Method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages

• US 20010002129A1
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Published: 05/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Elsbree, John E., Zimmerman, Christopher A., Fraley, Christopher Lee
• Granted Patent: US 6,417,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method and system for adding application defined properties and application defined property sheet pages are provided. The application defined properties may be added to a list of system defined properties. Once added, the application defined properties may be displayed and edited. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects in a list, and edit the common properties. Moreover, application defined property sheet pages may be added to a set of system defined property sheet pages. A user may then display and edit the application defined property sheet pages. Also, a user may select several objects, display the properties common to all of the objects on a per-property browsing list, and edit the common properties. In addition, a user may select several objects, display the property sheet pages common to all of the objects, and edit the properties on these property sheet pages. Furthermore a user may switch between viewing a property in a list of properties and viewing a property on a property sheet page.

Claims

1. In a data processing system having a video display, a processor that runs an application program, and an operating system that includes a per-property browser, a method comprising the steps of:

providing an object with associated system defined properties;

displaying a list of system defined properties on the video display;

providing an object with an associated application defined property;

obtaining an identifier to an application defined property type that is defined by the application program;

obtaining a current value for tie application defined property; and

adding an identifier of the application defined property type and the current value for the application defined property to the list of system defined properties displayed on the video display.

2. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of, for each system defined property, determining whether the system defined property is also on a property sheet page.

3. The method of

claim 2

, further comprising the step of providing a property sheet page map button for displaying the property sheet page containing the system defined property when the system defined property is also on the property sheet page.

4. The method of

claim 3

, further comprising the steps of:

providing code to map the system defined property to the property sheet page;

receiving user input to activate the property sheet page map button;

calling the provided code to map to the property sheet page for the system defined property; and

displaying the property sheet page for the system defined property.

5. The method of

claim 1

wherein the step of adding the identifier of the application defined property type and the current value for the application defined property to the list comprises the step of determining whether the application defined property is also on a property sheet page.

6. The method of

claim 5

, further comprising the step of providing a property sheet page map button for displaying the property sheet page containing the application defined property when the application defined property is also on the property sheet page.

7. The method of

claim 6

, further comprising the steps of:

providing code to map the application defined property to the property sheet page;

receiving user input to activate the property sheet page map button;

calling the provided code to map to the property sheet page for the application defined property; and

displaying the property sheet page for the application defined property.

8. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of, for each system defined property, determining whether the system defined property has a drop down list associated with it.

9. The method of

claim 8

, further comprising the step of providing a drop down list button for displaying the drop down list when the system defined property has a drop down list associated with it.

10. The method of

claim 9

, further comprising the steps of:

providing code to obtain entries for the drop down list;

receiving user input to activate the drop down list button;

calling the provided code to obtain entries for the drop down list; and

displaying the drop down list on the video display.

11. The method of

claim 1

wherein the step of adding the identifier of the application defined property type and the current value for the application defined property to the list comprises the step of determining whether the application defined property has a drop down list associated with it.

12. The method of

claim 11

, further comprising the step of providing a drop down list button for displaying the drop down list when the application defined property has a drop down list associated with it.

13. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising the steps of:

providing code to obtain entries for the drop down list;

receiving user input to activate the drop down list button;

calling code to obtain the entries for the drop down list; and

displaying the drop down list on the video display.

14. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of editing the list of properties by modifying a property in the list on the video display.

15. In a data processing system having a video display, a processing means running an operating system and an application program, and a list of system defined properties, a system comprising:

means for displaying a list of the system defined properties on the video display;

means for providing an object with an associated application defined property;

means for obtaining an identifier to an application defined property type defined by the application program;

means for obtaining a current value for the application defined property;

means for adding the identifier to the application defined property type and the current value of the application defined property to the list of system defined properties displayed on the video display.

16. The data processing system of

claim 15

, further comprising:

means for determining whether to provide a property sheet page map button; and

means for providing the property sheet page map button when it is determined that it should be provided.

17. The data processing system of

claim 15

, further comprising:

means for determining whether to provide a drop down list button; and

means for providing the drop down list button when it is determined that it should be provided.

18. In a data processing system having a video display, a processor running an operating system, and a per-property browsing list, a method comprising the steps of:

providing an object with an application defined property;

providing code for a function to obtain the type of the application defined property;

providing code for a function to obtain the current value of the application defined property;

calling the provided code for a function to obtain the type of the application defined property;

calling the provided code for a function to obtain the current value of the application defined property; and

adding the type and current value of the application defined property to the per-property browsing list.

19. The method of

claim 18

wherein the step of adding further comprises displaying the application defined property in the per-property browsing list on the video display.

20. In a data processing system having a video display, an operating system that includes a property sheet page browser for browsing property sheet pages, and a set of system defined property sheet pages, a method comprising the steps of:

providing an object and an associated application defined property sheet page for the object;

adding the application defined property sheet page to the set of system defined property sheet pages displayed on the video display; and

browsing the set of system defined property sheet pages using the property sheet page browser.

21. The method of

claim 20

wherein the step of adding an application defined property sheet page comprises the step of calling code to show the application defined property sheet page on the video display.

22. The method of

claim 20

wherein the step of browsing comprises the step of displaying a different property sheet page on the video display.

23. The method of

claim 20

, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the application defined property sheet page with a tab indicating a name for the application defined property sheet page;

displaying each property on the application defined property sheet page; and

displaying associated drop down list buttons with each property on the application defined property sheet page.

24. The method of

claim 23

, further comprising the steps of:

receiving user input activating the drop down list button; and

displaying a drop down list on the video display.

25. The method of

claim 20

wherein the step of browsing comprises the step of modifying the application defined property sheet page on the video display by changing a current value of a property on the application defined property sheet page.

26. In a data processing system having a processing means for running an operating system, a video display, and a set of system defined property sheet pages, the system comprising:

means for displaying the set of system defined property sheet pages;

means for providing an object with an associated application defined property sheet page; and

means for adding the application defined property sheet page to the set of system defined property sheet pages displayed on the video display.

27. The system of

claim 26

, further comprising means for modifying the application defined property sheet page on the video display.

28. In a data processing system having a video display, a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of objects, each having associated application defined properties;

determining common application defined properties of the objects; and

displaying the determined common application defined properties on a per-property browsing list on a video display.

29. The method of

claim 28

wherein the step of displaying the determined common application defined properties includes the step of displaying the determined common application defined properties with a current property value when the current property value for each application defined property of an object is the same and displaying an unmatched properties indicator when the current property value for each application defined property of an object is not the same.

30. In a data processing system having a video display, a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of objects, each having associated property sheet pages;

determining whether the objects have common property sheet pages; and

when the objects have common property sheet pages, displaying the determined common property sheet pages on a video display.

31. The method of

claim 30

wherein the step of displaying the common property sheet pages includes the step of displaying each property sheet page with current property values when the property sheet page of each object is the same and displaying an unmatched property sheet page indicator when the property sheet page of each object is not the same.

32. In a data processing system having a video display and an operating system that includes a per-property browser and a property sheet page browser, a method comprising the steps of:

providing an application defined property;

providing a per-property browsing list having an entry for the application defined property;

providing a property sheet page browser having a property sheet page for the application defined property;

when receiving user input indicating a desire to switch from the per-property browser to the property sheet page browser, mapping to a property sheet page; and

when receiving user input indicating a desire to switch from the property sheet page browser to the per-property browser, mapping to a property sheet page containing a per-property browsing list.

33. The method of

claim 32

wherein the step of providing a per-property browsing list comprises providing the per-property browsing list where each entry has a property sheet page map button.

34. The method of

claim 32

wherein the step of providing a property sheet page comprises providing the property sheet page with a tab indicating it contains the per-property browsing list.