Infrastructure for shape event handlers

• US 6,512,519 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Welton-Lair, Walter Christian, Dhimitri, William James, Arsenault, David Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US09/428,595
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 345/848, 345/764, 345/762, 345/441, 345/964, 345/440, 345/642, 345/619, 345/581, 345/606, 345/681, 345/682
• US Class Current: 345/441
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for creating a shape for displaying information on a monitor attached to a computer is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of creating a spatial frame of the shape wherein the spatial frame provides a mapping function for the shape and provides a geometric framework for the shape, creating at least one event handler of the shape, coupling the event handler to the shape, and using the event handler coupled to the shape to display desired information on the monitor.

Claims

1. A method of creating a shape for displaying information on a monitor attached to a computer, comprising the steps of:

creating a spatial e of the shape wherein the spatial same provides a mapping function for the shape and provides a geometric framework for the shape;

creating at least one event handler of the shape;

coupling the event handler to the shape, wherein the event handler comprises a programming construct that responds to an event that is fired in association with a change in one or more properties of the shape;

using the event handler coupled to the shape to display desired information on the monitor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event handler is provided by a script.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the event handler is provided by a COM object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of modifying the spatial frame to display desired information on the monitor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the event handler is coupled to the shape object through an event action object, an event data object, and an event manager object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the event data object encapsulates data for the event fired by the shape.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the event action object associates the event handler with a specific shape.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the event manager object controls a definition of the event, a firing of the event, and a bubbling of the event.

9. A computer-implemented apparatus for display information, comprising:

a computer having a monitor attached thereto;

means, performed by the computer, for creating a spatial of the shape wherein the spatial frame provides a mapping function for the shape and provides a geometric framework for the shape;

means, performed by the computer, for creating at least one event handler of the shape;

means, performed by the computer, for coupling the event handler of the shape to the spatial frame of the shape, wherein the event handler couples to the geometric framework of the spatial frame, and wherein tile event handler comprises a programming construct that responds to an event that is fired in association with a change in one or more properties of the shape; and

means, performed by the computer, for using the event handler coupled to the spatial frame to display desired information on the monitor.

10. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps of displaying information on a monitor attached to the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a spatial frame of the shape wherein the spatial frame provides a mapping function for the shape and provides a geometric framework for the shape;

creating at least one event handler of the shape;

coupling the event handler of the shape to the spatial frame of the shape, wherein the event handler couples to the geometric framework of the spatial frame, and wherein the event handler comprises a programming construct that responds to an event that is fired in association with a change in one or more properties of the shape; and

using the event handler coupled to the spatial frame to display desired information on the monitor.

11. A method of manipulating a shape object displaying information on a monitor attached to a computer, comprising the steps of:

specifying an event to be received by an event handler to a specific shape object;

creating an object comprising the data corresponding to the event;

firing the event, and the object comprising the data corresponding to the event, to the shape object; and

reading the parameters returned from the shape object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of specifying is performed using an EventAction Object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein more than one event is specified and fired by an event handler to a specific shape object.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the event is owned by at least one of the group comprising plugs, sockets, handles, properties, custom commands, and shape objects.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein more than one event handler is associated with the event.

16. A method for routing an event to an event handler in a computer, comprising the steps of:

passing a data object to an event manager, the data object comprising a source object;

calling a send data object routine from the event manager, which creates an event;

executing a response to the event at a source object; and

verifying the status of a parameter in the send data object to determine if the event has completed.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of

obtaining a list of event actions from the source object;

checking each event action from the list of event actions to determine each event that is being routed; and

executing commands defined by the routed events.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining a next source object in an object hierarchy from the source object; and

continuing to execute commands defined by the routed events until there are no additional next source objects.