Folder bar widget

• US 5,745,718 A
• Filed: 07/31/1995
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Werner, Jon Harald, Cline, Troy Lee, Moore, John Anthony, Poston, Ricky Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/509,676
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 395/348, 395/349, 395/350, 395/352, 395/353, 395/354, 395/356, 395/357, 395/333, 395/334, 395/339, 395/340, 395/616, 395/621, 395/358
• US Class Current: 715/777
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for simultaneously displaying and manipulating the contents of a container using a folder bar widget by displaying a plurality of tabs within the folder bar widget, each tab representing a sub-container of the container thereafter displaying a menu identifying the fist contents (e.g., computer objects) of a first sub-container in response to a pointing device activating a first tab representing the first sub-container. Finally, concurrently displaying a second menu identifying second contents (e.g., computer objects) of a second sub-container in response to the pointing device activating a second tab representing the second sub-container. Therefore, the first contents and the second contents are concurrently displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for simultaneously viewing and manipulating a plurality of sub-containers of a container displayed in a folder bar widget on a display screen, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of adjacent tabs within the folder bar widget, each tab representing a sub-container of the container;

displaying a first menu listing first contents of a first sub-container in response to a pointing device activating a first tab representing the first sub-container at a point adjacent to said first tab; and

concurrently displaying a second menu listing second contents of a second sub-container in response to the pointing device activating a second tab representing the second sub-container at a point adjacent to said second tab, wherein the first contents and second contents are concurrently displayed in a non-overlapping manner.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of displaying comprises the step of displaying names of the first contents of the first sub-container for selection by a user.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the step of concurrently displaying comprises the step of displaying names of the second contents of the second sub-container for selection by a user.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the first and second contents are computer objects, wherein each name represents one computer object.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of removing a first portion of the computer objects from the first sub-container in response to the pointing device dragging and dropping the names of the first portion outside the first menu.

6. The method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of opening at least one displayed computer object in response to a pointing device activating the computer object.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of adding the contents of a second container to the container in response to the pointing device dragging and dropping an icon representing the second container between the first tab and the second tab in the folder bar widget.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of adding the contents of a second container to the first sub-container in response to the pointing device dragging and dropping an icon representing the second container over the first tab.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of replacing the container displayed in the folder bar widget with a second container in response to a pointing device dragging and dropping a second icon representing the second container over a first icon representing the container, wherein the first icon is displayed in the folder bar widget.

10. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable detailed logic embodied therein for simultaneously viewing and manipulating a plurality of sub-containers of a container displayed in a folder bar widget on a display screen, comprising;

computer readable detailed logic for causing a computer to display a plurality of adjacent tabs within the folder bar widget, each tab representing a sub-container of the container;

computer readable detailed logic for causing the computer to display a first menu listing first contents of a first sub-container in response to a pointing device activating a first tab representing the first sub-container at a point adjacent to said first tab; and

computer readable detailed logic for causing the computer to concurrently display a second menu listing second contents of a second sub-container in response to the pointing device activating a second tab representing the second sub-container at a point adjacent to said second tab, wherein the first contents and second contents are concurrently displayed in a non-overlapping manner.

11. The article according to claim 10 further comprising computer readable detailed logic for causing the computer to add the contents of a second container to the container in response to a pointing device dragging and dropping an icon representing the second container between the first tab and the second tab in the folder bar widget.

12. The article according to claim 10 further comprising computer readable detailed logic for causing the computer to remove the first sub-container from the container in response to the pointing device dragging and dropping the first tab outside the folder bar widget.

13. The article according to claim 10 further comprising computer readable detailed logic for causing the computer to add the contents of a second container to the first sub-container in response to the pointing device dragging and dropping an icon representing the second folder container over the first tab.

14. The article according to claim 10 further comprising computer readable detailed logic for causing the computer to replace the container displayed in the folder bar widget with a second container in response to the pointing device dragging and dropping a second icon representing the second container over a first icon representing the container, wherein the first icon is displayed in the folder bar widget.

15. A unique computer system for simultaneously viewing and manipulating a plurality of sub-containers of a container displayed in a folder bar widget on a display screen, comprising:

a processor for causing the system to display a plurality of adjacent tabs within the folder bar widget, each tab representing a sub-container of the container;

the processor for causing the system to display a first menu listing first contents of a first sub-container in response to a pointing device activating a first tab representing the first sub-container at a point adjacent to said first tab; and

the processor for causing the system to concurrently display a second menu listing second contents of a second sub-container in response to the pointing device activating a second tab representing the second sub-container at a point adjacent to said second tab, wherein the first contents and second contents are concurrently displayed in a non-overlapping manner.

16. The system according to claim 15 further comprising the processor for causing the system to add the contents of a second container to the container in response to the pointing device dragging and dropping an icon representing the second folder container between the first tab and the second tab in the folder bar widget.

17. The system according to claim 15 further comprising the processor for causing the system to remove the first contents of the first sub-container from the container in response to the pointing device dragging and dropping the first tab outside the folder bar widget.

18. The system according to claim 15 further comprising the processor for causing the system to add the contents of a second container to the first sub-container in response to the pointing device dragging and dropping an icon representing the second folder container over the first tab.

19. The system according to claim 15 further comprising the processor for causing the system to replace the container displayed in the folder bar widget with a second container in response to the pointing device dragging and dropping a second icon representing the second container over a first icon representing the container, wherein the first icon is displayed in the folder bar widget.