Interface and application development management system based on a gene metaphor
First Claim
1. In a computing device, including a display device capable of displaying a plurality of objects at one time, an input device, a data storage device for storing data, a processor responsive to said input device for accepting data and also responsive to stored programs, the improvement comprising:
- first program means for controlling the visual appearance of an object on the display device, the object having associated therewith a first set of attributes, said first set of attributes defining the appearance of said object;
means for selecting said object and thereby executing a program unique to said object;
second program means for selectively storing in a first location of said data storage device the first set of attributes associated with said object;
first input means responsive to commands from said input device for changing at least one attribute of the first set of attributes to form a second set of attributes whereby the visual appearance of said object is changed;
third program means for selectively storing in a second location in said data storage device the second set of attributes associated with said object; and
,second input means for translating said object to the visual appearance obtained with said first set of attributes, said second input means responsive to said input device and said first set of attributes stored in said first location of said data storage device whereby by a simple input command restore a previous set of attributes.
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Abstract
A system for compiling and managing screen images on a stack or data base with attached fields, and application program objects. The system lets users compile programs from screen images and their attached objects, which if executed after the screen image and object parameters have been changed, will translate the same screen image with the same objects attached in the same places. This allows maintaining multiple formats each with different application for the same stack. The system can be used to (a) edit screen formats in the program'"'"'s script language, (b) manage alternative user interfaces for a data base or stack, (c) provide multiple formats and application interfaces for the same data base, (d) have multiple user interfaces for the same data base depending on users sophistication, (e) solve the system update installation problem, and (f) allow copying user interface including functional capability from one stack and installing it in another.
206 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a computing device, including a display device capable of displaying a plurality of objects at one time, an input device, a data storage device for storing data, a processor responsive to said input device for accepting data and also responsive to stored programs, the improvement comprising:
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first program means for controlling the visual appearance of an object on the display device, the object having associated therewith a first set of attributes, said first set of attributes defining the appearance of said object; means for selecting said object and thereby executing a program unique to said object; second program means for selectively storing in a first location of said data storage device the first set of attributes associated with said object; first input means responsive to commands from said input device for changing at least one attribute of the first set of attributes to form a second set of attributes whereby the visual appearance of said object is changed; third program means for selectively storing in a second location in said data storage device the second set of attributes associated with said object; and
,second input means for translating said object to the visual appearance obtained with said first set of attributes, said second input means responsive to said input device and said first set of attributes stored in said first location of said data storage device whereby by a simple input command restore a previous set of attributes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. In a computing device, including a display device capable of displaying a plurality of objects at one time, an input device, a data storage device for storing data, a processor responsive to said input device for accepting data and also responsive to stored programs, the improvement comprising:
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means for selecting said object and thereby executing a program unique to said object; first program means for simultaneously controlling the visual appearance of several objects in a first arrangement on the display device each of the objects having associated therewith a unique first set of attributes, said unique first set of attributes defining the appearance of said object; second program means for selectively storing in a first location of said data storage device the unique first set of attributes associated with each of said objects; first input means responsive to commands for said input device for changing at least one attribute of the unique first set of attributes of at least one object to form a second set of attributes whereby the visual appearance of said at least one object is changed to a second arrangement; third program means for selectively storing in a different location of said data storage device the second set of attributes associated with said at least one object and for storing the unchanged unique first set of attributes in conjunction with the second set of attributes and, second input means for translating the said at least one object to the visual appearance obtained with said unique first set of attributes said means responsive to said input device and said first set of attributes stored in said first location of said data storage device. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computing system for simultaneously controlling the display of a plurality of objects on a display device, the system comprising:
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a display device; an input device; a data storage device; a processor responsive to said input device for accepting data and further responsive to store program; means for selecting said object and thereby executing a program unique to said object; first program means for simultaneously controlling the visual appearance of several objects on a first arrangement on the display device each of the objects having associated therewith a unique first set of attributes, said unique first set of attributes defining the appearance of each of said objects; second program means for selectively storing in a first location of said data storage device the unique first set of attributes associated with each of said objects; first input means responsive to commands from said input device for changing at least one attribute of the unique first set of attributes of at least one object to form a second set of attributes whereby the visual appearance of said at least one object is changed to a second arrangement; third program means for selectively storing in a second location of said storage device the second set of attributes associated with said at least one object and for storing the unchanged unique first set of attributes in conjunction with the second set of attributes; and
,second input means responsive to said input device for translating the said at least one object to the visual appearance obtained with said unique first set of attributes. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification