The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 20, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 10, 1999
David De-Hui Chen, Cary, NC (US);
Michael Frederick Gering, Hillsborough, NC (US);
Stephen Anton Owen, Raleigh, NC (US);
Allen Lewis Springer, Raleigh, NC (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A command line interface for a data processing system includes an output facility that displays outputs to an operator, a parser that validates inputs entered a command line, a command processor that processes commands validated by the parser. The command line interface preferably supports a prompt mode in which the output facility displays an editable prompt that may be modified by the user to construct a command. In addition, the parser preferably defines separate validation and execution point inputs including at least one validation-only point input, so that inputs are permitted to span multiple input lines and so that atomic sets of commands can be constructed by entering multiple commands on a single input line. The command line interface is also equipped with an in-line help facility that, in response to the parser detecting a help request in a partial command entered at the command line, automatically presents possible input options that can be entered at the command line to complete the partial command.