Method and apparatus for implementing universal resource locator menus

• US 6,189,018 B1
• Filed: 08/03/1999
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Newman, Steve, Schillace, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US09/368,312
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 707/501, 707/513, 345/352, 345/353
• 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 a cascaded graphical user interface menu in a webpage authoring environment, the cascaded graphical user interface menu being used for creating universal resource locator links within webpages, the method comprising:

retrieving a list of most recently used universal resource locators from memory, the list of most recently used universal resource locators being previously used for creating universal resource locator links within webpages;

retrieving a list of open webpage files from memory;

creating a first menu data structure;

adding entries to the first menu data structure for each universal resource locator in the list of most recently used universal resource locators;

adding entries to the first menu data structure for any open webpage files; and

displaying the cascaded graphical user interface menu formed in accordance with the first menu data structure, thereby facilitating creation of subsequent universal resource locator links.

2. A method for generating a cascaded graphical user interface menu as recited in claim 1,

wherein the cascaded graphical user interface menu is partitioned into a first portion and a second portion, and

wherein the first portion contains a list of most recently used universal resource locators.

3. A method for generating a cascaded graphical user interface menu as recited in claim 2, wherein the second portion contains a list of open webpage files.

4. A method for generating a cascaded graphical user interface menu as recited in claim 1, wherein displaying the cascaded graphical user interface menu is performed by a computer operating system.

5. A method for generating a cascaded graphical user interface menu as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

creating a second menu data structure;

adding an entry for a current webpage file;

adding entries to the second menu data structure for each anchor contained within the current webpage file; and

displaying the cascaded graphical user interface menu that includes a nested sub-menu formed in accordance with the second menu data structure.

6. A method for generating a cascaded graphical user interface menu as recited in claim 5, wherein the nested sub-menu includes each of the anchors contained within the current webpage file.

7. A method for generating a cascaded graphical user interface menu as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

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

8. A method for generating a cascaded graphical user interface menu as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

updating the list of open webpage files each time a webpage file is opened and closed.

9. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for generating a cascaded graphical user interface menu in a webpage authoring environment, the cascaded graphical user interface menu being used for creating universal resource locator links within webpages, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for retrieving a list of most recently used universal resource locators from memory, the list of most recently used universal resource locators being previously used for creating universal resource locator links within webpages;

computer program code for retrieving a list of open webpage files from memory;

computer program code for generating the cascaded graphical user interface menu, the cascaded graphical user interface menu including at least entries for each universal resource locator in the list of most recently used universal resource locators and for each open webpage file in the list of open webpage files; and

computer program code for displaying the cascaded graphical user interface menu, thereby facilitating creation of subsequent universal resource locator links.

10. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 9,

wherein the cascaded graphical user interface menu is partitioned into a first portion and a second portion, and

wherein the first portion contains a list of most recently used universal resource locators.

11. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the second portion contains a list of open webpage files.

12. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said computer program code for displaying the cascaded graphical user interface menu is associated with a computer operating system.

13. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 9,

wherein said computer program code for generating the cascaded graphical user interface menu comprises:

computer program code for generating a nested sub-menu, the nested sub-menu including at least entries for at least one anchor within a current webpage file, and

wherein said computer readable medium further comprises;

computer program code for displaying the nested sub-menu in association with the cascaded graphical user interface menu.

14. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the nested sub-menu includes each of the anchors contained within the current webpage file.

15. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, said computer readable medium further comprising:

computer program code for updating the list of most recently used universal resource locators each time a universal resource locator is used.

16. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 11, said computer readable medium further comprising:

computer program code for updating the list of open webpage files each time a webpage file is opened and closed.