METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING GROUPED TOOLBAR ICONS

• US 20090094554A1
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: KARSTENS, CHRISTOPHER K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

A method of identifying grouped toolbar icons. An application program displays a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes multiple toolbar icons. The application iteratively determines whether or not a graphical cursor is in proximity to a first toolbar icon. If the cursor is in proximity to the first icon, the application identifies one or more additional related icons, which are currently displayed and are included in a same pre-defined toolbar icon group as the first icon, and displays a graphical border that surrounds the first icon and the related icons. If the related icons are not adjacent to each other, multiple separate borders are displayed. The application displays a first identification tab in close proximity to the border. The first tab includes a toolbar group name and an icon name of the first icon. The application may also display a second tab that includes descriptive properties of the first icon.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes a plurality of toolbar icons;

iteratively determining whether or not a graphical cursor is in proximity to a first toolbar icon among the plurality of toolbar icons included in said GUI;

in response to a determination that the graphical cursor is in proximity to said first toolbar icon;

identifying one or more additional related icons that are included in a same pre-defined toolbar icon group as said first toolbar icon, wherein said one or more additional related icons are currently displayed in said GUI;

displaying a graphical border that surrounds said first toolbar icon and said one or more additional related icons, wherein when said one or more additional related icons are not displayed adjacent to one another in said GUI a plurality of separate graphical borders are displayed; and

displaying a first identification tab in close proximity to said graphical border, wherein said first identification tab comprises a toolbar group name corresponding to said pre-defined toolbar icon group and an icon name corresponding to said first toolbar icon.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying said graphical border around a plurality of related icons in response to a determination that the graphical cursor is in proximity to a toolbar pull-down menu item that corresponds to said plurality of related icons.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a second identification tab in close proximity to said graphical border in response to a determination that the graphical cursor is in proximity to said first toolbar icon, wherein said second identification tab includes descriptive properties corresponding to said first toolbar icon, and wherein said second identification tab includes a shortcut to a graphical menu of said first toolbar icon.

4. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a system memory coupled to said processor; and

an application program within said system memory that provides the functions of;

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes a plurality of toolbar icons;

iteratively determining whether or not a graphical cursor is in proximity to a first toolbar icon among the plurality of toolbar icons included in said GUI;

in response to a determination that the graphical cursor is in proximity to said first toolbar icon;

identifying one or more additional related icons that are included in a same pre-defined toolbar icon group as said first toolbar icon, wherein said one or more additional related icons are currently displayed in said GUI;

displaying a graphical border that surrounds said first toolbar icon and said one or more additional related icons, wherein when said one or more additional related icons are not displayed adjacent to one another in said GUI a plurality of separate graphical borders are displayed; and

displaying a first identification tab in close proximity to said graphical border, wherein said first identification tab comprises a toolbar group name corresponding to said pre-defined toolbar icon group and an icon name corresponding to said first toolbar icon.

5. The computer system of claim 4, further comprising means for displaying said graphical border around a plurality of related icons in response to a determination that the graphical cursor is in proximity to a toolbar pull-down menu item that corresponds to said plurality of related icons.

6. The computer system of claim 4, further comprising further comprising means for displaying a second identification tab in close proximity to said graphical border in response to a determination that the graphical cursor is in proximity to said first toolbar icon, wherein said second identification tab includes descriptive properties corresponding to said first toolbar icon, and wherein said second identification tab includes a shortcut to a graphical menu of said first toolbar icon.

7. A computer program product comprising:

a computer storage medium; and

program code on said computer storage medium that that when executed provides the functions of;

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes a plurality of toolbar icons;

iteratively determining whether or not a graphical cursor is in proximity to a first toolbar icon among the plurality of toolbar icons included in said GUI;

in response to a determination that the graphical cursor is in proximity to said first toolbar icon;

identifying one or more additional related icons that are included in a same pre-defined toolbar icon group as said first toolbar icon, wherein said one or more additional related icons are currently displayed in said GUI;

displaying a graphical border that surrounds said first toolbar icon and said one or more additional related icons, wherein when said one or more additional related icons are not displayed adjacent to one another in said GUI a plurality of separate graphical borders are displayed; and

displaying a first identification tab in close proximity to said graphical border, wherein said first identification tab comprises a toolbar group name corresponding to said pre-defined toolbar icon group and an icon name corresponding to said first toolbar icon.