Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture which provides a set of frameworks for developing object-oriented desktop systems. The set of frameworks includes several framework subsystems for implementing input, output, graphics, documents, compound documents, and documents with graphics. The input system comprises a set of objects which handles the details of input, including receiving and distributing events. The input system also includes management of such events so that reception, distribution and handling of events is handled in an orderly manner. The input system include specialized objects for handling keyboard input and mouse input.

Abstract: A view system provides an extensible mechanism for associating a logical set of windows and manipulating them as a unit. For example, operations can be applied across address spaces to all the members of the group. A group is constructed by inserting a reference to each view in the group in a layer object. The layer object, in turn, can be inserted into a data hierarchy structure in a hierarchy object. The data hierarchy structure defines front to back display levels on a display and defines which windows overlap. Since all the members of the group are in the same layer object, they move to different levels as a group. Polymorphism and extensibility are provided via the object-oriented architecture of the operating system.