WINDOW RESHAPING BY SELECTIVE EDGE REVISIONS

• US 20140365955A1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Do, Lydia M., Kinard, Charles M.
• Application Number:
  US13/913,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365955A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Aspects revise the shape of a window displayed in a graphical user interface environment by removing one or more selected boundary edge lines of the window as displayed within a graphical user interface environment in an initial appearance shape and including display content. The definitions of one or more new replacement boundary elements are received, and the initial appearance shape of the window is revised into a revised appearance shape that is defined by the replacement boundary element(s) and one or more remainder boundary edge lines that are not removed. Display of the display content of the window is initiated within the revised appearance shape of the first window.

Claims

1. A method for revising the shape of a window displayed in a graphical user interface environment, the method comprising

receiving a selection of at least one boundary edge line of a first window that is displayed within a graphical user interface environment in an initial appearance shape and comprises display content;

removing the selected at least one boundary edge line of the first window;

receiving a definition of at least one new replacement boundary element;

revising the initial appearance shape of the first window into a revised appearance shape that is defined by the at least one new replacement boundary element and at least one remainder boundary edge line that is not removed; and

initiating a display of the display content of the first window within the revised appearance shape of the first window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing the at least one boundary edge line comprises erasing the at least one boundary edge line.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the definition of the at least one new replacement boundary element comprises receiving at least one of a corner dot and a boundary line dash, wherein the received at least one of the corner dot and the boundary line dash indicates a position of at least one new boundary element that is different from a position of the removed selected at least one boundary edge line of the first window, and wherein the revised appearance shape of the first window has a revised footprint area that is different from an initial footprint of the first window.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating computer-readable program code into a computer system comprising a processing unit, a computer readable memory and a computer readable tangible storage medium, wherein the computer readable program code is embodied on the computer readable tangible storage medium and comprises instructions that, when executed by the processing unit via the computer readable memory, cause the processing unit to perform the steps of receiving the selection of the at least one boundary edge line of the first window that is displayed within the graphical user interface environment in the initial appearance shape and comprises the display content, removing the selected at least one boundary edge line of the first window, receiving the definition of the at least one new replacement boundary element, revising the initial appearance shape of the first window into the revised appearance shape that is defined by the at least one new replacement boundary element and the at least one remainder boundary edge line that is not removed, and initiating the display of the display content of the first window within the revised appearance shape of the first window.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of revising the initial appearance shape of the first window into the revised appearance shape comprises removing a selected portion of the initial appearance of the first window to define a void within the revised appearance shape of the first window.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

initiating a display of a second window within the void so that the first window and the second window do not overlap, wherein display content of the second window and the display content of the first window both remain active and displayed within the graphical user interface environment display regardless of different Z-order values of the first window and the second window.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the display content of the initial appearance shape of first window has an initial size and is displayed at an initial content location relative to at least one boundary edge line of the first window;

and

wherein the step of initiating the display of the display content of the first window within the revised appearance shape of the first window comprises initiating a display that omits portions of the display content that were displayed in the initial appearance of the first window within the removed selected portion.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the display content of the initial appearance shape of first window has an initial size and is displayed at an initial content location relative to at least one boundary edge line of the first window;

and

wherein the step of initiating the display of the display content of the first window within the revised appearance shape of the first window comprises initiating a display that presents the display content to fit within the revised appearance shape of the first window.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the display content of the first window comprises text content, the initial size of the text content is a font size, and the initial content location is defined by a first window justification margin dimension relative to at least one boundary edge line of the first window;

and

wherein the step of initiating the display of the text content of the first window within the revised appearance shape of the first window comprises initiating a display that rearranges the text content to fit an entirety of an amount of the text content that was presented in the initial appearance shape as a function of a revised justification margin dimension that is different from the first window justification margin dimension.

10. A system, comprising:

a processing unit in communication with a computer readable memory and a tangible computer-readable storage medium;

wherein the processing unit, when executing program instructions stored on the tangible computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory;

receives a selection of at least one boundary edge line of a first window that is displayed within a graphical user interface environment in an initial appearance shape and comprises display content;

removes the selected at least one boundary edge line of the first window;

receives a definition of at least one new replacement boundary element;

revises the initial appearance shape of the first window into a revised appearance shape that is defined by the at least one new replacement boundary element and at least one remainder boundary edge line that is not removed; and

initiates a display of the display content of the first window within the revised appearance shape of the first window.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, removes the at least one boundary edge line by erasing the at least one boundary edge line.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, receives the definition of the at least one new replacement boundary element by receiving at least one of a corner dot and a boundary line dash, wherein the received at least one of the corner dot and the boundary line dash indicates a position of at least one new boundary element that is different from a position of the removed selected at least one boundary edge line of the first window, and wherein the revised appearance shape of the first window has a revised footprint area that is different from an initial footprint of the first window.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, revises the initial appearance shape of the first window into the revised appearance shape by removing a selected portion of the initial appearance of the first window to define a void within the revised appearance shape of the first window.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory:

initiates a display of a second window within the void so that the first window and the second window do not overlap; and

initiates an active display of content within the second window simultaneously with content actively displayed in the first window within the graphical user interface environment, wherein the first window and the second window both remain active and displayed within the graphical user interface environment display regardless of different Z-order values of the first window and the second window.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the display content of the initial appearance shape of first window has an initial size and is displayed at an initial content location relative to at least one boundary edge line of the first window;

and

wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, initiates a display of the display content of the first window within the revised appearance shape of the first window that presents the display content to fit within the revised appearance shape of the first window.

16. A computer program product for revising the shape of a window displayed in a graphical user interface environment, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable tangible storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer processing unit, cause the computer processing unit to;

receive a selection of at least one boundary edge line of a first window that is displayed within a graphical user interface environment in an initial appearance shape and comprises display content;

remove the selected at least one boundary edge line of the first window;

receive a definition of at least one new replacement boundary element;

revise the initial appearance shape of the first window into a revised appearance shape that is defined by the at least one new replacement boundary element and at least one remainder boundary edge line that is not removed; and

initiates a display of the display content of the first window within the revised appearance shape of the first window.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to remove the at least one boundary edge line by erasing the at least one boundary edge line.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to receive the definition of the at least one new replacement boundary element by receiving at least one of a corner dot and a boundary line dash, wherein the received at least one of the corner dot and the boundary line dash indicates a position of at least one new boundary element that is different from a position of the removed selected at least one boundary edge line of the first window, and wherein the revised appearance shape of the first window has a revised footprint area that is different from an initial footprint of the first window.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to revise the initial appearance shape of the first window into the revised appearance shape by removing a selected portion of the initial appearance of the first window to define a void within the revised appearance shape of the first window.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processing unit, further cause the computer processing unit to:

initiates a display of a second window within the void so that the first window and the second window do not overlap; and

initiates an active display of content within the second window simultaneously with content actively displayed in the first window within the graphical user interface environment, wherein the first window and the second window both remain active and displayed within the graphical user interface environment display regardless of different Z-order values of the first window and the second window.