Frederick T Sharp

US Patent:

6341359, Jan 22, 2002

Filed:

Dec 14, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/211711

Inventors:

William Holland Aiken - Aptos CA
Frederick Thomas Sharp - Menlo Park CA

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 9445

US Classification:

714100

Abstract:

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture, and a memory structure for accepting data input into a computer is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of presenting a component to the user, wherein the component includes an input area for accepting the input data, and the component is subject to a constraint for the data, accepting user input into the component input area, and following an assistance policy associated with the component when the user input violates the value constraint. In one embodiment, the value constraint for the input data is organized according to the component content type. In another embodiment, the method comprises the steps of defining a component comprising an input area for accepting input data, associating the component with a value constraint according to a content type of the input area, and associating the component with an assistance policy selected from a set of assistance policies. The article of manufacture comprises a program storage device tangibly embodying instructions for performing the method steps defined above. The apparatus comprises a means for presenting a component including an input area for accepting user input from the user, wherein the component is subject to a constraint for the input data according to component content type, means for accepting user input into the component input area, and means for enforcing an assistance policy associated with the component when the user input violates the value constraint.

US Patent:

6424974, Jul 23, 2002

Filed:

Sep 12, 1997

Appl. No.:

08/928620

Inventors:

Curt L. Cotner - Gilroy CA
Wendy Lynne Koontz - Denver CO
Gerald H. Roth - San Jose CA
Frederick Thomas Sharp - Menlo Park CA
Shu-Huar Joseph Yeh - San Jose CA

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1700

US Classification:

707103R, 707103, 707102, 709319, 709313

Abstract:

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for providing a programming development environment that supports the development of portable server routines. More specifically, the present invention discloses a method for storing and retrieving server routines within the database independent of any file I/O system. Also, the present invention discloses a debugging environment that allows debugging of server routines in a multi-tier environment, wherein the source code being debugged runs on the development machine.

US Patent:

6658622, Dec 2, 2003

Filed:

Dec 14, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/211544

Inventors:

William Holland Aiken - Aptos CA
Frederick Thomas Sharp - Menlo Park CA

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1721

US Classification:

715507, 715505

Abstract:

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture, and a memory structure for accepting data input into a computer is disclosed. The method presents an independent component and a dependent component to the user. The independent component comprises an input area for accepting independent input data. The dependent component comprises a dependent component input area for accepting dependent component input data and is associated with a dependent component constraint that is at least partially dependent on the independent component input data. User input is accepted into the dependent component input area, and an assistance policy associated with the dependent component is followed when the user input violates the dependent component constraint. The article of manufacture comprises a program storage device tangibly embodying instructions for performing the method steps defined above. The apparatus comprises means for presenting the independent and dependent components described above, means for accepting user input into the dependent component input area, and means for following an assistance policy associated with the dependent component when the user input violates the dependent component constraint.

US Patent:

6738769, May 18, 2004

Filed:

Jan 11, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/758559

Inventors:

Frederick Thomas Sharp - Menlo Park CA

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 130

US Classification:

707 7, 707 1

Abstract:

A sorting system and method that sorts records based on multiple fields by converting the fields to a common data type and sorting the common data type fields using a single sorting algorithm whereupon the records can be ordered based on the sorted common data type fields. The single sorting algorithm can quickly, efficiently, and accurately sort the records because the index fields have been converted to appropriate simple values in a common data type.

US Patent:

6771292, Aug 3, 2004

Filed:

Mar 29, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/822174

Inventors:

Frederick Thomas Sharp - Menlo Park CA

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G09G 500

US Classification:

345788, 345799, 345798, 345804

Abstract:

Providing feedback concerning a content pane to be docked in a host window is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a description of a position of a content pane within a host window and utilizing a diagram to indicate the position and the orientation of the content pane within the host window. Docking is allowed to occur anywhere in the host window, not only in the border regions. In addition, docking positions include the positions inside the split panes. Given a vertical splitter bar, for example, the left-top, left-bottom, right-top, and right-bottom positions are available. The thumbnail feedback when docking shows how existing docking panes will be moved and resized, as well as the orientation and relative size of the resulting docking pane.

US Patent:

6938219, Aug 30, 2005

Filed:

Jan 25, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/056559

Inventors:

Abdul H. Al-Azzawe - San Jose CA, US
Tanya Couch - San Jose CA, US
Debbani Kundu - Milpitas CA, US
Constance J. Nelin - Austin TX, US
Frederick T. Sharp - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F003/14

US Classification:

715854, 715804, 715966, 715772

Abstract:

A method and system for tracking a plurality of actions against at least one object by a computer system is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing an output view, wherein the output view includes a first output area and a second output area. An action list containing each of the plurality of actions is displayed in one of the first and second output areas. A user is allowed to select one action from the action list, and information associated with the selected action is displayed in the other of the first and second output areas.

US Patent:

6964010, Nov 8, 2005

Filed:

Dec 14, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/211712

Inventors:

Frederick Thomas Sharp - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F015/00

US Classification:

715507, 715505, 715506, 714 46, 714 48

Abstract:

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture, and a memory structure for displaying diagnostic messages is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of accepting user input into the computer, generating at least one message wherein the message comprises an associated message context, grouping the diagnostic messages according to the message context, and presenting the grouped messages to the user. In one embodiment, the messages are diagnostic messages that are generated for each instance where user input data violates an input constraint, and the messages are grouped according to the violated input constraint. The article of manufacture comprises a program storage device tangibly embodying instructions for performing the method steps defined above. The apparatus comprises a means for accepting user input into the, computer, means for generating at least one message associated with a message context, means for grouping messages according to the message context, and means for presenting the grouped messages to the user.

US Patent:

7020667, Mar 28, 2006

Filed:

Jul 18, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/198827

Inventors:

Michael Alan Guest - San Jose CA, US
Frederick Thomas Sharp - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707204, 707203, 707205

Abstract:

A data collection and retrieval system and associated method allow the capture and replication of data presented at various Web pages into a database application through text parsing of the HTML source code of that document. The system allows the user to select one or more Web pages containing data of interest; to specify exactly which data within any page is to be captured; to specify how frequently data is to be collected; and to specify the conditions for collection and retrieval. The advantage of the system is realized through efficient, automated data collection that would otherwise be impractical. The system includes an initialization stage and an automatic execution stage. The initialization stage provides the user interface which allows the user to select the source file that contains data the user wishes to copy, target database that will receive the data, and timing criteria for automatic transfer of data. The automatic execution stage automatically transfers the data from the source file to the target database as instructed by the user in the initialization stage.