, each of the key pairs comprising a first key and a second key, each of the first keys pointing to one of the topic keys and each of the second keys pointing to one of the text keys, such that the topic text string associated with the pointed-to topic key is thus associated with the text string associated with the pointed-to text key;
• means for displaying a user interface having a first interactive panel and a second interactive panel;
• means for displaying within the first interactive panel, for selection by a user, at least a portion of the topic text strings;
• responsive to selection of a particular one of the displayed topic text strings by the user, means for introspecting through the set of key pairs to locate the text string associated therewith;
• and
• means for displaying the located text string within the second interactive panel.