User interface element representation with simplified view

• US 20040122789A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jen-Shong Carter, Benjamin Franklin Wang, Kramer, Nicholas, Gupta, Namita, Ostertag, Peter Francis, Winser, Michael Edward Dulac, Bent, Samuel Watkins, Finocchio, Mark James
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A composite user interface element can be assembled from plural sub-elements. A simplified view of the representation of the user interface element can be provided wherein the composited user interface element appears to be a single element. When defined, various nodes for representing the user interface can be designated as selectively exposable. Such selectively exposable nodes can be ignored when performing operations via the simplified view. Accordingly, programmers can write code that need not take the complexity of the composite user interface element into account. Property determination can be done in light of the selectively exposable nodes. A simplified view can support nested user interface elements having respective selectively exposable nodes.

Claims

1. A method of processing a request to perform an operation on a hierarchical representation of a user interface element, the method comprising:

receiving the request to perform the operation;

performing the operation for a simplified view of the hierarchical representation.

2. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the hierarchical representation comprises a plurality of nodes forming a composite user interface element; and

a proper subset of the nodes forms a user interface element within the composite user interface element.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

at least one node in the hierarchical representation is designated as selectively exposable; and

the designated node is not exposed in the simplified view.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation is performed by skipping nodes in the hierarchy designated as selectively exposable in the simplified view.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein nodes are designated as selectively exposable in the hierarchy by setting properties on nodes in the hierarchy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the operation is a request to enumerate child nodes of a node in the representation; and

the operation is performed on the simplified view, whereby at least one immediate child of the node is not exposed in the simplified view.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the operation is a request to provide a parent node of a node in the representation; and

the operation is performed on the simplified view, whereby an immediate parent of the node is not exposed in the simplified view.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the operation is a request to add one or more child nodes to a node in the representation; and

the operation is performed on the simplified view, whereby the child nodes are added to a descendant of the node.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the operation is a request to provide properties for a node; and

properties of at least one selectively exposed ancestor node of the node are ignored.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the operation is a request to provide properties for a node; and

properties of at least one selectively exposed ancestor node of the node are selectively ignored or considered based on the property.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the operation is a request to provide properties for a node; and

property rules of at least one selectively exposed ancestor node of the node are ignored.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the operation is a request to provide properties for a node; and

rules of at least one selectively exposed ancestor node of the node are selectively ignored or considered based on the property.

14. A method of representing a user interface element, the method comprising:

creating a hierarchical representation of the user interface element having a plurality of nodes; and

designating at least one node in the representation as selectively exposable.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the node is designated as selectively exposable by setting a property on an ancestor of the node.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the node is designated as selectively exposable by setting a property on a parent of the node.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one of the selectively exposable nodes is designated as a node to receive simplified view children of an ancestor node.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the selectively exposable node is so designated by setting a property on the selectively exposable node.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the selectively exposable node is one of a plurality of nodes comprising a user interface element nested within a composite user interface element.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the selectively exposable node is one of a plurality of nodes representing a user interface element;

the nodes representing the user interface element comprise at least one node not defined as selectively exposable within a definition of the user interface element;

the nodes representing the user interface element are nested within a composite user interface element; and

the composite user interface element includes an indication that the nodes representing the user interface element are designated as selectively exposable;

treating the node designated as not selectively exposable as not selectively exposable when referenced via one of the nodes representing the user interface element; and

otherwise treating the node designated as not selectively exposable as selectively exposable.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the node designated as selectively exposable is operable to provide data for generating a plurality of nodes underneath the node in the hierarchical representation.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the data originates from a database.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the plurality of nodes underneath the node are list items.

24. A method of defining a composite user interface element, the method comprising:

referring to a plurality of definitions for user interface elements in a composite user interface definition; and

in the composite user interface definition, designating at least one node for the user interface elements as selectively exposable.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein at least one of the definitions for user interface elements itself designates one of the nodes therein as selectively exposable.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the composite user interface element comprises a combo box.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein nodes are designated as selectively exposable by appropriately designating properties of one or more of the following:

a node for the user interface elements;

a parent node for the user interface elements; and

an ancestor node for the user interface elements.

28. A method comprising:

invoking the composite user interface definition of claim 24;

and

responsive to a request for a simplified view of a representation of the composite user interface element, not exposing the selectively exposable nodes user interface elements.

29. A computer-readable medium having encoded thereon a data structure representing an encapsulated user interface element, the data structure comprising:

a principal node; and

one or more selectively exposable nodes hierarchically related to the principal node.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 wherein the data structure further comprises:

a designation of which node out of the selectively exposable nodes is to receive children of the principal node when the selectively exposable nodes are unexposed.

31. A user interface service comprising:

code for accepting a definition of a user interface element, wherein the definition comprises a designation of a simplified view;

code for creating a hierarchical representation of the user interface element based on the definition; and

code, responsive to a request for performing an operation on the hierarchical representation via the simplified view.

32. The user interface service of claim 31 wherein the simplified view comprises at least one selectively exposable node.

33. A user interface service comprising:

means for accepting a definition of a user interface element, wherein the definition comprises a designation of a simplified view;

means for creating a hierarchical representation of the user interface element based on the definition; and

means responsive to a request for performing an operation on the hierarchical representation via the simplified view.

34. A method for performing a user interface element-related operation, the method comprising:

receiving a definition of a hierarchical representation of the user interface element having a simplified view;

invoking the definition; and

performing the operation an the simplified view of the hierarchical representation of the user interface element.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the defining comprises:

selectively defining nodes within a full view of the hierarchical representation of the user interface as being unexposed in the simplified view.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the nodes in the full view are defined as being unexposed in the simplified view by appropriately setting properties of the nodes comprising the hierarchical representation.

37. A method for automatically generating sub-elements of a composite user interface element, the methods comprising:

inserting a user interface element generator into a data structure representing the user interface element;

associating the user interface element generator with a data source; and

generating user interface elements using the data source;

wherein the user interface element generator is selectively exposable in a simplified view of a hierarchical representation of the composite user interface element.