International Business Machines Corporation

Allen W Heath

Ronald K Sheppard

Philip Theodore Berkland

Grady K Waddell

Garland Ray Bullock

Virginia M Hoffman

Susan D Stratton

Raymond Hernandez

A method for reducing storage requirements in a database. The data to be encoded and stored in the database record is first analyzed to determine its characteristics. The data analyzed can be a sample of the records to enter and store or the entire data set. The analysis can be performed by a computer software module, or can be done manually, or by a combination of computer processing of the input stream of data and manual analysis to determine trends and characteristics. An encoding scheme is devised to encode the information input with a bit stream that represents the information. The information input is compacted to convert it into a uniform format. The encoded and compacted information are then stored in the corresponding database record. When a user wants to retrieve a particular record from the database, the compacted information is entered by the user, which in turn, is used as a key to retrieve the record. The encoded representation of the information input is retrieved with the record and is used to decode the compacted information into the original information input which is then displayed to the user. The original information input does not need to be stored in the database record as a result of this invention.

Method to reduce storage requirements when storing semi-redundant information in a database

A technique for providing automatic modification of a computer application program adopts the program for compatibility with hardware different from that for which the program was originally written and tested. Upon initial loading of the application program, a search is made to determine the existence of a set of exception tables, external to the application program. If the exception tables are present, all code conversion tables within the application program relating to I/O operations are modified according to the set of exception tables. Plural sets of exception tables may be included with the ability of the operator to choose which set of exception tables will be used to modify the program, thereby allowing the operator to use a single program with a variety of different hardwawre configurations, assuring with each configuration that the intended characters and symbols are displayed and printed.

Emulation system for automatically modifying I/O translation tables in

A pointer controlled by a pointing device, such as a mouse, is temporarily removed from a visual display screen when a first character is being updated on the screen. The pointer is left hidden from the screen until the event causing screen updating has been idle for a predetermined period of time. The pointer is not removed from the screen if the keystroke or other hiding event is invalid in the current context of the application program. The pointer is also immediately redisplayed if an event associated with the pointing device, such as either pointing device movement of pointing device button clicking, is detected.

Automatic hiding and revealing of a pointer during keyboard activity

In a data processing system including a keyboard a visual display device, and a pointing input device, such as a mouse, pointing input device events, as well as keyboard events, can be directly stored relative to a keystroke program by defining and storing relative to each menu, command bar, or subdivision thereof, a table of zones capable of being pointed to by the pointing input device. The pointing input device position is then compared to the coordinates of the zones and when a match of the zone coordinates and pointing input device position occurs the stored data table is further utilized to determine valid pointing input device events. The presence of the pointing input device pointer in appropriate zones, along with appropriate pointing input device actions, are the events stored relative to a keystroke program, rather than a conversion of the pointing input device actions into keystrokes by keyboard emulation.

Automatic capture of pointing device actions in a keystroke program

A table driven print formatting system that accepts a text data stream including individual text commands and produces a printable data stream including individual print commands. The formatting system uses the text data in combination with printer status data to select subsection entries from a printer description table. The subsection entries include specific print command subsections each having print commands that can be placed immediately into the printable data stream upon selection. The table also includes general print command subsections which each have printer description data and a general print command shell. When a general print command subsection entry is selected, the printer description data is used in combination with the text data to calculate a parameter for inserting into the general shell thereby producing a print command for placing in the printable data stream. The printer description table also uses a unique entry indexing scheme that minimizes storage requirements for the table.

Table driven print formatting

A method controls the printing of documents created by interactive text processing systems so that the document image is positioned on the paper in the same location when the document is printed by two different printers with different paper positioning parameters. The method assists the operator in defining to the system the paper positioning parameters of each printer attached to the system so that the location of the first print position of the printer is established relative to the top and left edges of the paper. The text processing program also establishes the location of the first print (typing) position of the document image on the display relative to the top and left edges of the document image. Printer control codes are developed and sent to the printer which align the edges of the document image with the corresponding edges of the paper at its initial printing position by taking into account the relative locations of the first print positions of the printer and document image.

Method of control placement of image of document to be printed on paper

A word processing program is configured to produce a series of examples, for operator examination, of alternative implementations of certain printer functions. By observing the printer performance and physical appearance during the printing of these examples, the operator interactively chooses one of a plurality of implementations for each of these functions. The operator choices of implementation are saved by the work processing program and subsequent printing is effected in accordance with the implementation chosen by the operator.

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Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

Allen W Heath