Encyclopedia of software components
First Claim
1. A method of facilitating intelligent browsing through a collection of reusable software components using a computer having a video monitor and user input means such as a keyboard or a mouse for transmitting user selections to said computer, said method comprising:
- presenting on said monitor a picture of encyclopedia volumes with respective visible labels referring to types of software, in accordance with a metaphor in which each volume includes a page having a list of general topics under the software type of said volume and pages having lists of software components for each one of said general topics;
altering said picture to open one of said volumes in response to an initial user selection specifying said one volume to display on said monitor a picture of the page thereof having said list of general topics and altering said picture to display the page thereof having a list of software components under one of said general topics in response to a next user selection specifying said one general topic; and
presenting on said monitor a picture of a set of different informative plate means for depicting different types of information about one of said software components in response to a further user selection specifying said one component, wherein the set of different informative plate means comprises,a first plate comprising a graphic display illustrating the operation of said one software component;
a second plate comprising a set of software language statements comprising said software component;
a third plate comprising a text statement describing in detail what said software component is, what said software component does, and what said software component is used for.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Intelligent browsing through a collection of reusable software components is facilitated with a computer having a video monitor and a user input interface such as a keyboard or a mouse for transmitting user selections, by presenting a picture of encyclopedia volumes with respective visible labels referring to types of software, in accordance with a metaphor in which each volume includes a page having a list of general topics under the software type of the volume and pages having lists of software components for each one of the generic topics, altering the picture to open one of the volumes in response to an initial user selection specifying the one volume to display on the monitor a picture of the page thereof having the list of general topics and altering the picture to display the page thereof having a list of software components under one of the general topics in response to a next user selection specifying the one general topic, and then presenting a picture of a set of different informative plates depicting different types of information about one of the software components in response to a further user selection specifying the one component.
324 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of facilitating intelligent browsing through a collection of reusable software components using a computer having a video monitor and user input means such as a keyboard or a mouse for transmitting user selections to said computer, said method comprising:
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presenting on said monitor a picture of encyclopedia volumes with respective visible labels referring to types of software, in accordance with a metaphor in which each volume includes a page having a list of general topics under the software type of said volume and pages having lists of software components for each one of said general topics; altering said picture to open one of said volumes in response to an initial user selection specifying said one volume to display on said monitor a picture of the page thereof having said list of general topics and altering said picture to display the page thereof having a list of software components under one of said general topics in response to a next user selection specifying said one general topic; and presenting on said monitor a picture of a set of different informative plate means for depicting different types of information about one of said software components in response to a further user selection specifying said one component, wherein the set of different informative plate means comprises, a first plate comprising a graphic display illustrating the operation of said one software component; a second plate comprising a set of software language statements comprising said software component; a third plate comprising a text statement describing in detail what said software component is, what said software component does, and what said software component is used for. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for facilitating intelligent browsing through a collection of reusable software components using a computer having a video monitor and user input means such as a keyboard or a mouse for transmitting user selections to said computer, said apparatus comprising:
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means for presenting on said monitor a picture of encyclopedia volumes with respective visible labels referring to types of software, in accordance with a metaphor in which each volume includes a page having a list of general topics under the software type of said volume and pages having lists of software components for each one of said general topics; means for altering said picture to open one of said volumes in response to an initial user selection specifying said one volume to display on said monitor a picture of the page thereof having said list of general topics and altering said picture to display the page thereof having a list of software components under one of said general topics in response to a next user selection specifying said one general topic; and means for presenting on said monitor a picture of a set of different informative plate means for depicting different types of information about one of said software components in response to a further user selection specifying said one component, wherein the set of different informative plate means comprises, a first plate comprising a graphic display illustrating the operation of said one software component; a second plate comprising a set of software language statements comprising said software component; a third plate comprising a text statement describing in detail what said software component is, what said software component does, and what said software component is used for. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification