Method and apparatus for implementing universal resource locator menus

• US 5,983,245 A
• Filed: 12/27/1996
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Newman, Steve, Schillace, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US08/777,223
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 707/501, 707/512, 707/513, 707/514, 707/10, 707/104, 707/530, 345/326, 345/329, 345/335, 345/339, 345/348, 345/352, 345/353, 345/356
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file. The method includes the operations of selecting one of a picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file. Once one of the picture object and text are selected, a short-cut universal resource locator icon is selected. Upon selecting the short-cut universal resource locator icon, a nested menu is displayed. Preferably, the nested menu contains a list of most recently used universal resource locators, and a list of open HTML files. Next, one of the universal resource locators is selected from the list of most recently used universal resource locators and the open HTML file from the list of open HTML files. Once selected, a link is generated from the selected one of the picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file to one of the selected universal resource locators from the list of most recently used universal resource locators and the open HTML file.

Claims

1. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file, comprising the operations of:

selecting one of a picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file;

selecting a short-cut universal resource locator icon;

displaying a nested menu in response to the selecting of the short-cut universal resource locator icon, the nested menu including a list of most recently used universal resource locators and a list of open HTML files, the list of most recently used universal resource locators including at least one universal resource locator, and the list of open HTML files including at least one HTML file, and the nested menu further including a sub-menu containing at least one anchor reference that is associated with at least one open HTML file from the list of open HTML files;

selecting from the nested menu one of the universal resource locators from the list of most recently used universal resource locators and the open HTML file from the list of open HTML files; and

generating a link from the selected one of the picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file to one of the selected universal resource locators from the list of most recently used universal resource locators and the open HTML file from the list of open HTML files.

2. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file as recited in claim 1, further comprising the operation of:

selecting the at least one anchor reference when the at least one open HTML file from the list of open HTML files is selected; and

generating a link from the selected one of the picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file to the selected at least one anchor reference.

3. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file as recited in claim 2, wherein the operation of generating the link from the selected one of the picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file to the selected at least one anchor reference is performed in a single selection mouse click from the short-cut universal resource locator icon to the selected at least one anchor reference.

4. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file as recited in claim 1, wherein the short-cut universal resource locator icon is contained within a floating link editor.

5. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file as recited in claim 4, wherein the floating link editor remains active when the graphical user interface based HTML file is being created and modified.

6. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file as recited in claim 5, wherein the floating link editor is displayed in a functional graphical user interface.

7. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file as recited in claim 6, wherein the displayed functional graphical user interface includes a manual type-in universal resource locator field.

8. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file as recited in claim 1, wherein the list of most recently used universal resource locators contains universal resource locators selected from the group consisting of local links, external links, anchor links, FTP links, and mail links.

9. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file as recited in claim 1, further comprising the operations of:

updating the list of most recently used universal resource locators each time a universal resource locator is used; and

displaying a most recently used universal resource locator first, such that the most recently used universal resource locator is before a previously most recently used universal resource locator.

12. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file as recited in claim 1, wherein the list of the most recently used universal resource locators includes at least one external universal resource locator.

13. A method for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file as recited in claim 1, wherein the list of most recently used universal resource locators is updated each time a universal resource locator is used.

10. A computer readable media containing program instructions for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file, said computer readable media comprising:

program instructions for selecting one of a picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file;

program instructions for displaying a menu, the menu including a list of open HTML files, the list of open HTML files including at least one HTML file, and the menu further including a sub-menu containing at least one anchor reference that is associated with at least one open HTML file from the list of open HTML files;

program instructions for selecting from the menu one of the open HTML files from the list of open HTML files; and

program instructions for generating a link from the selected one of the picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file to the selected one of the open HTML files from the list of open HTML files.

11. A computer readable media containing program instructions for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file, said computer readable media comprising:

program instructions for selecting one of a picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file;

program instructions for displaying a menu, the menu containing a list of most recently used universal resource locators, the list of most recently used universal resource locators including at least one anchor-type universal resource locator, the anchor-type universal resource locator pertaining to a base HTML file and an anchor reference within the base HTML file;

program instructions for selecting from the menu one of the universal resource locators from the list of most recently used universal resource locators; and

program instructions for generating a link from the selected one of the picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file to the selected universal resource locators from the list of most recently used universal resource locators.

14. A computer readable media containing program instructions for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file, said computer readable media comprising:

program instructions for selecting one of a picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file;

program instructions for displaying a menu, the menu containing a list of most recently used universal resource locators, the list of the most recently used universal resource locators including at least one anchor-type universal resource locator, the anchor-type universal resource locator pertaining to a base HTML file and an anchor reference within the base HTML file;

program instructions for selecting from the menu one universal resource locator from the list of most recently used universal resource locators; and

program instructions for generating a link from the selected universal resource locator from the list most recently used universal resource locators.

15. A computer readable program as recited in claim 14, wherein the list of the most recently used universal resource locators includes at least one external universal resource locator.

16. A computer readable program as recited in claim 14, wherein the list of the most recently used universal resource locators includes a least one external universal resource locator, and wherein the list of most recently used universal resource locators is updated each time a universal resource locator is used.

17. A computer readable media containing program instructions for generating universal resource locator links in a graphical user interface based HTML file, said computer readable media comprising:

program instructions for selecting one of a picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file;

program instructions for displaying a menu, the menu including a list of open HTML files, the list of open HTML files including at least one open HTML file, and the menu further containing at least one anchor reference that is associated with the at least one open HTML file;

program instructions for selecting from the menu one of the open HTML files from the list of open HTML files; and

program instructions for generating a link from the selected one of the picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file to the selected one of the open HTML files from the list of open HTML files.

18. A computer readable program as recited in claim 17,

wherein said computer readable medium further comprises program instructions for selecting from the menu the at least one anchor reference, and

wherein said program instructions for generating a link operate to generate the link from the selected one of the picture object and text contained within the graphical user interface based HTML file to the selected anchor reference within the sub-menu of the selected one of the open HTML files within the menu.