Abstract: A data processing system (100) transforms the limited user interface toolkits currently in use in the software development industry to provide control interfaces which are sensitive to a user's operational context. The data processing system does not create control objects by assembling ready-made controls available in the user interface toolkit of the development system, but generates a control object which has a custom designed appearance that is relevant to the context of the action the control should perform, to the kind of object which includes the control, and to the type of data to which the control is applied. The data processing system performs these operations through the implementation of a methodology wherein a central processing unit of the data processing system identifies the control interfaces included in an object to be display on a display device (138).

Abstract: A data processing system, software program, and method of operation realistically displays a users model of a device as an object, while providing additional functions which cannot exist in the devices real-world counterparts. The data processing system and software program allow a view or a realistically-rendered object and a function associated with that object to be selectively modified in response to a user input. During operation, a cursor displayed by a display device (138) is used to access a view changing mechanism displayed on the realistically-rendered object. By selectively accessing the view changing mechanism, a user is able to change a view of the realistically-rendered object from a base function view to a full function view.

Abstract: A data processing system renders a real-world object on a display device to represent a storage space of the data processing system. The real-world object is displayed with various labels and indicators to provide information about the internal contents of the storage space represented by the object as well as the storage space itself. Such visual indicators allow an external user to access information about the contents of a storage space without actually opening the storage space or delving into the depths of the user interface to determine additional information. In addition to providing information about the storage space represented by the real-world metaphor, the data processing system also allows the external user to selectively name the storage space represented by the object in a useful manner.

Abstract: In a component-based system such as OpenDoc, only one component can be "active," such that only the active component has control of the menubar and the pop-up menus. An active component may contain both intrinsic contents and embedded components. The active component allows the user to "select" some or all of its embedded components such that the user can act on the selected embedded components. When the selection is an intrinsic content, it is straightforward for the active component to present menu options that allows the user to interact with the selection. However, when the selection is an embedded component, there is no standard method for presenting menu options that allows the user to interact with selected embedded component; especially when multiple embedded components are selected within a compound document. This invention provides a method for sharing a menu by multiple embedded components in a component-based computer system.