Abstract: A method, program and system for displaying the consequence of an input in a graphical user interface (GUI) are provided. The invention comprises displaying a GUI including a plurality of interaction control mechanisms (controls) having a selected or a deselected state. An input to a first control may cause a change in state to at least one other of the plurality of controls. Responsive to a first input at the first control (e.g., holding down a mouse button with the pointer on the first control), the invention displays a preview of the change in state of the plurality of controls that would occur if a second input is made at the first control (e.g., releasing the mouse button with the pointer still on the first control). If the user does not want the previewed change in state to occur, the user has simply to avoid making the second input (e.g., move the pointer off the first control before releasing the mouse button).

Abstract: A computer system employs a graphical user interface and pointing device to allow a user to drag icons, representing data or objects, without holding the mouse button, or other key, actively depressed. The system allows the user to select and add icons, from a displayed window, to a "drag set". Multiple "drag sets" are linked to a "lazy drag" set, the contents of which may be moved to a target location. At the target location, the user decides what operation is to be performed with the data or objects linked to the "lazy drag" set.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for integrating multimedia presentations into an object oriented user interface which includes multiple polymorphic objects which each have associated encapsulated data and functionality. Multiple separate user selectable data views are defined for each object which provide different views of the data associated with an object. Selection by a user of an audio or video data view for an object results in the provision of a multimedia presentation by automatically coupling audio or video data to an appropriate device. Audio data may be directly associated with an object or derived in response to selection of an audio data view, by means of a text-to-speech process, or other similar technique. Encapsulating multimedia data within an object integrates multimedia presentation capability within an object without requiring separate audio or video objects which must be manipulated by the user.

Abstract: A visual procedure aides the program builder in linking objects in a visual application builder where the objects are on different pages of the application builder notebook. When the target object is on another page of the notebook, the user selects the source object. The user then flips the notebook page. During the page flipping, the selected source object is shown as an outline shadow with a page number under it. If the new page is shown with the desired target object on it, the user drags and drops a link between the shadow source object and the target object to make a connection. If the user flips to the source object page, then the target object will become the shadow object with a page number label next to it. If the shadow object is too big and covers the target object completely or for any other reason, the user may want to optionally use the outside page connector technique. This can be done by dragging and dropping the link from the source object to any point outside the notebook.

Abstract: A technique for the display and manipulation of windows resembling real-word objects in an object-oriented graphical interface displays windows without substantial borders, continuously displayed title bars, scroll bars, and various graphical icons and symbols that surround the information in conventional windows. Window components are provided to support window manipulation functions such as MOVE, SIZE and CLOSE. A slide-up title bar with a close-box is generally kept hidden behind the window until dragged-up by the user when desired. Thin borders, which are used to conserve screen real estate, may be manipulated to perform a CLOSE operation with a "flicking" gesture or perform a SIZE operations by dragging the window's border. Moving a window may be performed by clicking a "whitespace" area and dragging to a desired destination.

Abstract: Objects are provided with handles representing the most frequently used events and actions for that particular object. Each handle has a label indicating the name of the event or action it represents. The functions of the objects can be connected together using these handles. In addition, tile events and actions that are shown as handles can be changed by selecting them from a list. The display of the handles and/or labels can be turned off if desired.

Abstract: A method and system for visually programming state information using a visual switch. The visual switch has at least one first input, a plurality of second inputs, and at least one output. The method includes the steps of displaying the visual switch on a display and visually connecting the output to a selected one of the second inputs in response to the first input. The method includes the computer-implemented steps of displaying the first and second inputs on a display, visually linking information to at least one of the second inputs, and visually linking a value to one of the first inputs to set the visual switch object, thereby selectively connecting the information from one of the second inputs to the output.

Abstract: A method, system and program for navigating within any compound graphical object in a graphical user interface presented on a display. The compound graphical object has an arbitrary number of hierarchically ranked levels. First, the system determines whether a command to move within the compound object was issued from a pointing device or from a keyboard device. If issued from a pointing device, a lowest level object in the compound object is found which encompasses a hot spot of a pointer icon controlled by the pointing device. The level to which the lowest level object belongs is made active. If the selection command was issued from a keyboard device, a next object in the compound object is selected, the next object being established by the keyboard user command and other information such as the relative hierarchical and spatial positions of the current and next objects.

Abstract: A method, program product, and system create visual representations of iterator link objects. A graphical user interface of the present invention enables users to visually program iterative applications without having to use a programming language. The graphical user interface includes an iterator link object which is capable of removably linking a source object having multiple elements to a target object. On the occurrence of a trigger event, an action iterates over each individual element of the source object and is targeted to the target object. Therefore, the present invention enables the user to visually link multiple source objects to a target object. Furthermore, by utilizing more than one iterator link object, linked objects can be chained linked to other linked objects.

Abstract: A method and data processing system for efficiently creating a program in an object oriented environment using a graphic user interface. An object is graphically displayed within the graphic user interface, wherein the object includes a method written in an object-oriented language. The method has a number of parameters. Each parameter is graphically displayed in the graphic user interface. Such display may be in response to a selection of the graphically displayed object. Each parameter is visually associated with the graphically displayed object. A list of selections is displayed for a parameter in the plurality of parameters in response to a selection of the parameter. Specification of the parameter using the list of selections by the user is permitted, wherein the parameter is specified using the list of selections is propagated to the method in the object oriented language used to create the object. A tree structure may be used to display associations between the parameters and displayed objects.

Abstract: A technique for the display and manipulation of windows resembling real-world objects in an object-oriented graphical user interface displays windows without visible borders, title bars, scroll bars and various graphical symbols that surround the information in conventional windows. Window components are provided to support window manipulation functions such as MOVE, SIZE and CLOSE. A slide-up title bar area with a close-box is generally kept hidden behind the window until dragged-up by the user when desired.

Abstract: A system including a host terminal having a controller which is coupled to a plurality of bridge interfaces, with each bridge interface being coupled to a separate plurality of secondary terminals over an associated data link. Each bridge interface has a communications chip, like an RS-422 chip therein. The controller is able to communicate with any secondary terminal in the separate pluralities of secondary terminals via the associated bridge interface without having to rely on a transmit/receive control line from the controller to each of said communication chips. In another embodiment, the bridge interface is used as a repeater.

Abstract: An extended selection field for use in selecting one or more choices from a list on an information system display. The extended selection field exhibits the behavior and appearance of a standard single choice field, with the additional capability to switch into a multiple choice mode to override the single choice restriction. A single choice is selected using the standard technique of moving the selection bar to the desired choice and pressing the Enter key. However, the single choice restriction may be overridden by using the standard multiple choice selection technique of moving the selection bar to a first desired choice and pressing (instead of the Enter key) a choice selection key such as the space bar. The field then exhibits the behavior and appearance of a standard multiple choice field. The single choice selection bar immediately changes to a multiple choice indicator and the operator receives immediate visual feedback that the system is enabled to accept multiple choices.

Abstract: A method of, and placing help information on a convenient but unneeded portion of a screen. Help information, when called, is placed on the screen adjacent an operating point, and positioned such that needed information adjacent the point is not covered up or blocked from view.

Abstract: A method of, and system for, building a screen and retrieving related portions of the screen through single button depression. The order with which various portions are built in building a screen is used upon recall of the screen and selection of one portion for controlling selection of related portions. Consider a wheel which is built by building a hub, spokes, rim, and tire in order. Later recall of the wheel and selection of the spokes will permit selection of either the hub or rim upon single button depression.

Abstract: A method of, and apparatus for, altering the configuration of an art form based on defining a portion of the border of the art form. The definition of the portion is used to call an appropriate routine for permitting operator alteration of the portion. The portion is defined both geometrically and by makeup. Consider a square. If part of the definition includes one side, and another part of the definition is that the side is a solid line, urging the side away from the center of the square will create a rectangle. If part of the definition includes a broken line rather than a solid line, urging the line away from the center will result in a peaked side with the square becoming a polygon. Next consider a circle. If the border portion defined is a solid line semicircle, urging the semicircle away from the center of the circle will result in a shape similar to that of a silhouette of cylinder having domed ends.

Abstract: An improved method is disclosed for operating an interactive text processing system to integrate and process DP (data processing) type structured field data and WP (word or text processing) type text or string field data in the same record. The method involves displaying to the text processing system operator a menu of data type codes selectable through a keyboard for defining the types of data fields in a record. In response to operator selected field types, structured fields of fixed length and address pointers of fixed length for the string fields are established for the records. When the data is keyed in, the structured fields are concatenated with the address pointers for the string fields, and the text data, including format control codes, is stored at a system selected address on an auxiliary storage device such as a disk file.

Abstract: A report generation control system for operating a text processor to produce output reports containing inter-report summary data from data processing-type files. The system is compatible with text pagination functions and is useable by a text entry/revision operator with no programming skills. The system permits the operator to describe the desired report by keying an example page of the report in the exact desired format and then editing the example page by replacing the required variable file data examples with descriptive instructions and by inserting summary instructions. The system scans the edited example page for instructions, breaks it down into logical components and compiles the components into program routines which will produce the desired output report.