Organizing elements on a web page via drag and drop operations

• US 7,444,597 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fink, Nathan James, Perantatos, George, Li, Boxin, White, Christopher Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dasgupta; Soumya
• Application Number:
  US11/083,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer-readable media are provided for organizing links on a web page via drag and drop operations. Single web page links or groups of web page links may be dragged from one location on a web page to another location on a web page or to another group of links on the web page. Links may also be dragged from a first web page or first client application document and may be dropped to a second web page on a same or separate web browsing application.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium on which is stored computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a computer perform a method of organizing elements on a web page, comprising:

receiving a dragging of a web page element from a first position on a web page to a second position on a second web page;

at the second position on the second web page, displaying a visual indicator as to where the dragged web page element will be positioned if the dragged web page element is dropped at the second position; and

upon receiving a dropping of the dragged web page element;

capturing textual and graphical data associated with the web page element, metadata associated with the web page element, and programming coding associated with the web page element;

linking the captured textual and graphical data, the metadata, and the programming coding associated with the web page element to the second position on the second web page such that the web page element is enabled to be used for browsing to a given web page resource in the second position; and

if dropping the web page element into a group of web page elements is compatible with an ordering of the web page elements, reordering the group of web page elements into which the dragged web page element is dropped based on the position of the dropped web page element.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, prior to dragging the web page element from a first position on the web page to a second position of the second web page, further comprising:

receiving a selection a web page editing mode; and

receiving a cursor selection of the web page element.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, upon receiving a cursor selection of the web page element, transforming the cursor into a four-way arrow shaped cursor for providing a visual indication that the focused-on web page element will be moved upon dragging.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, upon dragging the selected web page element, providing a translucent image of the dragged web page element for following the cursor as the cursor moves across the web pages.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein capturing the textual and graphical data associated with the web page element, the metadata associated with the web page element, and the programming coding associated with the web page element includes capturing the textual and graphical data, the metadata, and the programming coding associated with the web page element via a dynamic HTML behavior model.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein displaying a visual indicator on the second web page as to where the dragged web page element will be positioned if the dragged web page element is dropped at the second position includes providing a horizontal line on the second web page at a position on the second web page where the dragged element will be positioned if the dragged web page element is dropped at the second position.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising:

if the second position on the second web page is within a target group of web page elements that are ordered according to a group-level ordering and dropping the web page element into the target group of web page elements is compatible with the group-level ordering, highlighting the target group of web page elements to provide a visual indication that the target group of web page elements is to be reordered by dropping the web page element into the target group of web page elements.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising:

upon receiving a dropping of the web page element into the target group of web page elements, positioning the dropped web page element in the target group of web page elements according to the group-level ordering applied to the target group of web page elements.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

if dropping the web page element into the target group of web page elements is incompatible with the group-level ordering applied to the target group of web page elements, disallowing dropping of the web page element into the target group of web page elements.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

upon disallowing dropping of the web page element into the target group of web page elements, providing a visual indication that dropping the dragged web page element into the target group of web page elements is disallowed.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the first web page and the second web page are the same web page.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, the first web page is operated by a first web browsing application and the second web page is operated by a second web browsing application.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein dragging the web page element from a first position on the first web page to second position on the second web page includes dragging content from a first position on a first client application document to a second position on the second web page.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein dragging the web page element includes dragging a group of web page elements.

15. A method of organizing links on a web page, comprising:

receiving a dragging of a web page link from a first position on a web page to a second position on the web page;

at the second position on the web page, displaying a visual indicator on the web page as to where the dragged web page link will be positioned if the dragged web page is dropped at the second position;

upon dragging the selected web page link, providing a translucent image of the dragged web page link for following the cursor as the cursor moves across the web page;

upon receiving a dropping of the dragged web page link;

capturing textual and graphical data associated with the web page link, metadata associated with the web page link, and programming coding associated with the web page link;

linking the captured textual and graphical data, the metadata, and the programming coding associated with the web page link to the second position on the web page such that the web page link is enabled to be used for browsing to a given web page resource in the second position; and

if dropping the web page link into a target group of web page links is compatible with an ordering of the target group of web page links, reordering the target group of web page links into which the dragged web page link is dropped based on the position of the dropped web page link; and

if dropping the web page link into the target group of web page links is incompatible with an ordering of the target group of web page links, highlighting the target group of web page links to provide a visual indication that the target group of web page links is not to be reordered by dropping the web page link into the target group of web page links.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein if dropping the web page link into the target group of web page links is incompatible with the ordering applied to the target group of web page links, disallowing dropping of the web page link into the target group of web page links.

17. A computer-readable storage medium on which is stored computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a computer perform a method of organizing links on a web page, comprising:

receiving a selection a web page editing mode;

in response to receiving a dragging of a web page link from a first position on a first web page to a second position on a second web page, linking view-level data, metadata, and programming code associated with the web page link to the second position on the second web page;

at the second position on the second web page, displaying one of;

a horizontal line and a bar for showing where the dragged web page link will be positioned if the dragged web page is dropped at the second position for visual feedback;

upon receiving a dropping of the dragged web page link;

capturing the view-level data, the metadata, and the programming coding associated with the web page link;

linking the captured view-level data, the metadata, and the programming coding associated with the web page link to the second position on the second web page such that the web page link is enabled to be used for browsing to a given web page resource in the second position; and

if dropping the web page link into a target group of web page links is compatible with an ordering of the target group of web page links, reordering the target group of web page links into which the dragged web page link is dropped based on the position of the dropped web page link; and

if dropping the web page link into the target group of web page links is incompatible with an ordering of the target group of web page links, highlighting the target group of web page links to provide a visual indication that the target group of web page links is not to be reordered by dropping the web page link into the target group of web page links.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, whereby dragging the web page link from a first position on the first web page to second position on the second web page includes dragging the web page link from the first position on the first web page operated by a first web browsing application to the second position on the second web page operated by a second web browsing application.