Commanding

• US 20070050469A1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Namita, Hillberg, Michael, Bogdan, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,568,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to generating and propagating commands. In aspects, elements of a graphical user interface may include an input binding which associates a gesture with a command. When a gesture is received, the command is generated depending on which element has focus. In addition, elements of the graphic user interface may also define methods to call when commands are received. When an event or a command is received, a hierarchical data structure of elements representable on the graphical user interface may be traversed to respond to the event or command.

Claims

1. At least one computer-readable medium containing instructions which when executed by a computer, perform actions, comprising:

at an interface, receiving an instruction to execute a command; and

in response thereto, attempting to find an object associated with the command by traversing a hierarchical data structure.

2. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein attempting to find an object associated with the command by traversing a hierarchical data structure comprises selecting an element with focus and determining whether a command binding object associates the element with the command.

3. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein attempting to find an object associated with the command by traversing a hierarchical data structure further comprises selecting an ancestor of the element with focus and determining whether a command binding object associates the ancestor with the command.

4. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein attempting to find an object associated with the command by traversing a hierarchical data structure further comprises determining whether a command binding object associates a class that includes the element with the command.

5. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein attempting to find an object associated with the command by traversing a hierarchical data structure further comprises determining whether a global command binding object is associated with the command.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises a visual tree including relationships between a plurality of elements, and wherein each of the elements is representable in a graphical user interface.

7. At least one computer-readable medium containing instructions which when executed by a computer, perform actions, comprising:

at an interface, receiving an input event; and

in response thereto, determining whether an element represented in a graphical user interface has an instance binding defined for the input event.

8. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising in response to the input event, determining whether the element has a class input binding defined for the input event, wherein the class input binding defines methods to call for elements having a type of the class input binding.

9. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising in response to the input event determining whether a parent of the element has an instance input binding defined for the input event.

10. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein if no ancestor of the element has an instance or class input binding defined for the input event, determining whether a global input binding defined for the input event.

11. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the input event is generated in response to an input source, wherein the input source is comprised of at least a keyboard, a mouse, a stylus, or a microphone for capturing voice commands.

12. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein if the element has an input binding associated with the input event, executing a command associated with the input binding.

13. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein executing a command associated with the input binding comprises searching a visual tree of elements having a visual representation for an element having a command binding associating the command with a handler.

14. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the input binding associates an input gesture with a command, wherein the input gesture is associated with a set of one or more events, wherein the input gesture is notified if any of the one or more events occur.

15. In a computing environment, a method, comprising:

receiving an input event;

selecting an visual element to which to direct the input event;

determining whether the visual element includes a binding that associates an input gesture including the input event with a command.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising if the visual elements does not include a binding that associates the input gesture with the command, determining whether the element is associated with a class binding that associates the input gesture with a command.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining whether a binding of a parent of the visual elements associates the input gesture with a command.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising executing the command via a routed command object, wherein the routed command object is used to search a hierarchical data structure to find an element having a method associated with the command.