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Automated system and method for dynamic menu construction in a graphical user interface

  • US 5,625,783 A
  • Filed: 12/13/1994
  • Issued: 04/29/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a computer system comprising a processor, a method comprising the steps of:

  • executing an application program with the processor, the application program comprising a plurality of components, each component being associated with a set of commands;

    while executing the application program, selecting a current operating mode from among a plurality of possible operating modes of the application program; and

    constructing automatically with the processor a menu for the selected current operating mode, the menu comprising an organized structure of commands pertinent to the current operating mode, bydetermining from among the plurality of components of the application program a collection of active components for the current operating mode,merging the command sets of the active components to determine an active set of commands for the current operating mode, andorganizing the commands of the active set into a menu structure,wherein the computer system further comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) providing a windowing capability for the application program that enables the application program to display an application window and two or more subwindows, and wherein each subwindow displayed by the application program corresponds to one of the possible operating modes, and wherein;

    the step of selecting a current operating mode selects the operating mode to which a subwindow displayed by the application program designating as active in the graphical user interface corresponds.

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