Method and apparatus for providing an object-oriented application interface for a computer system

• US 6,146,027 A
• Filed: 07/23/1997
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Object Technology Licensing Corporation
• Inventors: Heninger, Andrew G., Moeller, Christopher P., Orton, Debra L., Goldsmith, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/898,768
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 395/701, 395/680, 395/682, 395/683, 345/333, 345/334, 345/335, 345/339, 345/340, 345/348, 707/103, 707/104
• US Class Current: 715/835
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented

Abstract

A computer system has a processor, a display, and a object-oriented application interface between a user input device such as a cursor placement device and an object-oriented application program. The cursor placement device has a user button for generating a device event signal for controlling a pointer graphic on the display. The object-oriented application program includes a plurality of objects with logic and data for performing particular functions. An interactor object is responsive to a device event signal to change the display from displaying an icon to a thumbnail display. An interactable object is instantiated in an application address space, and includes data and methods for manipulating the data. The interactor object is instantiated in a system address space and is responsive to the device event signal for calling a predetermined one of the interactable object'"'"'s methods to change the data therein. The system can also include apparatus for playing a script, thereby executing selected data changing methods in specified data objects, and a means for generating a presentation of data in a data model object.

Claims

1. In a computer system with a processor and a display, an apparatus for providing an object-oriented application interface between a cursor placement device having a user-operable button for controlling a pointer graphic and an object-oriented application program including a plurality of objects with logic and data for performing particular functions, the apparatus comprising:

(a) an interactable object of said plurality of objects with logic and data in said application program, said interactable object including

logic for displaying both an icon and a Thumbnail on said display, and

logic for manipulating said icon on said display;

(b) means responsive to a depression of said user-operable button of said cursor placement device for generating a device event signal;

(c) means responsive to a physical position of said pointer graphic on said display for generating device position signals; and

(d) an interactor object comprising;

timing means responsive to said device event signal for detecting when said user-operable button is depressed for a predetermined time interval;

storage means for storing a peek threshold value;

means responsive to said predetermined time interval and to said threshold value for generating a peek message if said user-operable button has been depressed longer than said peek threshold value; and

means responsive to said peek message for invoking logic in said interactor object to change said display from displaying said icon to said Thumbnail display.

2. An apparatus for providing an object-oriented application interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the display has a display area and the apparatus further comprises:

(e) a view object of said plurality of objects with logic and data comprising;

means cooperating with the interactable object for determining where said icon is positioned on said display;

means for determining boundaries of a selectable area on said display; and

means responsive to said where said icon is positioned on said display and to said boundaries for generating a position signal when said icon is located within said boundaries;

wherein

said interactor object further comprises;

means responsive to said device event signal, said position signal and to a device position signal of said device position signals for invoking logic in said interactable object to move said icon when said pointer graphic is moved and said icon is located within said boundaries.

3. An apparatus for providing an object-oriented application interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said display has a display area and said apparatus further comprises:

(e) a view object of said plurality of objects with logic and data in said application program, comprising;

means cooperating with said interactable object for determining a display location in said display area where said icon is displayed,

means for determining boundaries of a selectable area within said display area; and

means responsive to said display location and to said boundaries for generating a position signal when said icon is located within said boundaries;

wherein

said interactor object further comprises;

means responsive to said device event signal, said position signal and to said device position signals for invoking logic in said view object to move said icon when said pointer graphic is moved and said icon is located within said boundaries; and

means responsive to said device event signal, said position signal and to said device position signals for invoking logic in said view object for halting the move operation if said icon is located outside of the boundaries.

4. An apparatus for providing an object-oriented application interface as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

means responsive to said device event signal, said position signal and to said device position signals for invoking logic in said view object to continue said move operation if said icon is located inside of said boundaries.

5. An apparatus for providing an object-oriented application interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said display has a display area and said apparatus further comprises:

(e) a view object of said plurality of objects with logic and data in said application program comprising;

means cooperating with said interactable object for determining a display location in said display area where said icon is displayed;

means for determining boundaries of a selectable area within said display area; and

means responsive to said display location and to said boundaries for generating a position signal when said icon is located within said boundaries;

wherein

said interactor object further comprises;

means responsive to said device event signal, said position signal and to said device position signals for invoking logic in said interactor object to move said icon when said pointer graphic is moved and said icon is located within said boundaries; and

means responsive to said device event signal, said position signal and to said device position signals for invoking logic in said interactor object to perform a scroll operation if said icon is located on one of said boundaries.

6. An apparatus for providing an object-oriented application interface as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

means responsive to said device event signal, said position signal and to said device position signals for invoking logic in said interactor object for continuing the scroll operation if the icon is located within the boundaries.

7. In a computer system with a processor and a display, a method for providing an object-oriented application interface between a cursor placement device having a user-operable button for controlling a pointer graphic and an object-oriented application program including a plurality of objects with logic and data for performing particular functions, comprising the steps of:

(a) creating an interactable object from said a plurality of objects with logic and data for performing particular functions associated with said application program, said interactable object having means for displaying both an icon and a Thumbnail on said display and logic for manipulating said icon on said display;

(b) generating a device event signal in response to a depression of said user-operable button;

(c) generating device position signals in response to a physical position of said pointer graphic on said display;

(d) creating an interactor object which performs the steps of;

(d1) detecting when said user-operable button is depressed for a predetermined time interval;

(d2) storing a peek threshold value;

(d3) generating a peek message if said user-operable button has been depressed longer than said peek threshold value; and

(d4) invoking logic in said interactor object to change from said icon to said Thumbnail on said display.

8. A method for providing an object-oriented application interface as recited in claim 7, wherein said display has a display area and the method further comprises the steps of:

(e) creating a view object which performs the steps of;

(e1) determining a display location in said display area where said icon is displayed;

(e2) determining boundaries of a selectable area within said display area; and

(e3) generating a position signal when said icon is located within said boundaries;

wherein

said interactor object further performs the step of;

(d5) invoking logic to move said icon when said pointer graphic is moved and said icon is located within said boundaries.

9. A method for providing an object-oriented application interface as recited in claim 7, wherein said display has a display area and the method further comprises the steps of:

(e) creating a view object which performs the steps of;

(e1) determining a display location in said display area where said icon is displayed;

(e2) determining boundaries of a selectable area within said display area;

(e3) generating a position signal when said icon is located within said boundaries; and

wherein said interactor object further performs the steps of;

(d5) invoking logic in said view object to move said icon when said pointer graphic is moved and said icon is located within said boundaries; and

(d6) invoking logic in said view object to halt said move operation if the icon is located outside of said boundaries.

10. A method for providing an object-oriented application interface as recited in claim 9, wherein said interactor object further performs the step of:

(d7) invoking logic in said view object to continue said move operation if said icon is located inside of said boundaries.

11. A method for providing an object-oriented interface as recited in claim 7, wherein said display has a display area and the method further comprises the steps of:

(e) creating a view object from said plurality of objects with logic and data for performing particular functions, which performs the steps of;

(e1) determining a display location in said display area where said icon is displayed;

(g2) determining boundaries of a selectable area within said display area; and

(g3) generating a position signal when said icon is located within said boundaries;

wherein

said interactor object further performs the steps of;

(d5) invoking logic to move said icon when said pointer graphic is moved and said icon is located within said boundaries; and

(d6) invoking logic to perform a scroll operation if the icon is located on one of said boundaries.

12. A method for providing a object-oriented application interface as recited in claim 11, wherein said interactor object further performs the step of:

(d7) invoking logic to continue the scroll operation if said icon is located within said boundaries.

13. An apparatus for use in a computer system with a memory and an object-oriented operating system stored in a system address space in the memory, the apparatus providing an object oriented application interface between a user input device generating device event signals and an object-oriented application program stored in an application address space in the memory, and comprising:

(a) an interactable object instantiated in the application address space form interactable class information stored in the system address space, the interactable object including data used by the application program, and a plurality of methods for manipulating the data; and

(b) an interactor object instantiated in the system address space from interactor class information stored in the system address space, the interactor object being responsive to the device event signals for calling a first predetermined one of the object manipulating methods included in the interactable object to change the data.

14. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the computer system includes a display screen and the interactable object includes data defining a graphic for display on the display screen.

15. Apparatus as recited in claim 14 wherein the interactable object includes a select method for changing the appearance of the graphic on the display by manipulating the graphic data.

16. Apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein the interactable object includes a move method for moving the graphic on the display.

17. Apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein the user input device is a mouse and the interactor object receives device event signals from the mouse and calls a method in the interactable object.

18. Apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein the user input device is a keyboard and the interactor object receives device event signals from the keyboard and calls a method in the interactable object.

19. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the interactable object is instantiated in the application address space from interactable class information stored in the system address space.

20. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the interactor object is responsive to the device event signals for determining an action which is required from the application program and for calling a first predetermined one of the manipulating methods to perform the required action.

21. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the interactor object is responsive to a time sequence of the device event signals for determining an action which is required from the application program and for calling a first predetermined one of the manipulating methods to perform the required action.

22. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the computer system includes a display screen and the apparatus further comprises a view object having means for displaying information on a portion of the display screen and means in the view object responsive to the device event signals for instantiating an interactor object.

23. A computer program product for use in a computer system with a memory and an object-oriented operating system stored in a system address space in the memory, the computer program product providing an object oriented application interface between a user input device generating device event signals and an object-oriented application program stored in an application address space in the memory, and comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code thereon, including:

(a) program code for instantiating an interactable object in the application address space from interactable class information stored in the system address space, the interactable object including data used by the application program, and a plurality of methods for manipulating the data; and

(b) program code for instantiating an interactor object in the system address space from interactor class information stored in the system address space, the interactor object being responsive to the device event signals for calling a first predetermined one of the object manipulating methods included in the interactable object to change the data.

24. A computer program product as recited in claim 23 wherein the computer system includes a display screen and the interactable object instantiating program code instantiates an interactable object including data defining a graphic for display on the display screen.

29. A computer program product as recited in claim 23 wherein the computer program product further includes program code for loading the interactable class information into the system address space program and wherein the interactable object instantiating code instantiates the interactable object in the application address space.

30. A computer program product as recited in claim 23 wherein the interactable object instantiating code instantiates the interactable object in the system address space from interactor class information in the system address space.

31. A computer program product as recited in claim 23 wherein the interactor object is instantiated with program code responsive to the device event signals for determining an action which is required from the application program and for calling a first predetermined one of the manipulating methods to perform the required action.

32. A computer program product as recited in claim 23 wherein the interactor object is instantiated with program code responsive to a time sequence of the device event signals for determining an action which is required from the application program and for calling a first predetermined one of the manipulating methods to perform the required action.

33. A computer program product as recited in claim 23 wherein the computer system includes a display screen and the computer program product further comprises program code for instantiating a view object having means for displaying information on a portion of the display screen and means in the view object responsive to the device event signals for instantiating an interactor object.

25. A computer program product as recited in claim 25 wherein the interactable object instantiating program code instantiates an interactable object including a select method for changing the appearance of the graphic on the display by manipulating the graphic data.

26. A computer program product as recited in claim 25 wherein the interactable object instantiating program code instantiates an interactable object including a move method for moving the graphic on the display.

27. A computer program product as recited in claim 26 wherein the user input device is a mouse and the interactor object includes program code for receiving device event signals from the mouse and calling a method in the interactable object.

28. A computer program product as recited in claim 26 wherein the user input device is a keyboard and the interactor object includes program code for receiving device event signals from the keyboard and calling a method in the interactable object.

34. Apparatus for performing dynamic scripting in a computer system with a memory, the apparatus manipulating in the memory a document containing data objects, each data object including data and methods for changing the data, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of selection objects, each of the plurality of selection objects including data defining an address space independent specification of at least one data object forming a selection from the document;

a plurality of command objects, each of the command objects including a data change command and a reference to a selection object on which the data change command applies;

means for storing a script consisting of a sequence of command objects in the memory; and

means for playing the script by sequentially calling a data change command in each of the sequence of command objects in the script, thereby executing selected data changing methods in the data objects specified by each referenced selection object.

35. Apparatus as recited in claim 34 wherein each of the plurality of selection objects is constructed by calling a method in a command object.

36. Apparatus as recited in claim 34 further comprising means for modifying the script by changing data objects specified by at least one of the selection objects.

37. Apparatus as recited in claim 36 wherein the script modifying means modifies the at least one of the selection objects to change the specified data objects to other data objects in the same document.

38. Apparatus as recited in claim 37 wherein each of the plurality of command objects includes a method for determining whether the data change command can operate with data specified by the selection object and wherein the modifying means comprises means for calling the determining method for the at least one selection object.

39. Apparatus as recited in claim 36 wherein the script modifying means modifies the at least one of the selection objects to change the specified data objects to data objects in a different document.

40. Apparatus as recited in claim 39 wherein each of the plurality of command objects includes a method for determining whether the data change command can operate with data specified by the selection object and wherein the modifying means comprises means for calling the determining method for the at least one selection object.

41. A computer program product for performing dynamic scripting in a computer system with a memory, the computer program manipulating in the memory a document containing data objects, each data object including data and methods for changing the data, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the program code including:

program code for instantiating a plurality of selection objects, each of the plurality of selection objects including data defining an address space independent specification of at least one data object forming a selection from the document;

program code for instantiating a plurality of command objects, each of the command objects including a data change command and a reference to a selection object on which the data change command applies;

program code for storing a script consisting of a sequence of command objects in the memory; and

program code for playing the script by sequentially calling a data change command in each of the sequence of command objects in the script, thereby executing selected data changing methods in the data objects specified by each referenced selection object.

42. A computer program product as recited in claim 41 further comprising program code for instantiating a command object including a method for constructing a selection object and program code for instantiating command objects which construct each of the plurality of selection objects.

43. A computer program product as recited in claim 41 further comprising program code for modifying the script by changing data objects specified by at least one of the selection objects.

44. A computer program product as recited in claim 43 wherein the script modifying program code modifies the at least one of the selection objects to change the specified data objects to other data objects in the same document.

45. A computer program product as recited in claim 44 wherein each of the plurality of command objects includes a method for determining whether the data change command can operate with data specified by the selection object and wherein the modifying program code comprises program code for calling the determining method for the at least one selection object.

46. A computer program product as recited in claim 43 wherein the script modifying program code modifies the at least one of the selection objects to change the specified data objects to data objects in a different document.

47. A computer program product as recited in claim 46 wherein each of the plurality of command objects includes a method for determining whether the data change command can operate with data specified by the selection object and wherein the modifying program code comprises program code for calling the determining method for the at least one selection object.

48. Apparatus for representing a modifiable document in a computer system with a memory, the document consisting of a plurality of data pieces, each of the data pieces having a data type, the apparatus comprising:

a mechanism for constructing a plurality of data model objects, each of the data model objects including one of the plurality of data pieces and a standard interface including methods with predetermined names for manipulating the included data piece to produce predetermined modifications wherein the predetermined names and modifications are the same for each data type;

a document container;

means for inserting the data model objects into the document container; and

means responsive to each of the data model objects for generating a presentation of data in the data model object, wherein the presentation generating means comprises means for generating a presentation of data in each data model object and means for generating a presentation of the relationship between data model objects, including the relationship between container and sibling objects.

49. Apparatus as recited in claim 48 wherein the document is modified by a command object and the command object comprises a method for calling one of the methods in the standard interface of a data model object to modify a data piece included therein.

50. Apparatus as recited in claim 48 wherein that standard interface includes cut, copy and paste methods.

51. Apparatus as recited in claim 48 wherein the presentation generating means comprises means for generating a presentation of the relationship between data model objects and the document container.

52. A computer program product for representing a modifiable document in a computer system with a memory, the document consisting of a plurality of data pieces, each of the data pieces having a data type, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, including:

program code for constructing in the memory a plurality of data model objects, each of the data model objects including one of the plurality of data pieces and a standard interface including methods with predetermined names for manipulating the included data piece to produce predetermined modifications wherein the predetermined names and modifications are the same for each data type;

program code for constructing a document container in the memory;

program code for inserting the data model objects into the document container; and

program code responsive to each of the data model objects for generating a presentation of data in the data model object and a presentation of the relationship between data model objects, including the relationship between container and sibling objects.

53. A computer program product as recited in claim 52 wherein the document is modified by a command object and the command object comprises a method for calling one of the methods in the standard interface of a data model object to modify a data piece included therein.

54. A computer program product as recited in claim 52 wherein that standard interface includes cut, copy and paste methods.

55. A computer program product as recited in claim 52 wherein the presentation generating program code comprises program code for generating a presentation of data in each data model object and program code for generating a presentation of the relationship between data model objects.

56. A computer program product as recited in claim 52 wherein the presentation generating program code comprises program code for generating a presentation of the relationship between data model objects and the document container.

57. Apparatus for presenting data in a modifiable document in a computer system with a memory, the document consisting of a plurality of data pieces, the apparatus comprising:

a mechanism for constructing a plurality of data model objects, each of the data model objects including one of the plurality of data pieces;

means for generating a change notification to registered objects when the data piece changes;

a view object for generating a presentation view of a data piece in one of the plurality of data model objects;

means for registering the view object with the one data model object; and

means in the view object, responsive to the change notification, for updating the presentation, view.

58. Apparatus as recited in claim 57 wherein the change notification generating means comprises a mechanism in each data model object for generating the change notification when the data piece therein changes.

59. Apparatus as recited in claim 57 wherein the data model interacts with a command object to change the data piece therein and the change notification generating means comprises a mechanism in the command object for generating the change notification.

60. Apparatus as recited in claim 57 wherein each data piece has a specific data type and the view object generates a presentation view which is specific to the type of the data piece in the one data model object.

61. Apparatus as recited in claim 57 wherein the view object generates a plurality of presentation views for the data piece in the one data model object.

62. A computer program product for presenting data in a modifiable document in a computer system with a memory, the document consisting of a plurality of data pieces, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon including:

data model class code including a method for instantiating a plurality of data model objects, each of the data model objects including one of the plurality of data pieces;

program code for generating a change notification to registered objects when the data piece changes;

program code for instantiating a view object from view class information containing a method for generating a presentation view of a data piece in one of the plurality of data model objects;

program code for registering the view object with the one data model object; and

program code in the view class information, which is responsive to the change notification, for updating the presentation view.

63. A computer program product as recited in claim 62 wherein the change notification generating program code comprises program code in the data model class code for generating the change notification when the data piece therein changes.

64. A computer program product as recited in claim 62 wherein the data model interacts with a command object to change the data piece therein and the change notification generating program code comprises program code in the command object for generating the change notification.

65. A computer program product as recited in claim 62 wherein each data piece has a specific data type and the view class information contains program code which generates a presentation view which is specific to the type of the data piece in the one data model object.

66. A computer program product as recited in claim 62 wherein the view class information contain program code which generates a plurality of presentation views for the data piece in the one data model object.