Method for displaying controls in a system using a graphical user interface

• US 20020070977A1
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Agrawal, Ravindra K., Hoek, Tjeerd S., Parker, David C., Morcos, Peter G., Baldwin, Lawrence W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,047,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

In a computer employing a graphical user interface (GUI), a method for displaying controls in command bars, which replace conventional menu bars and toolbars. Command bars employ a unified data structure that allows all types of controls to be included in both menu-like command bars and toolbar-like command bars. Command bars may be customized by dragging controls from a list of available commands or from another command bar. By not restricting the types of controls that can appear in each command bar, controls may be grouped to associate drop down menu controls with pushbutton controls. Menu-like command bars and toolbar-like command bars may be merged in a way that provides an intuitive and advantageous listing of commands. Menu popups may be torn off using a clearly indicated drag handle.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having a plurality of data fields stored on the medium and representing a data structure comprising:

a first data field containing data representing a command bar;

a second data field containing data representing a plurality of controls included in the command bar, the controls being chosen from a group including simple menu items and interactive controls; and

a third data field containing data representing the display state of the command bar.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the display state of the command bar is chosen from a group comprising a toolbar-like display state and a menu-like display state.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the command bar is a toolbar-like command bar and the plurality of controls include at least one popup menu control.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the plurality of controls include at least one other interactive control in addition to the at least one popup menu control.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the command bar is a menu-like command bar and the plurality of controls include a simple menu item and at least one interactive control.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the interactive controls comprise a popup menu control.

7. In a computer system including a shared program module including at least one function for manipulating the command bars and shared memory for storing data associated with the command bars, a method for implementing command bars in an application program module, comprising the steps of:

in the application program module, calling a function to display a menu-like command bar including an interactive control;

in response to an input signal, receiving from the shared program module an indication of the selection of the interactive control;

in response to the indication, determining a function associated with the control; and

performing the function.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the menu-like command bar also includes a simple menu item.

9. A method for providing command bars, comprising the steps of:

displaying a toolbar-like command bar including at least one menu control;

receiving an indication that the menu control has been selected;

in response to the selection of the menu control, displaying a menu-like command bar including a least one interactive control.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the menu-like command bar further comprises at least one text string and an icon associated with the text string.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the toolbar-like command bar further comprises a plurality of interactive controls.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the container comprises a second command bar.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the container comprises a customize window.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein combining the eligible items from the first set of items with the eligible items from the second set of items comprises the steps of:

comparing the eligible items from the first set of items to the second set of items; and

arranging the eligible items from the first set of items in the merged container.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps of comparing and arranging the eligible items from the first set of items comprise the steps of:

determining whether an eligible item from the first set of items is first in the first container; and

if the eligible item is first in the first container, placing the eligible item first in the merged container.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps of comparing and arranging the eligible item from the first set of items comprise the steps of:

determining whether the eligible item from the first set of items is equivalent to an item from the second set of items; and

if the eligible item from the first set of items is equivalent to an item from the second set of items, placing the eligible item from the first set of items in the same position as the equivalent item from the second set of items.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps of comparing and arranging the eligible items from the first set of items comprise the steps of:

determining whether the item that precedes the eligible item from the first set of items in the first container is equivalent to an item from the second set of items; and

if the item that precedes the eligible item from the first set of controls in the first container is equivalent to an item from the second set of items, placing the eligible item from the first set of items after the equivalent item from the second set of items.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the first container and the second container are equivalent; and

if the first container and the second bar are not equivalent, displaying the first container including the items from the first set of items.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the containers comprise command bars and the items comprise controls.

12. A method for customizing a command bar including a menu control, comprising the steps of:

displaying a first command bar including a menu control;

displaying a container including an available control;

receiving from an input device an indication that the available control has been moved to the menu control in response to the available control being moved to the menu control, displaying a menu popup associated with the menu control;

receiving from the input device an indication that the available control has been moved to a position in the menu popup;

displaying the available control in the position in the menu popup.

15. A method for merging a first set of items from a first container in a first program module and a second set of items from a second container in a second program module, comprising the steps of:

determining which of the first set of items are eligible to be donated;

determining which of the second set of items are eligible to be donated;

combining the eligible items from the first set of items with the eligible items from the second set of items; and

displaying a merged container including at least one item from the first set of items and at least one item from the second set of items.

22. A method for removing a menu popup from a command bar, comprising the steps of:

displaying a command bar;

displaying an original menu popup including a drag handle, the menu popup being connected to the command bar;

receiving from the input device an indication that the drag handle has been dragged away from the command bar;

receiving from the input device an indication that the drag handle has been dropped; and

displaying a removed menu popup in a position corresponding to the drop indication.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the removed menu popup is a floating command bar.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the removed menu popup is a duplicate of the original menu popup.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the removed menu popup is an alternate representation of the original menu popup.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the removed menu popup is a floating command bar.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the removed menu popup is a duplicate of the original menu popup.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the removed menu popup is an alternate representation of the original menu popup.

26. A method for removing a menu popup from a command bar, comprising the steps of:

displaying a command bar;

displaying an original menu popup including a drag handle, the original menu popup being connected to the command bar;

receiving from the input device an indication that the drag handle has been selected; and

in response to the drag handle being selected, displaying a removed menu popup in a default position separate from the command bar.