System and method for editing a control utilizing a preview window to view changes made to the control

• US 6,515,682 B1
• Filed: 05/09/1996
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Washington, Jeff D., Austin, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao H.
• Application Number:
  US08/644,119
• Time in Patent Office: 2,462 Days
• Field of Search: 395/333, 395/334, 395/335, 395/346, 395/966, 395/967, 395/970, 395/965, 345/331, 345/333, 345/334, 345/340, 345/346, 345/966, 345/975, 345/762, 345/765, 345/781, 345/804
• US Class Current: 715/762
• 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 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]

Abstract

A method for editing an OLE control comprises a user dragging an icon representation of the control and dropping the control onto a form of a container which contains OLE controls, such as Visual Basic. When the user drops the control, the container constructs the control and displays the control in the form. When a user selects the control for an editing transaction the control creates a property page dialog, creates a preview window and displays the control in the preview window. The user makes changes to the control via the property page dialog. The property page dialog invokes a method on the control to display the control with the changes reflected in the preview window so that the user can see the effect of the changes on the control. The display method is an alternate method to the standard display method defined by the interface between the container and the control. Preferably the alternate display method receives additional input parameters which contain information describing the changes. The control'"'"'s data is not modified and thus the changes are not reflected in the control displayed in the form window until the user applies the changes. The user edits the control as desired in the preview window and applies the changes or cancels the changes. If the user applies the changes, the control'"'"'s data is updated to reflect the changes. If the user cancels the changes, the preview window and property page dialog are discarded. Thus, an improved container independent method for editing a control, wherein changes may be viewed and evaluated prior to applying the changes to the control is described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for editing a control in a computer system, wherein the computer system includes a display screen, the method comprising:

displaying said control in a main window on the display screen;

selecting said control for an editing transaction in response to user input;

displaying a preview window on the display screen, wherein said preview window is automatically displayed in response to said user input selecting said control for said editing transaction;

displaying a copy of said control in said preview window, wherein said copy of said control is automatically displayed in said preview window in response to said user input selecting said control for said editing transaction;

receiving first user input indicating a desired change to said control, wherein said first user input indicating a desired change to said control is received after said displaying said copy of said control in said preview window;

displaying said copy of said control with said change in said preview window in response to said receiving said first user input indicating said desired change to said control;

determining if said change is desired to be applied to said control in response to second user input;

applying said change to said control in said main window if said change is desired to be applied to said control.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dropping said control in a container before said displaying said control in said main window;

creating said control in response to said dropping said control in said container.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a property page dialog for said control, wherein said property page dialog is automatically displayed in response to said user input selecting said control for said editing transaction;

wherein said receiving first user input indicating said desired change to said control is performed via said property page dialog;

wherein said first user input comprises input to said property page dialog.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is not changed during said displaying said copy of said control with said change in said preview window;

wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is changed in response to said applying said change to said control.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is not changed in response to said first user input indicating said desired change to said control;

wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is changed in response to said applying said change to said control.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying said change to said control includes displaying said control with said change in said main window on the display screen,

wherein said applying said change to said control also includes modifying data of said control.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said preview window and said copy of said control are not displayed after said applying said change to said control.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discarding said change if said change is not desired to be applied to said control;

wherein, when said change is discarded, said change is not applied to said control.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said preview window and said copy of said control are not displayed after said discarding said change.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein said displaying said copy of said control with said change in said preview window comprises invoking a display method on said control to display said control with said change.

11. The method of claim 10,

wherein said display method comprises input parameters, wherein at least a portion of said input parameters comprise information about said change.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein said copy of said control is displayed in said preview window on the display screen simultaneously with said control being displayed in the main window on the display screen;

and

wherein said copy of said control with said change is displayed in said preview window on the display screen simultaneously with said control being displayed in the main window on the display screen.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein said copy of said control is displayed in said preview window on the display screen during a first period of time that said control is displayed in the main window on the display screen;

and

wherein said copy of said control with said change is displayed in said preview window on the display screen during a second period of time that said control is displayed in the main window on the display screen.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a user is able to view desired changes to said control on said copy of said control displayed in said preview window prior to said desired changes being applied to said control.

15. The method of claim 1,

wherein said receiving first user input indicating a desired change to said control comprises receiving a plurality of desired changes to said control;

wherein said displaying said copy of said control with said change in said preview window comprises displaying said copy of said control with said plurality of changes in response to said first user input indicating said plurality of desired changes to said control;

wherein said determining if said change is desired to be applied to said control comprises determining if said plurality of changes are desired to be applied to said control;

wherein said applying said change to said control in said main window comprises applying said plurality of changes to said control.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said control comprises a reusable user interface component.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said control is an OLE control.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said control is an ActiveX control.

19. A computer system for editing a control, comprising:

a CPU;

memory coupled to the CPU;

a display screen for displaying the control in a main window on said display screen;

an input device operable to receive user input selecting said control for an editing transaction;

wherein the memory stores a computer program executable by the CPU, wherein the computer program is executable to automatically display a preview window on the display screen and to automatically display a copy of the control in said preview window on said display screen in response to said user input selecting said control for an editing transaction;

wherein the input device is operable to receive user input indicating a desired change to the control;

wherein the computer program is executable to display the control with said change in said preview window on said display screen in response to said user input indicating a desired change to the control;

wherein the input device is operable to receive user input indicating said change is desired to be applied to the control;

wherein the computer program is executable to apply said change to said control if said change is desired to be applied to said control.

20. The computer system of claim 19,

wherein the computer program is executable to display a property page dialog on the display screen, wherein said property page dialog is automatically displayed in response to said user input selecting said control for an editing transaction;

wherein said user input indicating said desired change to the control comprises input manipulating one or more properties on said property page dialog displayed on the display screen.

21. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is not changed when said copy of said control with said change is displayed in said preview window;

wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is changed in response to said applying said change to said control.

22. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is not changed in response to said user input indicating said desired change to said control;

wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is changed in response to said applying said change to said control.

23. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the computer program is also executable to display said control with said change in said main window when applying said change;

wherein the computer program is also executable to modify data of said control when applying said change.

24. The computer system of claim 19, further comprising:

wherein the computer program is executable to discard said change if said change is not desired to be applied to said control;

wherein, when said change is discarded, said change is not applied to said control.

25. The computer system of claim 19,

wherein the computer program is executable to display said copy of the control in said preview window simultaneously with said control being displayed in the main window;

and

wherein the computer program is executable to display said copy of said control with said change in said preview window simultaneously with said control being displayed in the main window of the display screen.

29. The media of claim 22, wherein the program instructions are further executable to display a property page dialog for said control in response to said user input selecting said control for said editing transaction;

wherein said receiving first user input indicating said desired change to said control is performed via said property page dialog;

wherein said first user input comprises input to said property page dialog.

26. A computer system for editing an control, comprising:

a display screen;

an input device;

means for displaying said control in a main window on said display screen;

means for selecting said control for an editing transaction in response to user input received by said input device;

means for creating a preview window;

means for displaying said control in said preview window on said display screen;

wherein said means for creating a preview window and said means for displaying said control in said preview window automatically operate in response to said means for selecting said control for an editing transaction;

means for receiving a desired change to said control in response to user input received by said input device;

means for displaying said control with said change in said preview window on said display screen;

means for determining if said change is desired to be applied to said control; and

means for applying said change to said control if said change is desired to be applied to said control.

27. A computer readable storage media comprising program instructions for editing a control in a computer system, wherein the computer system includes a display screen, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement:

displaying said control in a main window on the display screen;

selecting said control for an editing transaction in response to user input;

displaying a preview window on the display screen, wherein said preview window is automatically displayed in response to said user input selecting said control for said editing transaction;

displaying a copy of said control in said preview window, wherein said copy of said control is automatically displayed in said preview window in response to said user input selecting said control for said editing transaction;

receiving first user input indicating a desired change to said control, wherein said first user input indicating a desired change to said control is received after said displaying said copy of said control in said preview window;

displaying said copy of said control with said change in said preview window in response to said receiving said first user input indicating said desired change to said control;

determining if said change is desired to be applied to said control in response to second user input;

applying said change to said control in said main window if said change is desired to be applied to said control.

28. The media of claim 27, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

dropping said control in a container before said displaying said control in said main window;

creating said control in response to said dropping said control in said container.

30. The media of claim 27, wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is not changed during said displaying said copy of said control with said change in said preview window;

wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is changed in response to said applying said change to said control.

31. The media of claim 27, wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is not changed in response to said first user input indicating said desired change to said control;

wherein said control displayed in said main window on the display screen is changed in response to said applying said change to said control.

32. The media of claim 27, wherein said applying said change to said control includes displaying said control with said change in said main window;

wherein said applying said change to said control includes modifying data of said control.

33. The media of claim 27, wherein said preview window and said copy of said control are not displayed after said applying said change to said control.

34. The media of claim 27, wherein the program instructions are further executable to discard said change if said change is not desired to be applied to said control;

wherein, when said change is discarded, said change is not applied to said control in said main window.

35. The media of claim 34, wherein said preview window and said copy of said control are not displayed after said discarding said change to said control.

36. The media of claim 27,

wherein said displaying said copy of said control with said change in said preview window comprises invoking a display method on said control to display said control with said change.

37. The media of claim 36,

wherein said display method comprises input parameters, wherein at least a portion of said input parameters comprise information about said change.

38. The media of claim 27,

wherein said copy of said control is displayed in said preview window simultaneously with said control being displayed in the main window;

and

wherein said copy of said control with said change is displayed in said preview window simultaneously with said control being displayed in the main window of the display screen.

39. The media of claim 27,

wherein said copy of said control is displayed in said preview window during a first period of time that said control is displayed in the main window of the display screen;

and

wherein said copy of said control with said change is displayed in said preview window during a second period of time that said control is displayed in the main window of the display screen.

40. The media of claim 27, wherein a user is able to view desired changes to said control on said copy of said control displayed in said preview window prior to said desired changes being applied to said control.

41. The media of claim 27,

wherein said receiving first user input indicating a desired change to said control comprises receiving a plurality of desired changes to said control;

wherein said displaying said copy of said control with said change in said preview window comprises displaying said copy of said control with said plurality of changes in response to said first user input indicating said plurality of desired changes to said control;

wherein said determining if said change is desired to be applied to said control comprises determining if said plurality of changes are desired to be applied to said control;

wherein said applying said change to said control in said main window comprises applying said plurality of changes to said control.

42. The media of claim 27, wherein said control comprises a reusable user interface component.

43. The media of claim 27, wherein said control is an OLE control.

44. The media of claim 27, wherein said control is an ActiveX control.