International Business Machines Corporation

Kathryn Willbrandt Devine

Virginia Walbridge Hughes, Jr

Barbara Jean Kilburn

David Edward Shough

Terry Michael Bleizeffer

Nathan Daniel Church

Joseph Davis Lea, Iii

Letitia K Lee

A method and apparatus for compensating for deficiencies existing in programs to assist a user through installing a program. Polling the status of jobs requested by the user of a workstation is done so that the user may eventually be provided with status reports regarding the jobs being executed. The user can set parameters during loading of System Modification Program Extended (SMPE) libraries, install, migrate, fallback, remigrate and update procedures for the program. An indication is provided to a user of a workstation as steps of a task have been completed by the user. The health of catalog and directory databases may be verified before a migrate procedure is performed. The user of the program can be informed regarding parameters whose default values have changed, which parameters are of particular concern to the specific user.

Method and apparatus for setting parameters in a system

A program installation system comprises an installation planning window displayed for a user prior to the installation of a computer program. The installation planning window may be an adjunct to an installation window and may also be accessible through the program once the program is installed. A series of controls within the installation planning window are linked to installation planning functions. The installation planning functions in given examples provide information regarding product migration, system requirements, and installation program usage. Additionally, a product and tools tour may be provided, as well as a link to product update information at a manufacturer's Internet site. In an illustrated example, the controls are implemented as graphical buttons and each button is accompanied with a brief description of the installation information accessed through the button, as well as a graphic suggesting the nature of the installation information.

Installation planning window

The present invention automatically formats input data compatible for use with a workstation application into formatted input data compatible with a host application. The input data is in one example updated to include customized settings, such as setup options. After the update, a format module, incorporated within the application, confirms completion of the update and automatically creates a formatted input data file which is compatible with the host application. A user interface is provided to allow selection of file identification and delivery options for the formatted input data. The formatted input data may be stored in a single location, such as on a host, where it can be used with both a workstation and the host. Formatting of the input data may be automatic and transparent to the user. User implementation of file identification and delivery options allows for convenient manipulation of the formatted input data.

Formatting input data file compatible with workstation application into formatted input data file compatible with second application utilizing user-customized settings

A user-generated documentation integration system operates in conjunction with a software application created by a manufacturer and executable on a computer processor for the benefit of a user. A documentation repository or group of documentation repositories may be provided for storing user-generated documentation relating to the software application. The software application may also include a linker module that maintains a link to a documentation repository so a user may access the user-generated documentation from within the software application. The user-generated documentation may comprise user help files pertaining to the software application. The user help files may be accessed through a window available within the software application, which is adapted to display a listing of available user help files that are individually selectable from the listing by a user for presentation on a display device. In an illustrated example, the window is implemented as a program dialog box having a frame in which a listing of user help files is displayed, each of which may be selectively opened and viewed on a computer screen. Access to the user-generated documentation may be selectively filtered.

Shared, dynamically customizable user documentation

A method and apparatus for compensating for deficiencies existing in programs to assist a user through installing a program. Polling the status of jobs requested by the user of a workstation is done so that the user may eventually be provided with status reports regarding the jobs being executed. The user can set parameters during loading of SMPE libraries, install, migrate, fallback, remigrate and update procedures for the program. An indication is provided to a user of a workstation as steps of a task have been completed by the user. The health of catalog and directory databases may be verified before a migrate procedure is performed. The user of the program can be informed regarding parameters whose default values have changed, which parameters are of particular concern to the specific user.

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Morgan Hill, CA, United States of America

Kathryn Willbrandt Devine