Tree view control

• US 5,977,971 A
• Filed: 08/14/1998
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bogdan, Jeffrey L., Chew, Chee Heng, Guzak, Christopher J., Pitt, George H. III
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, BA
• Application Number:
  US09/134,804
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 345/340, 345/341, 345/345, 345/356, 345/357
• US Class Current: 715/853
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A tree view control is provided as a system resource that may be used by application programs. The tree view control enables an application program to display a hierarchical list of items. The hierarchical list of items may be expandable or collapsible so as to vary the view of the hierarchical tree that is visible to a user. The expansion and collapsing of the tree is performed by a mechanism that is independent of the selection mechanism that is used to select items in the hierarchical tree. An in-place editing mechanism is provided to facilitate the in place editing of labels of items in the hierarchical tree. As an optimization, the tree view control may provide for deferred evaluation of items such that the display information needed to display an item on an output device is not evaluated until needed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which, when executed in a computer system having a processor for running a first and a second application program and an output device, performs a method comprising:

providing a child window control as a system resource that may be used by the first and the second application program to display a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device;

using the child window control by the first application program to display at least a portion of a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device; and

using the child window control by the second application program to display at least a portion of another list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device.

2. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which, when executed in a computer system having an output device and an input device, performs a method comprising:

displaying a hierarchical tree of items having at least two levels of items on the output device as part of a window control;

in a response to a user using the input device, selecting one of the items display in the hierarchical tree of items; and

expanding the hierarchical tree of items independently of the selecting so that an additional level of items is displayed as part of the hierarchical tree of items on the output device such that the expanding occurs in response to a user action that does not result in another selection of one of the items.

3. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed in a computer system having an output device and an input device, performs a method comprising:

displaying a hierarchical tree of items having at least two levels of items on the output device as part of a child window control;

in response to a user using the input device, selecting one of the items displayed in the hierarchical tree of items; and

collapsing the hierarchical tree of items independently of the selecting so that one of the levels of items of the hierarchical tree that was displayed in the displaying step is no longer displayed as part of the hierarchical tree on the output device in response to a user action that does not result on another selection of one of the items.

4. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which, when executed in a computer system having an output device, performs a method comprising the steps of:

displays a hierarchical tree of items in a window on the output device, wherein for each item a label is displayed;

providing a mechanism for in-place editing of the labels in the hierarchical tree of items; and

using the mechanism for in-place editing to enable a user to perform in-place editing of the label for one of the items in the hierarchical tree.

5. A method of transferring a computer program product from one or more first computers to a second computer connected to the one or more first computers through a communications medium, comprising:

(a) accessing, on the one or more first computers, computer-executable instructions which, when run on a computer system having an having an output device and a processor for running a first and a second application program perform the steps of;

(1) providing a child window control as a system resource that may be used by the first and the second application program to display a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device;

(2) using the child window control by the first application program to display at least a portion of a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device; and

(3) using the child window control by the second application program to display at least a portion of another list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device; and

(b) transferring the computer-executable instructions from the one or more first computers to the second computer through the communications medium.

6. In a computer system having an output device and a processor for running an application program in a parent window, a method comprising:

providing a child window control as a system resource that may be used by the application program to display a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device, the child window control having a callback function;

using the child window control by the application program to display at least a portion of a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device; and

using the callback function to retrieve information concerning at least one item of the hierarchical tree from the parent window to update the hierarchical tree.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information retrieved by the callback function comprises an item label.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the information retrieved by the callback function comprises an information relating to an image.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which, when executed in a computer system having an output device and a processor for running an application program in a parent window, performs a method comprising:

providing a child window control as a system resource that may be used by the application program to display a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device, the child window control having a callback function;

using the child window control by the application program to display at least a portion of a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device; and

using the callback function to retrieve information concerning at least one item of the portion of a list of items from the parent window to update the hierarchical tree.

10. In a computer system having an input device, an output device and a processor for running an application program, a method comprising:

providing a child window control as a system resource that may be used by the application program to display a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device, the child window control having a drag function;

using the child window control by the application program to display at least a portion of a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device; and

in response to a user initiating a dragging operation of one or more items from the hierarchical tree with the input device, using the drag function to provide a dragging image for the one or more items.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

a label is displayed in association with each item of the hierarchical tree; and

the providing of a dragging image comprises using the labels associated with the one or more items to create a bitmap image.

12. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which, when executed in a computer system having an input device, an output device and a processor for running an application program, performs a method comprising:

providing a child window control as a system resource that may be used by the application program to display a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device, the child window control having a drag function;

using the child window control by the application program to display at least a portion of a list of items as a hierarchical tree on the output device, and

in response to a user initiating a dragging operation of one or more items from the hierarchical tree with the input device, using the drag function to provide a dragging image for the one or more items.

13. In a computer system having an input device, a output device and a processor for running an application program, a method comprising:

providing a child window control as a system resource that may be used by the application program to display a list of first items as a hierarchical tree on the output device, the child window control having a hit-drop function;

using the child widow control by the application program to display at least a portion of a list of first items as a hierarchical tree on the output device; and

in response to a user performing a dragging operation of a second item over a target first item of the hierarchical tree with the input device, using the hit-drop function to provide a target image for the target first item.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which, when executed in a computer system having an input device, an output device and a processor for running an application program, performs a method comprising:

providing a child window control as a system resource that may be used by the application program to display a list of first items as a hierarchical tree on the output device, the child window control having a hit-drop function;

using the child window control by the application program to display at least a portion of a list of first items as a hierarchical tree on the output device; and

in response to a user performing a dragging operation of a second item over a target first item of the hierarchical tree with the input device, using the hit-drop function to provide a target image for the target first item.