Abstract: A method and system for rendering a desktop on a computer using a composited desktop model operating system are disclosed. A composited desktop window manager, upon receiving content information from application programs, draws the window to a buffer memory for future reference, and takes advantage of advanced graphics hardware and visual effects to render windows based on content on which they are drawn. The windows may also be rendered based on environment variables including virtual light sources. The frame portion of each window may be generated by pixel shading a bitmap having the appearance of frosted glass based on the content of the desktop on top of which the frame is displayed. Legacy support is provided so that the operating system can draw and render windows generated by legacy applications to look consistent with non-legacy application windows.

Abstract: A method and system for rendering a desktop on a computer using a composited desktop model operating system are disclosed. A composited desktop window manager, upon receiving content information from application programs, draws the window to a buffer memory for future reference, and takes advantage of advanced graphics hardware and visual effects to render windows based on content on which they are drawn. The windows may also be rendered based on environment variables including virtual light sources. The frame portion of each window may be generated by pixel shading a bitmap having the appearance of frosted glass based on the content of the desktop on top of which the frame is displayed. Legacy support is provided so that the operating system can draw and render windows generated by legacy applications to look consistent with non-legacy application windows.

Abstract: A method and system for rendering a desktop on a computer using a composited desktop model operating system are disclosed. A composited desktop window manager, upon receiving content information from application programs, draws the window to a buffer memory for future reference, and takes advantage of advanced graphics hardware and visual effects to render windows based on content on which they are drawn. The windows may also be rendered based on environment variables including virtual light sources. The frame portion of each window may be generated by pixel shading a bitmap having the appearance of frosted glass based on the content of the desktop on top of which the frame is displayed. Legacy support is provided so that the operating system can draw and render windows generated by legacy applications to look consistent with non-legacy application windows.

Abstract: A method and system for rendering a desktop on a computer using a composited desktop model operating system are provided. A composited desktop window manager, upon receiving base object and content object information for one or more content objects from an application program, draws the window to a buffer memory, and takes advantage of advanced graphics hardware and visual effects to render windows based on content on which they are drawn. The frame portion of each window may be generated by pixel shading a bitmap having the appearance of frosted glass based on the content of the desktop on top of which the frame is displayed. Legacy support is provided so that the operating system can draw and render windows generated by legacy applications to look consistent with non-legacy application windows.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for managing application programs with non-responsive user interfaces, possibly due to a bottleneck in handling events/messages. The method and system make an apparently frozen application user interface responsive so as to permit alternative tasks be executed or close the hung application. This is enabled by implementing routines to (a) detect if an application is hung, (b) replace the user interface for the hung application with a ghost interface, implemented by a separate thread, that permits system functionality such as sizing, minimization and closing of the application, and (c) destroying the ghost interface if the hung application becomes responsive again along with restoring the application's user interface along with updated event queues. Furthermore, creation of the ghost user interface is accompanied by placing a high priority special event in the hung application's queue to detect renewed responsiveness without requiring explicit monitoring.

Abstract: Hooking replacement and augmented API functions is disclosed. In one embodiment, an alternative implementation of one or more API functions is hooked into the operating system through utilization of a replacement API table. The functions that have been replaced, augmented, or otherwise modified have entries in the table pointing to their new implementation. The entries for functions that have not been change continue to point to their existing implementation. A bit array is also disclosed to track desired messages, as compared to undesired messages, where each bit of the array corresponds to a type of message. The table can be variably sized, and can support nested and re-entrant calls.

Abstract: A mechanism for predicting whether user interface elements, such as keyboard cues, would be helpful to a computer user and either displaying or hiding the user interface elements based on that prediction is disclosed. Briefly described, an identification is made whether the last input device was a keyboard or a pointing device, such as a mouse. If the last input device was a pointing device, the keyboard cues are hidden. If the last input device was a keyboard, the keyboard cues are displayed. If the input device changes after the keyboard cues have been initially either hidden or displayed, a message so indicating is passed up the window hierarchy.

Abstract: A manager component for managing input from legacy and non-legacy devices in a similar manner is disclosed. An inventive manager component receives input from both non-legacy input drivers for non-legacy input devices, and legacy input drivers for legacy input devices. The manager component provides the input to application programs that desirably have previously registered to receive input from one or more types of input devices. The application programs receive this input without directly communicating with the drivers.

Abstract: Hooking replacement and augmented API functions is disclosed. In one embodiment, an alternative implementation of one or more API functions is hooked into the operating system through utilization of a replacement API table. The functions that have been replaced, augmented, or otherwise modified have entries in the table pointing to their new implementation. The entries for functions that have not been change continue to point to their existing implementation. A bit array is also disclosed to track desired messages, as compared to undesired messages, where each bit of the array corresponds to a type of message. The table can be variably sized, and can support nested and re-entrant calls.

Abstract: A manager component for managing input from legacy and non-legacy devices in a similar manner is disclosed. An inventive manager component receives input from both non-legacy input drivers for non-legacy input devices, and legacy input drivers for legacy input devices. The manager component provides the input to application programs that desirably have previously registered to receive input from one or more types of input devices. The application programs receive this input without directly communicating with the drivers.

Abstract: A method and system for rendering a desktop on a computer using a composited desktop model operating system are disclosed. A composited desktop window manager, upon receiving base object and content object information for one or more content objects from an application program, draws the window to a buffer memory, and takes advantage of advanced graphics hardware and visual effects to render windows based on content on which they are drawn. The frame portion of each window may be generated by pixel shading a bitmap having the appearance of frosted glass based on the content of the desktop on top of which the frame is displayed. Legacy support is provided so that the operating system can draw and render windows generated by legacy applications to look consistent with non-legacy application windows.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for managing application programs with non-responsive user interfaces, possibly due to a bottleneck in handling events/messages. The method and system make an apparently frozen application user interface responsive so as to permit alternative tasks be executed or close the hung application. This is enabled by implementing routines to (a) detect if an application is hung, (b) replace the user interface for the hung application with a ghost interface, implemented by a separate thread, that permits system functionality such as sizing, minimization and closing of the application, and (c) destroying the ghost interface if the hung application becomes responsive again along with restoring the application's user interface along with updated event queues. Furthermore, creation of the ghost user interface is accompanied by placing a high priority special event in the hung application's queue to detect renewed responsiveness without requiring explicit monitoring.

Abstract: A method and system for rendering a desktop on a computer using a composited desktop model operating system are disclosed. A composited desktop window manager, upon receiving content information from application programs, draws the window to a buffer memory for future reference, and takes advantage of advanced graphics hardware and visual effects to render windows based on content on which they are drawn. The windows may also be rendered based on environment variables including virtual light sources. The frame portion of each window may be generated by pixel shading a bitmap having the appearance of frosted glass based on the content of the desktop on top of which the frame is displayed. Legacy support is provided so that the operating system can draw and render windows generated by legacy applications to look consistent with non-legacy application windows.

Abstract: Hooking replacement and augmented API functions is disclosed. In one embodiment, an alternative implementation of one or more API functions is hooked into the operating system through utilization of a replacement API table. The functions that have been replaced, augmented, or otherwise modified have entries in the table pointing to their new implementation. The entries for functions that have not been change continue to point to their existing implementation. A bit array is also disclosed to track desired messages, as compared to undesired messages, where each bit of the array corresponds to a type of message. The table can be variably sized, and can support nested and re-entrant calls.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for managing application programs with non-responsive user interfaces, possibly due to a bottleneck in handling events/messages. The method and system make an apparently frozen application user interface responsive so as to permit alternative tasks be executed or close the hung application. This is enabled by implementing routines to (a) detect if an application is hung, (b) replace the user interface for the hung application with a ghost interface, implemented by a separate thread, that permits system functionality such as sizing, minimization and closing of the application, and (c) destroying the ghost interface if the hung application becomes responsive again along with restoring the application's user interface along with updated event queues. Furthermore, creation of the ghost user interface is accompanied by placing a high priority special event in the hung application's queue to detect renewed responsiveness without requiring explicit monitoring.

Abstract: A mechanism for predicting whether user interface elements, such as keyboard cues, would be helpful to a computer user and either displaying or hiding the user interface elements based on that prediction is disclosed. Briefly described, an identification is made whether the last input device was a keyboard or a pointing device, such as a mouse. If the last input device was a pointing device, the keyboard cues are hidden. If the last input device was a keyboard, the keyboard cues are displayed. If the input device changes after the keyboard cues have been initially either hidden or displayed, a message so indicating is passed up the window hierarchy. Upon receiving the message, the top-level window responds by causing the display states of all the windows in the window hierarchy to be updated to reflect the changed input device.

Abstract: A mechanism for predicting whether user interface elements, such as keyboard cues, would be helpful to, a computer user and either displaying or hiding the user interface elements based on that prediction is disclosed. Briefly described, an identification is made whether the last input device was a keyboard or a pointing device, such as a mouse. If the last input device was a pointing device, the keyboard cues are hidden. If the last input device was a keyboard, the keyboard cues are displayed. If the input device changes after the keyboard cues have been initially either hidden or displayed, a message so indicating is passed up the window hierarchy.

Abstract: A mechanism for predicting whether user interface elements, such as keyboard cues, would be helpful to a computer user and either displaying or hiding the user interface elements based on that prediction is disclosed. Briefly described, an identification is made whether the last input device was a keyboard or a pointing device, such as a mouse. If the last input device was a pointing device, the keyboard cues are hidden. If the last input device was a keyboard, the keyboard cues are displayed. If the input device changes after the keyboard cues have been initially either hidden or displayed, a message so indicating is passed up the window hierarchy. Upon receiving the message, the top-level window responds by causing the display states of all the windows in the window hierarchy to be updated to reflect the changed input device.

Abstract: A manager component for managing input from legacy and non-legacy devices in a similar manner is disclosed. An inventive manager component receives input from both non-legacy input drivers for non-legacy input devices, and legacy input drivers for legacy input devices. The manager component provides the input to application programs that desirably have previously registered to receive input from one or more types of input devices. The application programs receive this input without directly communicating with the drivers.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for foreground window determination of windows displaying applications in a displayed desktop. The present invention continuously resolves the issue of what program or process running or to be run in a window on the desktop is displayed in the foreground or focus window, thereby avoiding unintentional inputs to an application in a background window and unintentional switching of the application program presented in the foreground window of a windows-based operating system.