Method and apparatus for providing collection browsers
First Claim
1. In a computer system having a display coupled to a central processing unit (CPU) executing a window system and at least one independent application, a method for said at least one independent application to provide collection browsers having browser items for selective browsing by users comprising the steps of:
- (a) accepting frame attributes, browser attributes, browser item layout attributes and browser items from said at least one independent application;
(b) generating a frame and displaying said frame on said display by said window system according to said frame attributes provided by said at least one independent application, said frame attributes describing said frame and specifying where said frame is to be displayed on said display;
(c) generating a browser pane within said frame and displaying said browser pane on said display by said window system according to the browser attributes provided by said at least one independent application, said browser attributes describing said browser pane and specifying where said browser pane is to be tiled over said frame;
(d) generating a plurality of identical browser item layouts by said window system according to the browser item layout attributes provided by said at least one independent application, said browser item layout attributes describing said identical browser item layouts and specifying where said identical browser item layouts are to be tiled over said browser pane; and
(e) generating the browser items within said identical browser item layouts, one browser item per identical browser item layout, and displaying said browser items on said display by said window system, said browser items being provided by said at least one independent application;
wherein the independent application is relieved of the burden of display maintenance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a window and notification based computer system, a browser class, a browser item layout class, a browser item data cell layout class and a browser item class are provided to the window object class hierarchy for applications to provide collection browsers on a display. An application provides a collection browser by creating a browser item layout object, zero or more browser item data cell layout objects, a browser object, and zero or more browser item objects as class instances of the four enumerated classes, and providing procedures for servicing events generated by a user interacting with the objects presented in the collection browser using a cursor control device and/or a keyboard. As a result applications may provide collection browsers in a more efficient and consistent manner.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a computer system having a display coupled to a central processing unit (CPU) executing a window system and at least one independent application, a method for said at least one independent application to provide collection browsers having browser items for selective browsing by users comprising the steps of:
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(a) accepting frame attributes, browser attributes, browser item layout attributes and browser items from said at least one independent application; (b) generating a frame and displaying said frame on said display by said window system according to said frame attributes provided by said at least one independent application, said frame attributes describing said frame and specifying where said frame is to be displayed on said display; (c) generating a browser pane within said frame and displaying said browser pane on said display by said window system according to the browser attributes provided by said at least one independent application, said browser attributes describing said browser pane and specifying where said browser pane is to be tiled over said frame; (d) generating a plurality of identical browser item layouts by said window system according to the browser item layout attributes provided by said at least one independent application, said browser item layout attributes describing said identical browser item layouts and specifying where said identical browser item layouts are to be tiled over said browser pane; and (e) generating the browser items within said identical browser item layouts, one browser item per identical browser item layout, and displaying said browser items on said display by said window system, said browser items being provided by said at least one independent application; wherein the independent application is relieved of the burden of display maintenance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 21)
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13. A computer controlled display system comprising a display coupled to a central processing unit (CPU) executing at least one application, said display system comprising:
(a) display generation means coupled to said CPU comprising a window system for, (i) generating a frame and displaying said frame on said display by said window system according to a set of frame attributes provided by an application, said frame attributes describing said frame and specifying where said frame is to be displayed on said display, (ii) generating a browser pane within said frame and displaying said browser pane on said display according to a set of browser attributes provided by said application, said browser attributes describing said browser pane and specifying where said browser pane is to be tiled over said frame, (iii) generating a plurality of identical browser item layouts within said browser pane according to a set of browser item layout attributes provided by said application, said browser item layout attributes describing said identical browser item layouts and specifying where said identical browser item layouts are to be tiled over said browser pane, and (iv) generating a plurality of browser items within said identical browser item layouts, one browser item per identical browser item layout, and displaying said browser items on said display, said browser items being provided by said application, wherein the display generation means is independent of said application. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22)
Specification