New varieties of child window controls are provided as system resources that application programs may exploit. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a dynamic link library (DLL) for implementing the new child window controls as part of an operating system. The new child window controls include a header bar control for providing header bars in application programs. The new controls also include a hot key control that allows a user to view and edit hot key combinations. The new controls further include a tab control for establishing tabs that differentiate amongst pages in user interfaces provided by application programs. An image list data type is defined and functions are provided for manipulating the image list data type. Image lists include multiple like-sized images that are stored efficiently in a single bitmap. |
Citations|
| US5283864 | Oct 30, 1990 | Feb 1, 1994 | Wang Laboratories, Inc. | Computer apparatus and method for graphical flip book | | US5463724 | Mar 14, 1995 | Oct 31, 1995 | Borland International, Inc. | System and methods for improved spreadsheet interface with user-familiar objects | | US5500929 | Aug 30, 1993 | Mar 19, 1996 | Taligent, Inc. | System for browsing a network resource book with tabs attached to pages | | US5550563 | Dec 23, 1992 | Aug 27, 1996 | Taligent, Inc. | Interaction framework system | | US5559946 | Aug 30, 1994 | Sep 24, 1996 | Intel Corporation | Method and apparatus for adding a new tab to a tab bar window |
Referenced by|
| US6473100 | May 20, 1998 | Oct 29, 2002 | Microsoft Corporation | Hosting controls in a window via an interface for controlling the window | | US6545691 | Jun 12, 1998 | Apr 8, 2003 | Microsoft Corporation | Client-side control of controls loaded by a browser | | US6931523 | Dec 9, 1999 | Aug 16, 2005 | Gateway Inc. | System and method for re-storing stored known-good computer configuration via a non-interactive user input device without re-booting the system | | US7039876 | Oct 6, 1997 | May 2, 2006 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | User interface for image acquisition devices | | US7054488 | Jan 31, 2001 | May 30, 2006 | America Online, Inc. | Method for determining transparency in images extraction | | US7093267 | Jul 19, 2002 | Aug 15, 2006 | Microsoft Corporation | Hosting controls in a window via an interface for controlling the window | | US7137068 | Mar 30, 1998 | Nov 14, 2006 | Microsoft Corporation | Apparatus and method for automatically positioning a cursor on a control | | US7360168 | Feb 12, 2004 | Apr 15, 2008 | International Business Machines Corporation | Automatically scaling the information and controls in navigation tabs per available window area | | US7730496 | Jun 21, 2006 | Jun 1, 2010 | Microsoft Corporation | Hosting controls in a window via an interface for controlling the window | | US7917864 | Dec 12, 2007 | Mar 29, 2011 | International Business Machines Corporation | Automatically scaling the information and controls in navigation tabs per available window area |
Claims1. In a computer system having a display, an input device, and a processor running an operating system (OS) and an application program, the application program running in an application window having a client area, the client area for displaying and manipulating application data, a method comprising: - (a) outputting a control window to the display, the control window being associated with the application program;
- (b) predefining, by the OS, a tab control class for providing information to the application program, wherein:
- (i) the tab control class includes a plurality of tab control images, each tab control image defining a page having a tab; and
- (ii) each page displays application parameters from the application program;
- (c) instantiating, by the application program, the tab control class; and
- (d) outputting, to the display, a first tab control image superimposed on top of other tab control images within the window, such that the first tab control image, any application parameters thereof, and the tabs of the other tab control images are viewable in the control window.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: - (e) selecting, by the input device, a tab of a tab control image other than the first tab control image; and
- (f) outputting, to the display, a second tab control image superimposed on top of the first tab control image within the window, the second tab control image defining a page having the selected tab, such that the second tab control image, any second content, the tab of the first tab control image, and the tabs of other tab control images are viewable in the window.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises a set of properties for modifying functionality of the application program. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphical image in a tab. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the tab in which the graphical image which is displayed is provided by the application program. 6. In a computer system having a display, an input device, and a processor running an operating system (OS) and an application program, the application program running in an application window having a client area, the client area for displaying and manipulating application data, a method comprising: - (a) outputting a control window to the display, the control window being associated with the application program,
- (b) predefining, as part of the OS, an application program interface (API) for creating a tab control for providing information to the application program wherein:
- (i) the API defines a plurality of tab control images, each tab control image defining a page having a tab; and
- (ii) each page displays application parameters from the application program;
- (c) issuing, by the application program, a function call to the API to create a tab control; and
- (d) outputting, to the display, a first tab control image superimposed on top of other tab control images within the control window, such that the first tab control image, any application parameters thereof, and the tabs of the other tab control images are viewable in the window.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the function call includes information specifying a number of tab control images to be created by the API and output to the display. 8. The method of claim 6, further comprising: - (e) selecting, by the input device, a tab of a tab control image other than the first tab control image; and
- (f) outputting, to the display, a second tab control image superimposed on top of the first tab control image within the window, the second tab control image defining a page having the selected tab, such that the second tab control image, any second content, the tab of the first tab control image, and the tabs of other tab control images are viewable in the window.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the content comprises a set of properties for modifying functionality of the application program. 10. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying a graphical image in a tab. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the tab in which the graphical image which is displayed is provided by the application program. 12. A computer-readable medium for use in a computer system having a display, an input device, and a processor running an operating system (OS) and an application program, the application program running in an application window having a client area, the client area for displaying and manipulating application data, the computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of: - (a) outputting a control window to the display, the control window being associated with the application program
- (b) predefining, by the OS, a tab control class for providing information to the application prom wherein:
- (i) the tab control class includes a plurality of tab control images, each tab control image defining a page having a tab; and
- (ii) each page displays application parameters from the application program;
- (c) instantiating by the application program, the tab control class to create a tab control; and
- (d) outputting, to the display, a first tab control image superimposed on top of other tab control images within the control window, such that the first tab control image, any application parameters thereof, and the tabs of the other tab control images are viewable in the window.
13. A method of transferring a computer program product from one or more first computers to a second computer connected to the one or more first computers through a communications medium, comprising: - (a) accessing, on the first computer, computer-executable instructions which, when run on a data processing system having an operating system with a shell that provides functionality, an application program installed under the operating system, and a class of objects related to tie application program, said class of objects having an associated object class identifier, perform the steps of:
- (1) outputting a control window to the display, the control window being associated with the application program;
- (2) predefining, by the OS, a tab control class for providing information to the application program, wherein:
- (i) the tab control class includes a plurality of tab control images, each tab control mage defining a page having a tab; and
- (ii) each page displays application parameters from the application program;
- (3) instantiating, by the application program, the tab control class; and
- (4) outputting to the display, a first tab control image superimposed on top of other tab control images within the control window, such that the first tab control image, any application parameters thereof, and the tabs of the other tab control images are viewable in the window, and
- (b) transferring the computer-executable instructions from the one or more first computers to the second computer through the communications medium.
|
