Unisys Corporation

Grant T Nelson

Robert J Gambrel

Barry F Ruzek

Gary L Lien

Cynthia E Spellman

Method and apparatus for providing a user customizable help system for a data processing environment which utilizes a graphical interface to identify solutions and/or topics of interest. This graphical help system displays partitioned groupings of help topics organized in a intuitively functional, positional manner such that a user will instinctively know where to find the desired help topic. These partitioned groupings of help topics preferably represent hardware platforms, operating environments, application groupings, or groupings of functions within an application. Further, and within each of the partitioned groupings, the invention contemplates providing multiple &ldquo;views&rdquo; of help topics, each &ldquo;view&rdquo; corresponding to a different type of user of the data processing system. By providing multiple views, the help system can be easily tailored to better address differences in experience, sophistication, and job requirements between widely disparate users of the same data processing system.

Graphical table of contents for a help system

A system and methodology for implementing user assistance functions concerning interoperability of diverse applications, whether hosted on the same computer platform or hosted on different computer platforms. The user is assisted by being offered information, tools and/or automation as appropriate to the problem presented. As appropriate, graphics or animation is utilized to permit complete and full understanding by the user of the assistance being provided.

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Wyoming, MN, United States of America

Grant T Nelson