Property independent in-place editing

• US 20060075352A1
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Burke, Shawn P., Chrisope, Jeffrey T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,802,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

“In-situ editing” of a control property within a design surface is provided. “In-situ editing” refers to a feature that can allow a user (e.g., developer) to easily perform multi-pass configuration operations on their user interface (UI) components. This can be achieved by introducing the concept of a new editing mode or view to the integrated development environment (IDE)—(e.g., a Property Editing View (PEV)). The PEV mode can be active. In other words, the user will be presented with a mechanism of viewing and editing all properties without having to move off of the design surface. For example, editing can be performed in-place eliminating the conventional need to enter a property grid.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates in-situ editing of a property in a visual designer, the system comprising:

a property selection component that facilitates identifying the property;

a control selection component that determines a control having the property; and

a property edit component that facilitates the in-situ editing of the property corresponding to the control.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an overlay component that displays a current value of the property with respect to the control.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a list component that represents a union of a plurality of property names on a design surface;

the property selection component facilitates identifying the property from the list.

4. The system of claim 3, the list component is a drop down list.

5. The system of claim 1, the property edit component includes a navigation component that facilitates choosing the control.

6. The system of claim 1, the property is a default property.

7. The system of claim 1, the property is name.

8. The system of claim 1, the property is text.

9. A computer readable medium having stored thereon the components of the system of claim 1.

10. A computer that employs the system of claim 1.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) module that predicts a user action.

12. The system of claim 11, the AI component includes an inference component that infers the user action as a function of historical user criteria.

13. The system of claim 12, the inference component employs utility-based analyses in performing the inference.

14. The system of claim 11, the AI component employs a statistical-based analysis to infer an action that the user desires to be automatically performed.

15. The system of claim 1, at least two of the property selection component, the control selection component, and the in-situ edit component are incorporated into a common component.

16. A method of in-situ editing of a property on a design surface of a visual designer, the method comprising:

identifying the property;

determining a control having the property; and

in-situ editing the property corresponding to the control.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying a current value of the property for each control having the property.

18. The method of claim 17, that act of displaying the current value includes displaying an overlay corresponding to each control.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising compiling a list that represents a union of a plurality of property names on the design surface.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising selecting the property from the list.

21. The method of claim 16, the act of determining the control includes navigating to the control.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising inferring a user action.

23. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 16.

24. A system that facilitates in-place editing of a property on a design surface, the system comprising:

means for selecting the property from a list that represents a union of all properties on the design surface;

means for identifying at least one control having the property; and

means for editing the property in-place in a form on the design surface.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for displaying a current value of the property in-situ.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for compiling the list.

27. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for navigating to the control.

28. A system that facilitates in-place editing of a property within a form on a design surface, the system comprising:

a component that facilitates selecting the property from a list that represents a union of all properties on the design surface;

a component that identifies a plurality of controls having the selected property;

an overlay component that displays a current value for each identified control; and

a component that facilitates the in-place editing of the selected property.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a component that facilitates navigating to identify one of the plurality of controls

30. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the system of claim 28.

31. A system that facilitates in-situ editing of a property in a visual designer, the system comprising:

a control selection component that facilitates determination of a control having a property; and

a property edit component that facilitates the in-situ editing of the property corresponding to the control.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a component that displays a value of the property with respect to the control.

33. The system of claim 31, further comprising a property selection component that facilitates selecting the property from a list;

the list represents a union of a plurality of property names on a design surface.

34. The system of claim 31, the property edit component includes an automatic navigation component that facilitates automatically navigating to a next control.

35. A computer readable medium having stored thereon the components of the system of claim 31.

36. A computer that employs the system of claim 31.

37. The system of claim 31, further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) module that predicts a user action.