System and method for customizing controls on a toolbar

• US 6,278,450 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: van Tilburg, Martijn E., McBride, Christopher Michael, Arcuri, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/544,966
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/333, 345/334, 345/339, 345/347, 345/348, 345/349, 345/352, 345/354
• US Class Current: 715/763
• 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

Abstract

Customizing a presentation of a set of control elements, such as toolbar, by using a graphical user interface element representing the toolbar control elements, such as a quick customize (QC) menu. This customization approach allows a user to access the QC menu to select which control elements are to be displayed on the toolbar. The controls presented by the QC menu are typically associated with the control items of a particular toolbar or a corresponding set of commands. For convenient user access, the QC menu can be exposed on the toolbar via a special control or an entry point and typically lists the control elements available for the toolbar in order of appearance on the toolbar. For example, the QC menu can present the toolbar'"'"'s default commands or controls, controls that are “top” or frequently used candidates for the toolbar, and any controls currently on the toolbar. Each control presented by the QC menu has a corresponding selection indicator, such as a checkbox, for easily adding to or removing a control element from the associated toolbar.

Claims

1. A system for creating a quick customize (QC) menu associated with a current toolbar comprising:

a system memory for storing an original toolbar comprising a plurality of default controls in a first sequence;

a display device for displaying the current toolbar comprising a plurality of current controls in a second sequence; and

a processor functionally coupled to the system memory and the display device, operable for executing computer-executable instructions for;

creating the QC menu including a plurality of selection indicators presented in order of the second sequence, each selection indicator corresponding to one of the current controls and indicating that the corresponding current control is located on the current toolbar,

in the QC menu, setting an index before a first selection indicator,

selecting a first default control from the plurality of default controls,

determining whether the QC menu includes a default control matching selection indicator corresponding to one of the current controls and also to the first default control,

if the QC menu includes the default control matching selection indicator, resetting the index at the default control matching selection indicator, and

if the QC menu does not include the default control matching selection indicator, placing on the QC menu a default control selection indicator corresponding to the first default control, the default control selection indicator being placed on the QC menu after the index so as to maintain the relative orders of the first sequence and the second sequence.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable for executing computer-executable instructions for adding to the QC menu a reset option for resetting the toolbar to a default state and a customize option for providing additional customization features.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each selection indicator corresponding to one of the current controls comprises an icon having a corresponding checkbox.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each selection indicator indicating that the corresponding current control is located on the current toolbar comprises a checkmark placed in each corresponding checkbox.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein selecting the first default control from the plurality of default controls comprises selecting one of the plurality of default controls located in a first position in the original toolbar.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system memory further stores an extra toolbar comprising a plurality of extra controls in a third sequence;

and

wherein the processor is further operable to execute computer-executable instructions for;

in the QC menu, resetting the index after a last selection indicator,

selecting a first extra control from the plurality of extra controls,

determining whether the QC menu includes an extra control matching selection indicator corresponding to one of the current controls and also to the first extra control,

if the QC menu includes the extra control matching selection indicator, resetting the index at the extra control matching selection indicator, and

if the QC menu does not include the extra control matching selection indicator, placing on the QC menu an extra control selection indicator corresponding to the first extra control, the extra control selection indicator being placed on the QC menu before the index so as to maintain the relative orders of the first sequence and the third sequence.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein selecting the first extra control from the plurality of extra controls comprises selecting one of the plurality of extra controls located in a last position in the extra toolbar.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to execute computer-executable instructions for displaying the QC menu on the display device as a drop-down menu;

and

wherein each selection indicator included in the QC menu is represented by a checkbox control item operating in a first state when a checkmark is placed in the checkbox control item and operating in a second state when the checkmark is removed from the checkbox control item.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to execute computer-executable instructions for:

in response to receiving a selection signal for controlling a particular selection indicator, placing the particular selection indicator in a selected one of the first state or the second state;

in the event that the particular selection indicator is placed in the first state, enabling presentation on the current toolbar of an additional current control corresponding to the particular selection indicator; and

in the event that the particular selection indicator is placed in the second state, disabling presentation on the current toolbar of one of the current controls corresponding to the particular selection indicator.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to execute computer-executable instructions for displaying the QC menu as a dialog;

and

wherein each selection indicator included in the QC menu is represented by a radio button control item operating in a first state when the radio button control item is enabled and operating in a second state when the radio button control item is disabled.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to execute computer-executable instructions for:

in response to receiving a selection signal for controlling a particular selection indicator, placing the particular selection indicator in a selected one of the first state or the second state;

in the event that the particular selection indicator is placed in the first state, enabling presentation on the current toolbar of an additional current control corresponding to the particular selection indicator; and

in the event that the particular selection indicator is placed in the second state, disabling presentation on the current toolbar of one of the current controls corresponding to the particular selection indicator.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to execute computer-executable instructions for displaying the QC menu as a toolbar;

and

wherein each selection indicator included in the QC menu is represented by a control item operating in a first state when enabled and operating in a second state when the control item is disabled.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operable to execute computer-executable instructions for:

in response to receiving a selection signal for controlling a particular selection indicator, placing the particular selection indicator in a selected one of the first state or the second state;

in the event that the particular selection indicator is placed in the first state, enabling presentation on the current toolbar of an additional current control corresponding to the particular selection indicator; and

in the event that the particular selection indicator is placed in the second state, disabling presentation on the current toolbar of one of the current controls corresponding to the particular selection indicator.

14. A system for inserting a selected control on the toolbar comprising:

a system memory for storing a toolbar comprising a plurality of controls and an associated quick customize (QC) menu comprising a plurality of selection indicators, each of the selection indicators of the QC menu corresponding to one of the controls in the toolbar;

an input device for generating an input signal;

a display device for displaying the toolbar and the associated QC menu; and

a processor functionally coupled to the system memory, the input device and the display device, operable for executing computer-executable instructions for;

receiving the input signal indicating that a selection indicator corresponding to the selected control is selected in the QC menu;

in the QC menu, locating a next selection indicator indicating that a corresponding next control is displayed on the toolbar;

in the toolbar, determining an index associated with the next control;

in the toolbar, inserting the selected control before the index;

in response to inserting the selected control in the toolbar, providing an indication in the QC menu that the selected control is displayed on the toolbar; and

reconciling any separators for separating groups of controls on the toolbar comprising;

determining that the selected control begins a group of controls,

determining that the next control on the toolbar has a first associated separator,

determining that the next selection indicator in the QC menu has a second associated separator, and

in response to determining that the next selection indicator has the second associated separator, adding a third separator to the selected control on the toolbar.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein reconciling any of the separators comprises:

determining that the selected control does not begin a group of controls;

in the QC menu, determining that a previous selection indicator indicates that a corresponding previous control is not displayed on the toolbar; and

in response to determining that the previous control is not displayed on the toolbar, adding the third separator to the selected control on the toolbar.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein reconciling any of the separators comprises:

determining that the selected control begins a group of controls;

determining that the next control on the toolbar does not have the first associated separator; and

in response to determining that the next control on the toolbar does not have the first associated separator, adding the third separator to the selected control on the toolbar.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein reconciling any of the separators comprises:

determining that the selected control begins a group of controls;

determining that the next control on the toolbar has the first associated separator;

determining that the next selection indicator in the QC menu does not have the second associated separator;

in response to determining that the next selection indicator does not have the second associated separator, removing the first associated separator from the next control on the toolbar; and

adding the third separator to the selected control on the toolbar.