Snaplines for control object positioning

• US 20040261012A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Balsiger, Fred W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A visual code designer is provided that allows a user to manipulate control objects on a common design surface. Each control object has extensible snaplines that define alignment characteristics for the control. The snaplines are extensible in that a developer can define and/or specify matching and alignment criteria such as type, filter and offset information. Further, the visual code designer assists the user in positioning a control on the common design surface by automatically aligning the control during design-time without the use of gridlines.

Claims

1. In a visual code designer that allows a user to manipulate a plurality of control objects on a common design surface, wherein each control object comprises one or more extensible snaplines that define alignment characteristics for each control, a method of helping the user to position a control on the common design surface by automatically aligning the control during design-time without the use of gridlines, the method comprising acts of:

requesting one or more snaplines from an unselected control on a visual design surface;

monitoring position information for a selected control within the visual design surface;

comparing each snapline of the unselected control on the visual design surface to each snapline of the selected control, to identify a snapline of the unselected control that matches a snapline of the selected control, wherein the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline are extensible in that a developer can specify matching and alignment criteria; and

automatically snapping the selected control into alignment with the unselected control when the selected control snapline is within a predetermined distance of the unselected control snapline.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching criteria specified by the developer for the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline comprises at least one of a type or filter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the type comprises a string identifying one or more of a top, bottom, left, right, or baseline.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the filter is a unique string specified by the developer different from the type string.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the filter is a unique string specified by the developer that overrides one or more of the type strings.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment criteria specified by the developer of the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline comprises an offset value measured from an edge of the respective control.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the offset is measured in pixels.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected control is automatically snapped into alignment by one of moving or resizing the selected control.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance of the unselected control is zero, and wherein the act of automatically snapping further comprises the act of:

disallowing positioning of the selected control for a second predetermined distance after the selected control is automatically snapped into alignment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of automatically snapping further comprising the acts of:

drawing a temporary line along an alignment path between the selected control snapline and the unselected control snapline upon automatically snapping the selected control into alignment with the unselected control.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected control position information is being monitored while the selected control is being moved.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected control position information is being monitored while the selected control is being resized.

13. In a visual code designer that allows a user to manipulate a plurality of control objects on a common design surface, wherein each control object comprises one or more extensible snaplines that define alignment characteristics for each control, a method of helping the user to position a control on the common design surface by automatically aligning the control during design-time without the use of gridlines, the method comprising steps for:

receiving one or more snaplines from an unselected control on a visual design surface;

receiving position information for a selected control within the visual design surface;

identifying a snapline from the unselected control on the visual design surface that matches a snapline from the selected control, wherein the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline are extensible in that a developer can specify matching and alignment criteria; and

automatically aligning the selected control with the unselected control when the selected control snapline is within a predetermined distance of the unselected control snapline.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the matching criteria specified by the developer for the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline comprises at least one of a type or filter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the type comprises a string identifying one or more of a top, bottom, left, right, or baseline.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the filter is a unique string specified by the developer different from the type string.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the filter is a unique string specified by the developer that overrides one or more of the type strings.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the alignment criteria specified by the developer of the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline comprises an offset value measured from an edge of the respective control.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the offset is measured in pixels.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the selected control is automatically snapped into alignment by one of moving or resizing the selected control.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined distance of the unselected control is zero, and wherein the step for automatically aligning further comprises steps for:

disabling the movement or resizing of the selected control for a second predetermined distance after the selected control is automatically aligned.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the step for automatically aligning further comprising the acts of:

drawing a temporary line along an alignment path between the selected control snapline and the unselected control snapline upon automatically aligned the selected control into alignment with the unselected control.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected control position information is being monitored while the selected control is being moved.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected control position information is being monitored while the selected control is being resized.

25. In a visual code designer that allows a user to manipulate a plurality of control objects on a common design surface, wherein each control object comprises one or more extensible snaplines that define alignment characteristics for each control, a computer readable media carrying computer executable instructions that implement a method of helping the user to position a control on the common design surface by automatically aligning the control during design-time without the use of gridlines, the method comprising acts of:

requesting one or more snaplines from an unselected control on a visual design surface;

monitoring position information for a selected control within the visual design surface;

comparing each snapline of the unselected control on the visual design surface to each snapline of the selected control, to identify a snapline of the unselected control that matches a snapline of the selected control, wherein the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline are extensible in that a developer can specify matching and alignment criteria; and

automatically snapping the selected control into alignment with the unselected control when the selected control snapline is within a predetermined distance of the unselected control snapline.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the matching criteria specified by the developer for the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline comprises at least one of a type or filter.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the type comprises a string identifying one or more of a top, bottom, left, right, or baseline.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the filter is a unique string specified by the developer different from the type string.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the filter is a unique string specified by the developer that overrides one or more of the type strings.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the alignment criteria specified by the developer of the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline comprises an offset value measured from an edge of the respective control.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected control is automatically snapped into alignment by one of moving or resizing the selected control.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the predetermined distance of the unselected control is zero, and wherein the act of automatically snapping further comprises the act of:

disallowing positioning of the selected control for a second predetermined distance after the selected control is automatically snapped into alignment.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the act of automatically snapping further comprising the acts of:

drawing a temporary line along an alignment path between the selected control snapline and the unselected control snapline upon automatically snapping the selected control into alignment with the unselected control.

34. In a visual code designer that allows a user to manipulate a plurality of control objects on a common design surface, wherein each control object comprises one or more extensible snaplines that define alignment characteristics for each control, a computer readable media carrying computer executable instructions that implement a method of helping the user to position a control on the common design surface by automatically aligning the control during design-time without the use of gridlines, the method comprising steps for:

receiving one or more snaplines from an unselected control on a visual design surface;

receiving position information for a selected control within the visual design surface;

identifying a snapline from the unselected control on the visual design surface that matches a snapline from the selected control, wherein the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline are extensible in that a developer can specify matching and alignment criteria; and

automatically aligning the selected control with the unselected control when the selected control snapline is within a predetermined distance of the unselected control snapline.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the matching criteria specified by the developer for the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline comprises at least one of a type or filter.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the type comprises a string identifying one or more of a top, bottom, left, right, or baseline.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the filter is a unique string specified by the developer different from the type string.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the filter is a unique string specified by the developer that overrides one or more of the type strings.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the alignment criteria specified by the developer of the unselected control snapline and the selected control snapline comprises an offset value measured from an edge of the respective control.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein the selected control is automatically snapped into alignment by one of moving or resizing the selected control.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein the predetermined distance of the unselected control is zero, and wherein the step for automatically aligning further comprises the act of:

disallowing positioning of the selected control for a second predetermined distance after the selected control is automatically aligned.

42. The method of claim 34, wherein the step for automatically aligning further comprising the steps for:

drawing a temporary line along an alignment path between the selected control snapline and the unselected control snapline upon automatically aligning the selected control into alignment with the unselected control.