Method and system for enabling undo across object model modifications

• US 20060085486A1
• Filed: 10/19/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thanu, Lakshmi Narayanan, Baliga, Vijay Govind, Eberhardy, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A method and system provides reversibility of an operation performed by a user of an application program and associated with a modification to an object model of the application program, such as a spreadsheet program or other office productivity application program. The top item of a first undo stack associated with the application program is determined, saved, and copied to a second stack functioning as a replicated undo stack. According to one aspect of the invention, such steps are performed prior to calling an object model method that clears the first undo stack. The top item of the second replicated undo stack is placed back onto the first undo stack.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing reversibility of an operation performed by a user of an application program and associated with a modification to an object model of the application program, the method comprising:

determining the top item of a first undo stack of the application program;

saving the top item;

copying the top item to a second replicated undo stack; and

placing the top item of the second replicated undo stack back onto the first undo stack.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, saving, and copying the top item are performed prior to calling a method of the object model that causes the first undo stack to be cleared.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the top item back onto the first undo stack is performed after calling a method of the object model that causes the first undo stack to be cleared.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the top item further comprises:

parsing text associated with an undo menu item that is displayed to the user; and

mapping the text to a recognized reversible operation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing one of an undo operation and a redo operation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a redo stack.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application program is an office productivity application program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the application program is a spreadsheet program.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the application program is an application associated with a version of Microsoft Office.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the application program is a version of Microsoft Excel.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for providing reversibility of an operation performed by a user of an application program and associated with a modification to an object model of the application program, the instructions comprising:

determining the top item of a first undo stack of the application program;

saving the top item;

copying the top item to a second replicated undo stack; and

placing the top item of the second replicated undo stack back onto the first undo stack.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining, saving, and copying the top item are performed prior to calling a method of the object model that causes the first undo stack to be cleared.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein placing the top item back onto the first undo stack is performed after calling a method of the object model that causes the first undo stack to be cleared.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining the top item further comprises:

parsing text associated with an undo menu item that is displayed to the user; and

mapping the text to a recognized reversible operation.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising performing one of an undo operation and a redo operation.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising maintaining a redo stack.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the application program is an office productivity application program.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the application program is a spreadsheet program.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the application program is an application associated with a version of Microsoft Office.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the application program is a version of Microsoft Excel.

21. A system for providing reversibility of an operation performed by a user of an application program and associated with a modification to an object model of the application program, comprising a computer configured to perform instructions including:

determining the top item of a first undo stack of the application program;

saving the top item;

copying the top item to a second replicated undo stack; and

placing the top item of the second replicated undo stack back onto the first undo stack.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein an add-in program that supplements the application program is running on the computer.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the application program is an office productivity application program.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the application program is a spreadsheet program.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the application program is an application associated with a version of Microsoft Office.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the application program is a version of Microsoft Excel.