Multi-format and multi-view synchronized data editor

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture, and a memory structure for displaying a data file is disclosed. The apparatus displays a window, comprising two synchronized window portions: an unformatted window portion showing unformatted data and a formatted window portion showing the same data as the current record formatted according to a data structure described in data structure file.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for displaying a data file comprising at least one data record, comprising: 
 a monitor, communicatively coupled to a computer;    a window, displayed on the monitor, the window comprising an unformatted window portion and a formatted window portion;    wherein the unformatted window portion displays an unformatted view of the data record; and    wherein the formatted window portion displays a formatted view of the data record structured according to a data descriptor and synchronized with the unformatted view of the data record.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the unformatted window portion displays an unformatted view of a selected data record; and    the formatted window portion displays a formatted view of the selected data record structured according to the data descriptor.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the formatted window comprises a first formatted window sub-portion displaying a hierarchical arrangement of data descriptors.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the data record comprises a plurality of data fields, and wherein the unformatted window portion comprises: 
 a first unformatted window sub-portion displaying a data record status associated with the data record; and    a second unformatted window sub-portion displaying at least one data field associated with the data record.    
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the selected data record further comprises a selected data field and wherein the formatted window portion displays the data selected data field.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the data descriptors describe a hierarchical organization of data elements, and wherein the formatted window comprises: 
 a second formatted window sub-portion displaying the selected data field; and    a first formatted window sub-portion displaying the data element associated with the selected data field.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the selected data field is modifiable by edits to the selected data field in the window, and the edits are displayed in the formatted window portion and the unformatted window portion.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the data descriptors describe a hierarchical organization of data elements, and wherein the formatted window portion comprises: 
 a first formatted window sub-portion displaying the data elements; and    a second formatted window sub-portion displaying a data field associated with the data element.    
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein each data field is displayed adjacent to the data element associated with the data field.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising means for selecting a display mode for the unformatted data.  
     
     
         11 . A method of displaying a data file, comprising the steps of: 
 opening a first file having data file structure information,    opening a data file, the data file comprising at least one data record, each data record having at least one data field; and    displaying a window comprising an unformatted window portion displaying an unformatted view of the data record and a formatted window portion displaying a view of the data record formatted according to the data file structure information.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of interpreting the data records using the data file structure information.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of: 
 accepting a selection of a data record in the unformatted window portion; and    displaying the formatted view of the data record in the formatted window portion.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first file comprises at least one data descriptor, and the step of displaying the formatted view of the data record in the formatted window portion comprises the steps of: 
 displaying a hierarchical organization of data elements from the first file in a first formatted window sub-portion; and    displaying the data fields of the data record in a second formatted window sub-portion.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each data element is associated with a data field, and each data element is displayed adjacent to its associated data field.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of: 
 accepting a selection of a data field;    delimiting the selected data field in the unformatted window portion; and    delimiting the selected data field in the formatted window portion.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of delimiting the selected data field in the formatted window portion comprises the steps of: 
 delimiting the selected data field in the second formatted window sub-portion; and    delimiting the data element associated with the selected data field in the first formatted window sub-portion.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of: 
 editing the selected data record in the window; and    updating the unformatted window portion and the formatted window portion to display the edited selected data record.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of: 
 accepting a selection of a display mode for the data; and    displaying the data according to the selected display mode.    
     
     
         20 . A program storage device, readable by computer having a processor and a memory, tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform the method steps of displaying a data file, the method steps comprising the steps of: 
 opening a file having data file structure information,    opening a data file, the data file comprising at least one data record, each data record having at least one data field; and    displaying a window comprising an unformatted window portion displaying an unformatted view of the data record and a formatted window portion displaying a formatted view of the data record.    
     
     
         21 . The program storage device of  claim 20 , wherein the first file comprises at least one data descriptor, and the method steps further comprise the method step of formatting the data records directly from the first file.  
     
     
         22 . The program storage device of  claim 20 , wherein the method steps further comprise the steps of: 
 accepting a selection of a data record in the unformatted window portion; and    displaying the formatted view of the data record in the formatted window portion.    
     
     
         23 . The program storage device of  claim 22 , wherein the first file is a copy file comprising at least one data descriptor, and the method step of displaying the formatted view of the data record in the formatted window portion comprises the method steps of: 
 displaying a hierarchical organization of data elements from the copy file in a first formatted window sub-portion; and    displaying the data fields of the data record in a second formatted window sub-portion.    
     
     
         24 . The program storage device of  claim 23 , wherein each data element is associated with a data field, and each data element is displayed adjacent to its associated data field.  
     
     
         25 . The program storage device of  claim 20 , wherein the method steps further comprise the method steps of: 
 accepting a selection of a data field;    delimiting the selected data field in the unformatted window portion; and    delimiting the selected data field in the formatted window portion.    
     
     
         26 . The program storage device of  claim 25 , wherein the step of delimiting the selected data field in the formatted window portion comprises the steps of: 
 delimiting the selected data field in the second formatted window sub-portion; and    delimiting the data element associated with the selected data field in the first formatted window sub-portion.    
     
     
         27 . The program storage device of  claim 25 , further comprising the steps of: 
 editing the selected data field in the window; and    updating the unformatted window portion and the formatted window portion to display the edited data field.    
     
     
         28 . The program storage device of  claim 20 , wherein the method steps further comprise the steps of: 
 accepting a selection of a display mode for the data; and    displaying the data according to the selected display mode.    
     
     
         29 . The program storage device of  claim 28 , wherein the display mode is selected from the group comprising ASCII, EBCDIC, and hexadecimal display modes.