METHOD OF DISPLAYING TAB TITLES

• US 20090164934A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Naineni, Malahal R., Bhattiprolu, Sukadev, Seetharaman, Chandra S., Myneni, Haren, Sharoff, Narasimha N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/777
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A method of displaying tab titles in a computer user interface receives a request to display a new tab in a tab area having a length. The new tab has a width and the new tab has a title having a length. The method determines a number of tabs to be displayed in the area and determines if the number of tabs to be displayed multiplied by the tab width is greater than the length of the tab area. If so, the method sets the tab width equal to the length of the tab area divided by the number of tabs. The method determines if the length of the title is greater than the tab width. If so, the method determines if the title has any words in common with any other titles of tabs. If so, the method deletes the common words from the titles, and displays the titles with the deleted common words in the tabs. The method may set a maximum number of tabs to be displayed in the tab area. The maximum number of tabs may be determined by the length of the tab area and a minimum tab width. If the number of tabs is greater than the maximum number of tabs is to be displayed, the method collapses some of the tabs in to a tab of tabs.

Claims

1. A method of displaying tab titles, which comprises:

receiving a request to display a new tab, said tab having a width and said tab having a title having a length, in a tab area having a length;

determining a number of tabs to be displayed in said tab area;

determining if said number of tabs to be displayed multiplied by said tab width is greater than the length of said tab area;

if said number of tabs to be displayed multiplied by said tab width is greater than the length of said tab area, setting said tab width equal to said length of said tab area divided by said number of tabs;

determining if said length of said title is greater than said tab width;

if said length of said title is greater than said tab width, determining if said title has any words in common with any other titles of tabs;

if said title has any words in common with any other titles of tabs, deleting said common words from said titles; and

,

displaying said titles with said deleted common words in said tabs.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

if said length of said title is less than said tab width, displaying said title in said tab.

3. The computer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a maximum number of tabs to be displayed in said tab area;

if a number of tabs greater than said maximum number of tabs is to be displayed, collapsing some of said tabs in to a tab of tabs.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

displaying said tab of tabs and a number of tabs equal to said maximum number of tabs minus one.

5. A method of displaying tabs, which comprises:

receiving a request to display a new tab;

determining if a number of tabs to be displayed is greater than a maximum number of tabs to be displayed; and

,

if said a number of tabs to be displayed is greater than said maximum number of tabs to be displayed, collapsing some of said tabs into a tab of tabs.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

displaying said new tab.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

displaying said tab of tabs, said new tab, and a number of other tabs equal to said maximum number of tabs minus two.