Abstract:
A system and method for displaying and providing access to information on a display unit are provided for combining a plurality of logical progression steps into a plurality of predetermined groups. Each of the plurality of predetermined groups includes a subset of data. The system and method includes displaying the plurality of predetermined groups in a collapsed format; prompting a user to expand a first group of the plurality of predetermined groups; allowing the user to access and input data into the first group; and allowing the user to access a second group of the plurality of predetermined groups once all logical progression steps in the first group have been completed by the user.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to software applications, and, more specifically, to a method and system for displaying and providing access to information on a display unit by use of a progress indicator designed for wizard-like software applications. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    With the influx of thousands of computer software applications, it has become difficult to quickly and efficiently learn how to use such new software. One way that software developers have enabled users to learn the software they produce is via software wizards. A wizard is a user interface element where the user is led through a sequence of dialogs. A wizard consists of multiple wizard pages that a user progresses through by clicking on the Next or Back buttons. Each wizard page of the wizard provides some information to the user to guide him or her through a subset of tasks necessary to complete a larger task. Wizards are used very commonly within graphical user interface operating systems and by hundreds of applications that run in these operating systems. With a wizard, the user is guided in performing the task in a specific sequence. 
         [0003]    The challenge is indicating to users of software wizard applications the step they are on in a multi-step process, the steps they have already completed, and the steps that are remaining, without taking up too much valuable real estate on the user interface. Currently, one method for indicating progress in a wizard-like user interface is to simply show the user the current step in the process. However, this approach does not provide the user with enough feedback. Another approach is to list all the steps in the process, which can take up too much space and appear discouraging to the user. 
         [0004]    Consequently, none of these methods has presented a desirable solution for indicating to a user of software the step the user is on, the steps remaining, and/or the steps completed in a lengthy process. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide a method and system for displaying and providing access to information on a display unit by use of a progress indicator designed for wizard-like software applications. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    A method is provided for displaying and providing access to information on a display unit. The method includes combining a plurality of logical progression steps into a plurality of predetermined groups. Each of the plurality of predetermined groups includes a subset of data. The method further includes displaying the plurality of predetermined groups in a collapsed format; prompting a user to expand a first group of the plurality of predetermined groups; allowing the user to access and input data into the first group; and allowing the user to access a second group of the plurality of predetermined groups once all logical progression steps in the first group have been completed by the user. 
         [0006]    A system is also provided for displaying and providing access to information. The system includes a software application for combining a plurality of logical progression steps into a plurality of predetermined groups. Each of the plurality of predetermined groups includes a subset of data. The system further includes a display unit for displaying the plurality of predetermined groups in a collapsed format; an inputting/outputting device for: prompting a user to expand a first group of the plurality of predetermined groups; allowing the user to access and input data into the first group; and allowing the user to access a second group of the plurality of predetermined groups once all logical progression steps in the first group have been completed by the user. 
         [0007]    A computer program product is also provided for displaying and providing access to information on a display unit. The computer program product includes a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method. The method includes combining a plurality of logical progression steps into a plurality of predetermined groups. Each of the plurality of predetermined groups including a subset of data. The method further includes displaying the plurality of predetermined groups in a collapsed format; prompting a user to expand a first group of the plurality of predetermined groups; allowing the user to access and input data into the first group; and allowing the user to access a second group of the plurality of predetermined groups once all logical progression steps in the first group have been completed by the user. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a conventional linear progress indicator; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  illustrates a progress indicator including a plurality of groups each having a plurality of steps in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  illustrates a complex workflow process implementing the progress indicator software described in  FIG. 2  in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to a system and method for displaying and providing access to information on a display unit by use of a progress indicator designed for wizard-like software applications. 
         [0012]    Specifically, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to a progress indicator designed for software wizard applications that include several steps. The steps in the software wizard are grouped together into manageable groups that expand and collapse as the users work their way through the software wizard. The current group of steps may be indicated with shading and the current step within that group may be marked with an indicator. The completed steps may be visually indicated with a check mark. Each step in the progress bar also acts as a hyperlink to that step, so that the user can quickly return to a step without many clicks of the back button. These features will become better understood with regard to the following description of the exemplary embodiments. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a conventional linear progress indicator of a 15-step process. The process  10  includes a first step  12 , a second step  14 , a third step  16 , a fourth step  18 , and a fifteenth step  20 . 
         [0014]    In  FIG. 1 , the first step  12  has been completed, the second step  14  has been completed, and the process  10  is currently located at the third step  16 . The process  10  awaits the user to complete the third step  16  in order to move onto the fourth step  18 . However, the user is not aware of the fact that he or she is currently on the third step  16  of the process  10 . The user is also not aware that the fifteenth step  20  is the last step of the process  10 . None of this information is available to a user utilizing a conventional software wizard program. 
         [0015]    As a result, in this conventional approach, a user is led through a lengthy sequence of steps in which the user is unfamiliar with the number of steps completed and the number of steps remaining. This approach not only takes up too much screen real estate, but the task at hand may seem daunting to the user. Consequently, not providing enough feedback to the user produces a user that may be discouraged in finishing all the steps in the process  10  and attempt to use the software by a trial-and-error basis, instead of using the software wizard developed by the software engineers. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates a progress indicator including a plurality of groups each having a plurality of steps in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The multi-step progress indicator  30  includes a first progress view  32 , a second progress view  34 , a third progress view  36 , a fourth progress view  38 , a first group  40 , a second group  42 , a third group  44 , a set of steps for group one  46 , a completed set of steps for group one  48 , a set of steps for group two  50 , and a set of steps for group three  52 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  provides an example of how the multi-step progress indicator  30  would first appear to the user. The visual indicators in the first progress view  32  provide feedback to the user that the user is currently on step  1  of group  1  and no steps have been completed. Groups  2  and  3  are currently collapsed in the first progress view  32 . After the user completes the first 2 steps, the multi-step progress indicator  30  looks like the second progress view  34 . 
         [0018]    In the second progress view  34 , the user is on step  3  of group  1  (as indicated by the arrow and the bold text). When step  5  is completed and the user clicks the Next button, the set of steps for group one  46  collapses and group  2  expands, so that the multi-step progress indicator  30  looks like the third progress view  36 . 
         [0019]    In the third progress view  36 , the check mark in group  1  indicates all of the steps in that set have been completed (i.e., set of steps for group one  46 ). The user is now on the first step in group  2  (as indicated by the arrow and the bold text). After completion of the set of steps of group two  50 , and upon clicking the Next button, group  2  collapses and group  3  expands. The multi-step progress indicator  30  looks like the fourth progress view  38 . 
         [0020]    In the fourth progress view  38 , the first 2 groups of steps have been completed (i.e., set of steps for group one  46  and the second set of steps for group two  50 ) and the user is on the last group. The user can return to any of the previous steps by clicking anywhere in the shaded area to expand the group and then clicking on the specific step to return directly to that step. The user is now on the first step in group  3  (as indicated by the arrow and the bold text). After completion of the set of steps of group three  52 , and upon clicking the Next button, group  3  collapses and the user is aware of the fact that the multi-step progress indicator  30  has been satisfactorily completed. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  illustrates a complex workflow process implementing the progress indicator software described in  FIG. 2  in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The flowchart  60  includes an external applications/partners box  62 , an SDI applications box  64 , a first DOCS applications box  66 , a PSG applications box  68 , and a second DOCS applications box  70 . 
         [0022]    The external applications/partners box  62  includes a create ticket icon  1 , a create budget icon  2 , a budget email to customer icon  3 , an assign tasks icon  4 , a designers perform tasks icon  5 , a record type of work icon  6 , a send artwork to customer icon  7 , an art approver email icon  8 , a send to DP&amp;P icon  9 , an FTP icon  9   a , a record charges icon  10 , a confirm complete icon  11 , a customer confirmation icon  12 , and a close ticket icon  13 . 
         [0023]    The SDI applications box  64  includes a process SR icon  9   f  and a XSM database icon  9   g.    
         [0024]    The first DOCS applications box  66  includes a send to DP&amp;P icon  9   b  and a generate SR in SDI icon  9   e.    
         [0025]    The PSG applications box  68  includes an artwork and JDF processed and printed icon  9   c.    
         [0026]    The second DOCS applications box  70  includes an artwork and JDF processed and printed icon  9   d.    
         [0027]    The external applications/partners box  62  can be thought of as a first group, the SDI applications box  64  can be thought of as a second group, the first DOCS applications box  66  can be thought of as a third group, the PSG applications box  68  can be thought of as a fourth group, and the second DOCS applications box  70  can be thought of as a fifth group. 
         [0028]    Each of these five groups consists of a number of steps in a multi-step process. The first group includes 13 steps, the second group includes 2 steps, the third group includes 2 steps, the fourth group includes 1 step, and the fifth group includes 1 step. The multi-step progress indicator  30  of  FIG. 2  can be used to indicate the progression of steps completed by a user. 
         [0029]    Another example where the teachings of the present disclosure can be beneficial is completing mortgage documents. It is well known that the management of mortgage applications is a time-consuming process which requires tracking many documents through the life of the application. The exemplary embodiments described herein can aid the person responsible for the mortgage documents by giving a quick and clear indication of where the application is in the process. 
         [0030]    The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure could also be used to track a user&#39;s progress through a complex job ticketing system or workflow manager. Xerox® also has a complex customer qualification process in which subsequent steps are dependant on the responses to previous steps. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure could be used with a customer qualification form by dynamically displaying the steps remaining in one or more processes. 
         [0031]    It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims. The claims can encompass embodiments in hardware, software, or combinations thereof.