Method and system for facilitating visual connections between objects using handles

• US 5,570,281 A
• Filed: 01/31/1995
• Issued: 10/29/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Berry, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Application Number:
  US08/380,983
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 364/188, 364/189, 364/146, 364/192, 395/155, 395/156, 395/157, 395/159
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Objects are provided with handles representing the most frequently used events and actions for that particular object. Each handle has a label indicating the name of the event or action it represents. The functions of the objects can be connected together using these handles. In addition, tile events and actions that are shown as handles can be changed by selecting them from a list. The display of the handles and/or labels can be turned off if desired.

Claims

1. A method, of facilitating connections between objects in an object oriented development environment adapted for execution on a data processing system, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of objects, each of said objects having an associated handle, on a display device of said data processing system;

selecting a first handle associated with a first of said objects;

dragging said selected handle to a second handle associated with a second of said objects, forming a connection between said first object and said second object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying said connection on said display device as a line from said first handle to said second handle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said associated handles is one of a plurality of handle types.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said handle types comprise:

event handles; and

action handles.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each of said handle types has a predetermined characteristic associated with said display of said type of handle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying a label associated with a handle associated with an object on said display device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

selecting a handle associated with an object of said objects; and

moving said handle to a new position respective to said object.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

editing an attribute associated with an object of said objects; and

updating said display responsive to said editing of said attribute.

9. A data processing system for connecting objects having handles, comprising:

display means for displaying objects, each of said objects having an associated handle;

selecting means for selecting a first handle associated with a first of said objects;

memory means for storing a coordinate location of said selected first handle;

dragging means for dragging said selected first handle to a second handle associated with a second object; and

processor means for forming a connection between said first object and said second object.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein said processor means further comprises means for displaying said connection on said display device as a line from said first handle to said second handle.

11. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein each of said associated handles is one of a plurality of handle types.

12. The data processing of claim 11, wherein said handle types comprise:

event handles; and

action handles.

13. The data processing system of claim 11, further comprising:

a predetermined characteristic associated with the display of each said type of handle.

14. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein said memory means further comprises:

means for storing labels associated with said handles, said labels to be displayed on said display means.

15. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein said selecting means further comprises:

means for selecting a handle associated with an object of said objects;

means for moving said handle to a new position.

16. The data processing system of claim 9, further comprising:

editing means for editing an attribute associated with an object of said objects;

updating means for updating said display means responsive to said editing of said attribute.

17. An object oriented development environment having objects and handles associated with each of said objects, comprising:

a first handle associated with a first object of said objects;

a second handle associated with a second object of said objects; and

a pointing device for selecting said first handle and dragging said first handle to said second handle, forming a connection between said first handle and said second handle.

18. The object oriented development environment of claim 17, further comprising:

a label associated with a handle of an object of said objects.