Method for extending a common user interface
First Claim
1. A method for extending a common dialog box in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system, the method comprising:
- in response to a request from an application to create a common dialog box, creating a common dialog box using a common dialog box template provided in a common dialog box library,reading a sub-dialog box template provided by the application;
adding application-specific features defined in the sub-dialog box template to the common dialog box by creating a sub-dialog box;
displaying a combined common dialog box and the sub-dialog box on a display screen of the programmed computer system;
in response to user input to the sub-dialog box,sending a first notification message to a sub-dialog box procedure in the application to process the user input to the sub-dialog box; and
in response to user input to the common dialog box, sending a second notification message to a common dialog box procedure in the common dialog box library to process the user input to the common dialog box.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for extending a common user interface in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system. To customize a common dialog box, an application provides a sub-dialog box template defining application-specific extensions to the common dialog box, and a sub-dialog procedure for controlling the behavior of the application-specific extensions. An operating system processes input to the extended version of the common dialog box depending on where user input occurs. In response to input at application-specific controls, the system sends a message to the sub-dialog procedure. In response to input at standard controls, the system sends a message to a common dialog procedure provided in the operating system.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for extending a common dialog box in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system, the method comprising:
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in response to a request from an application to create a common dialog box, creating a common dialog box using a common dialog box template provided in a common dialog box library, reading a sub-dialog box template provided by the application; adding application-specific features defined in the sub-dialog box template to the common dialog box by creating a sub-dialog box; displaying a combined common dialog box and the sub-dialog box on a display screen of the programmed computer system; in response to user input to the sub-dialog box, sending a first notification message to a sub-dialog box procedure in the application to process the user input to the sub-dialog box; and in response to user input to the common dialog box, sending a second notification message to a common dialog box procedure in the common dialog box library to process the user input to the common dialog box. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for extending a common dialog box in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system, the method comprising:
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receiving a function call from an application to create a common dialog box in a shared common dialog box library, the function call specifying a sub-dialog box template and a sub-dialog box procedure; creating a common dialog box in response to the function call; creating a sub-dialog box to the common dialog box in response to the function call using the sub-dialog box template to add application-specific controls to the common dialog box; displaying the common dialog box and the sub-dialog box on a display screen of the computer system; in response to user input at an application-specific control in the sub-dialog box, reporting the user input directly to the sub-dialog box procedure; and in response to user input at a standard control in the common dialog box, reporting the user input directly to the common dialog box procedure in the shared common dialog box library. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for extending a common user interface window in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system, the method comprising:
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receiving a command from an application to create a common window on a display screen, the command specifying an application-specific template that defines the appearance of an application-specific extension to the common window and specifying a child window procedure that processes input directed to the application-specific extension; in response to the command, creating a common window including a parent common window and a child window of the parent common window, the child window including the application-specific extension to the common window; displaying the common window including the application-specific extension on a display screen; and processing user input to the application-specific extension by sending a message corresponding to the user input directly to the child window procedure. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification