Data transfer with expanded clipboard formats

• US 5,765,156 A
• Filed: 02/19/1997
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Satoshi, Guzak, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/800,973
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 395/611, 395/612, 395/615, 707/100, 707/101, 707/104
• US Class Current: 707/756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A computer system provides expanded clipboard formats that embellish the number of formats that may be used with a clipboard. These expanded clipboard formats enable users in applications to broaden their use of the clipboard and other data transfer mechanisms. The clipboard formats may be utilized by a conventional clipboard, by drag-and-drop mechanisms and by OLE data transfer mechanisms. Certain of the expanded clipboard formats are adapted for use in the data transfer of non-file system objects.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a clipboard for performing data that support multiple transfers of data clipboard formats, a method comprising the steps of:

establishing a file contents clipboard format that is specially designated for holding data that is to be encapsulated into a file;

providing data that is not a file for data transfer;

putting the data on the clipboard, including converting the data into a file contents clipboard format; and

pasting the data to a destination, wherein said pasting causes the computer system to create a file that holds the data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is an embedding in a compound document.

3. A computer system for support of multiple clipboard formats comprising:

(a) means for establishing a file contents clipboard format that is specially designated for holding data that is to be encapsulated into a file;

(b) a data source for providing data that is not a file;

(c) a data sink for accepting transferred data; and

(d) a clipboard data transfer mechanism for transferring the data from the data source to the clipboard, for converting the data into the file contents clipboard format and for pasting the data to the data sink to create a file holding the data, wherein said pasting causes the computer system to create the file.

4. In a computer system having a clipboard for performing data transfers, a method comprising the steps of:

establishing a file group descriptor clipboard format for holding a file group descriptor;

providing a file group descriptor for a group of data for data transfer, said file group descriptor holding file descriptors that contain descriptive information for files to be created to hold data from the group of data where the data are not files and said file group descriptor being in the file group descriptor clipboard format; and

performing a data transfer of the group of data to create a group of files that hold the data from the group of data.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a file contents clipboard format for holding contents of a file; and

providing the data in the group in the file contents clipboard format.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of performing the data transfer comprises the step of using the clipboard to effect the data transfer.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of performing the data transfer comprises the step of performing a drag-and-drop operation to effect the data transfer.

8. In a computer system having a clipboard for performing data transfers of data in clipboard formats, a method comprising the steps of:

establishing a file list clipboard format that is specially designated for storing a value for accessing a file list structure that describes a list of files involved in a data transfer operation;

providing data in the file list clipboard format, said data providing an identifier to a list of files; and

performing a data transfer on the data in the file list clipboard format.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of performing the data transfer comprises the step of using the clipboard to perform a data transfer on the data in the file list clipboard format.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of performing the data transfer comprises the step of performing a drag-and-drop operator to effect a data transfer or the data in the file list clipboard format.

11. In a computer system having an output device and a clipboard for performing data transfer of data in clipboard formats, a method comprising the steps of:

establishing an object positions clipboard format for storing relative positions of graphical objects to each other when displayed on the output device;

providing objects with associated graphical objects;

providing relative object positions for a current location of the graphical objects as displayed on the output device in the objects positions clipboard format; and

performing data transfer of the objects and the relative object positions to display the graphical objects at a new location on the output device with the same relative object positions.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the data transfer is performed by the clipboard.

13. A computer system comprising:

(a) a data source for providing a number of objects;

(b) an output device for displaying graphical objects representing the objects provided by the data source;

(c) means for establishing an object positions clipboard format for storing relative positions of a group of graphical objects on the output device;

(d) a data transfer mechanism for transferring the objects from a data source to a data sink and for receiving, from the data object, relative object positions of the graphical objects in the object positions clipboard format so that the relative object positions of the graphical objects are preserved when the transferring is completed.

14. In a computer system having a clipboard for performing data transfers of data in clipboard formats, a method comprising the steps of:

establishing a filename map clipboard format for holding a list of at least one alternative name for items to be transferred via data transfer;

providing a list of alternative names for items in a list of items wherein the list of alternative names is in the filename map clipboard format; and

performing a data transfer on the list of items such that each item in the list of items is assigned its alternative name when the data transfer is complete.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the data transfer is performed by the clipboard.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the data transfer is effected by a drag-and-drop operation.

17. A computer system comprising:

(a) means for establishing a filename map clipboard format for holding an alternative name for each item in a list of items;

(b) a data source for providing a list of at least one item to be transferred;

(c) means for providing a list of alternative names for the list of items provided by the data source such that an alternative name is provided for each item, said list of alternative names being in the filename map clipboard format;

(d) a data sink for receiving the list of items to be transferred; and

(e) a data transfer mechanism for transferring the list of items from the data source to the data sink such that each item in the list is assigned the alternative name provided in the list of alternative names that is in the filename map clipboard format.

18. In a computer system having a namespace of objects that includes file system objects and non-files system objects, and a clipboard for transferring data in clipboard formats;

a method comprising the steps of;

establishing a selected clipboard format for holding data that enables access to be gained to the non-file system objects;

providing data that enables access to be gained to a given one of the non-file system objects in the selected clipboard format; and

performing a data transfer to transfer the given non-file system object using the data in the selected clipboard format.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the given non-file system object is a network resource.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the given non-file system object is a printer.

21. A computer system comprising:

(a) file system objects and non-file system objects;

(b) a namespace mechanism for providing a namespace for the file system objects and the non-file system objects;

(c) means for establishing a selected clipboard format for holding data that enable access to be gained to the non-file system objects;

(d) data transfer mechanism for transferring a given one of the non-file system objects using data that enables access to the given non-file system object, wherein the data is in the selected clipboard format.

22. In a computer system having a clipboard for transferring data in clipboard formats and a plurality of objects, where each object has an associated ID that identifies it, and ID'"'"'s may be aggregated into ID lists, a method comprising the steps of:

establishing an ID list clipboard format for holding ID lists;

providing an ID list for a group of objects, said ID list holding ID'"'"'s for each of the objects in the group and being in the ID list clipboard format; and

transferring the group of objects using a data transfer mechanism and the ID list in the ID list clipboard format.

23. A computer system for support of multiple clipboard formats comprising:

(a) objects with identifiers;

(b) means for establishing an ID list clipboard format for holding an ID list having a list of ID'"'"'s for some of the objects;

(c) a data source for providing an ID list in the ID list clipboard format for a group of objects; and

(d) a data transfer mechanism for performing a data transfer on the ID list provided by the data source in the ID list clipboard format.

24. A computer-readable storage medium for use in a computer system having a clipboard for performing data transfers of data in clipboard formats, said medium holding instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

establishing a file contents clipboard format that is specially designated for holding data that is to be encapsulated into a file;

identifying data that is not a file for data transfer; and

pasting the data to a destination, wherein said pasting causes the computer system to create a file that holds the data.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24 wherein the data is an embedding in a compound document.

26. A computer-readable storage medium for use in a computer system having a clipboard for performing data transfers, said medium holding instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

establishing a file group descriptor clipboard format for holding a file group descriptor;

receiving a file group descriptor for a group of data for data transfer, said file group descriptor holding file descriptors that contain descriptive information for files to be created to hold data from the group of data where the data are not files and said file group descriptor being in the file group descriptor clipboard format; and

performing a data transfer of the group of data to create a group of files that hold the data from the group of data.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26 holding additional instructions for performing the steps of:

establishing a file contents clipboard format for holding contents of a file; and

providing the data in the group in the file contents clipboard format.

28. A computer-readable storage medium for use in a computer system having a clipboard for performing data transfers of data in clipboard formats, said medium holding instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

establishing a file list clipboard format that is specially designated for storing a value for accessing a file list structure that describes a list of files involved in a data transfer operation;

receiving data in the file list clipboard format, said data providing an identifier to a list of files; and

performing a data transfer on the data in the file list clipboard format.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 wherein the instructions for performing the step of performing the data transfer uses the clipboard to perform a data transfer on the data in the file list clipboard format.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 wherein the instructions for performing the step of performing the data transfer perform a drag-and-drop operator to effect a data transfer or the data in the file list clipboard format.

31. A computer-readable storage medium for use in a computer system having an output device and a clipboard for performing data transfer of data in clipboard formats, said medium holding instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

establishing an object positions clipboard format for storing relative positions of graphical objects to each other when displayed on the output device;

designating objects with associated graphical objects;

identifying relative object positions for a current location of the graphical objects as displayed on the output device in the objects positions clipboard format; and

performing data transfer of the objects and the relative object positions to display the graphical objects at a new location on the output device with the same relative object positions.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31 wherein the data transfer is performed by the clipboard.

33. A computer-readable storage medium for use in a computer system having a clipboard for performing data transfers of data in clipboard formats, said medium holding instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

establishing a filename map clipboard format for holding a list of at least one alternative name for items to be transferred via data transfer;

providing a list of alternative names for items in a list of items in the filename map clipboard format; and

performing a data transfer on the list of items such that each item in the list of items is assigned its alternative name when the data transfer is complete.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33 wherein the data transfer is performed by the clipboard.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33 wherein the data transfer is effected by a drag-and-drop operation.

36. A computer-readable storage medium for use in a computer system having a namespace of objects that includes file system objects and non-files system objects, and a clipboard for transferring data in clipboard formats;

said medium holding instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of;

establishing a selected clipboard format for holding data that enables access to be gained to the non-file system objects;

identifying data that enables access to be gained to a given one of the non-file system objects in the selected clipboard format; and

performing a data transfer to transfer the given non-file system object using the data in the selected clipboard format.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36 wherein the given non-file system object is a network resource.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 wherein the given non-file system object is a printer.

39. A computer-readable storage medium for use in a computer system having a clipboard for transferring data in clipboard formats and a plurality of objects, where each object has an associated ID that identifies it, and ID'"'"'s may be aggregated into ID lists, said medium holding instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

establishing an ID list clipboard format for holding ID lists;

identifying an ID list for a group of objects, said ID list holding ID'"'"'s for each of the objects in the group and being in the ID list clipboard format; and

transferring the group of objects using a data transfer mechanism and the ID list in the ID list clipboard format.

40. In a computer system having an output device, an input device and a clipboard for performing data transfers of data in clipboard formats, a method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

establishing a file contents clipboard format for holding contents of a file;

providing data that is not a file for data transfer and a visual representation of the data on the output device; and

performing a drag and drop operation on the visual representation of the data in response to the user using the input device so that the dropping of the visual representation of the data causes a file to be created that encapsulates the data, wherein the data is put in the file contents clipboard format during the drag and drop operation.

41. In a computer system having an output device, an input device and a clipboard for performing data transfers of data in clipboard formats, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

establishing a file contents clipboard format for holding contents of a file;

providing data that is not a file for data transfer and a visual representation of the data on the output device; and

performing a drag and drop operation on the visual representation of the data in response to the user using the input device so that the dropping of the visual representation of the data causes a file to be created that encapsulates the data, wherein the data is put in the file contents clipboard format during the drag and drop operation.