Snaplines for control object positioning
First Claim
1. In a visual code designer that allows a user to manipulate a plurality of control objects on a common design surface, wherein each control object comprises one or more extensible snaplines that define alignment characteristics for each control, a method of helping the user to position a control on the common design surface by automatically aligning the control during design-time without the use of gridlines, the method comprising acts of:
- specifying snaplines for each of a plurality of controls, wherein each of the specified snaplines belongs to a particular control, and wherein each specified snaplines is extensible in that a developer can specify matching and alignment criteria;
requesting one or more snaplines from an unselected control on a visual design surface;
monitoring position information for a selected control within the visual design surface;
comparing each snapline of the unselected control on the visual design surface to each snapline of the selected control;
identifying a snapline of the unselected control that matches a snapline of the selected control based upon the developer-specified matching criteria; and
in response to the snapline of the selected control being moved within a predetermined distance of the snapline of the unselected control, snapping the selected control into alignment with the unselected control.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A visual code designer is provided that allows a user to manipulate control objects on a common design surface. Each control object has extensible snaplines that define alignment characteristics for the control. The snaplines are extensible in that a developer can define and/or specify matching and alignment criteria such as type, filter and offset information. Further, the visual code designer assists the user in positioning a control on the common design surface by automatically aligning the control during design-time without the use of gridlines.
54 Citations
42 Claims
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1. In a visual code designer that allows a user to manipulate a plurality of control objects on a common design surface, wherein each control object comprises one or more extensible snaplines that define alignment characteristics for each control, a method of helping the user to position a control on the common design surface by automatically aligning the control during design-time without the use of gridlines, the method comprising acts of:
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specifying snaplines for each of a plurality of controls, wherein each of the specified snaplines belongs to a particular control, and wherein each specified snaplines is extensible in that a developer can specify matching and alignment criteria; requesting one or more snaplines from an unselected control on a visual design surface; monitoring position information for a selected control within the visual design surface; comparing each snapline of the unselected control on the visual design surface to each snapline of the selected control; identifying a snapline of the unselected control that matches a snapline of the selected control based upon the developer-specified matching criteria; and in response to the snapline of the selected control being moved within a predetermined distance of the snapline of the unselected control, snapping the selected control into alignment with the unselected control. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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13. In a visual code designer that allows a user to manipulate a plurality of control objects on a common design surface, wherein each control object comprises one or more extensible snaplines that define alignment characteristics for each control, a method of helping the user to position a control on the common design surface by automatically aligning the control during design-time without the use of gridlines, the method comprising steps for:
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specifying snaplines for each of a plurality of controls, wherein each of the specified snaplines belong to a particular control and wherein each snapline is extensible in that a developer can specify matching and alignment criteria; receiving one or more snaplines from an unselected control on a visual design surface; receiving position information for a selected control within the visual design surface; identifying a snapline from the unselected control on the visual design surface that matches a snapline from the selected control based upon the developer-specified matching criteria; and in response to the selected control snapline being moved within a predetermined distance of the unselected control snapline, aligning the selected control with the unselected control. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification