Systems and methods for cresting and managing graphical user interface lists

• US 20050160374A1
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Falcon, Stephen Russell, Sharpe, Timothy, Bailey, Richard St. Clair, Shoop, Kirk
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/830
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for providing a standard list function to create a graphical user interface list and list manager while allowing the graphical user interface to vary by appearance. An application developer can include a list manager control in an application. Properties are set that link the list manager to display controls, a data source and a scrolling behavior source. The list manager provides the appropriate content to the display controls in response to user selections of the display controls. The display controls and a user interface that contains them may vary without altering the basic functionality of the list manager.

Claims

1. a method, comprising:

receiving information from a computer program regarding one or more display controls that are included in a display list of a graphical user interface;

managing display list elements displayable by the display controls by accessing a data source that populates the display controls with the display list elements according to scrolling events received, the scrolling events being related to the display list; and

wherein the computer program may be altered to change a visual appearance of the display controls and the graphical user interface without affecting the management of the display list elements.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving information from a computer program further comprises receiving information regarding a quantity of display controls to be included in the display list.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising linking to the display controls and to the data source.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing a link between the data source and the display controls.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the display controls further comprise selectable controls.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the display controls further comprise selectable controls; and

the scrolling events occur by user selection of a display control.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the scrolling events further comprise one or more of the following scrolling events:

scroll next item, scroll previous item, scroll next page, scroll previous page, scroll to first item, and scroll to last item.

8. A list manager control stored on one or more computer-readable media that include computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following steps:

creating a list manager in an application;

receiving settings for list manager properties that control list manager behavior;

configuring the list manager to receive information from a graphical user interface regarding display controls in a display list of the graphical user interface and determine appropriate display list elements to display in the display controls; and

wherein the steps are performed without regard for a layout of the graphical user interface.

9. The list manager as recited in claim 8, further comprising configuring the list manager to determine the appropriate display list elements by responding to scrolling events that correspond with the display list.

10. The list manager as recited in claim 8, further comprising configuring the list manager to access a data source to retrieve the display list elements.

11. The list manager as recited in claim 8, further comprising configuring the list manager to respond to a selection of a display control to trigger specific scroll behavior.

12. The list manager as recited in claim 11, wherein the specific scroll behavior that may be triggered comprises one of the following scroll behaviors:

scroll next item;

scroll previous item;

scroll next page;

scroll previous page;

scroll to top item; and

scroll to bottom item.

13. A system, comprising:

a computer processor;

memory;

a display that displays a graphical user interface that includes one or more selectable display controls that form a display list;

graphical user interface software that controls the visual appearance of the graphical user interface;

a data source that includes display list elements that are displayable in the display controls of the display list;

a scrolling source that provides scrolling events that occur with regard to the display list;

a list manager that manages the display list elements that are displayed in the display controls of the display list by determining an appropriate action to take in response to the scrolling events; and

wherein the list manager is a separate process from the graphical user interface software.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the graphical user interface software operates independently of the list manager so that altering the graphical user interface does not alter the way in which the list manager manages the display list.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the list manager is contained in an application that utilizes the graphical user interface.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a list manager control that when placed into an application, creates the list manager in the application.

17. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the display controls further comprise button controls.

18. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the display controls further comprise one of slider controls, knob controls, meter controls, label controls, palette controls, or checkbox controls.

19. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the scrolling events further comprise one or more of the following scrolling events:

scroll next item, scroll previous item, scroll next page, scroll previous page, scroll to first item, and scroll to last item.

20. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the display controls further comprise a combination of one or more types of controls.