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US5675520A
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Method for extending a common user interface
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1995-03-30
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Granted: 1997-10-07
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Expires: 2015-03-30
Abstract
Abstract A method for extending a common user interface in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system. To customize a common dialog box, an application provides a sub-dialog box template defining application-specific extensions to the common dialog box, and a sub-dialog procedure for controlling the behavior of the application-specific extensions. An operating system processes input to the extended version of the common dialog box depending on where user input occurs. In response to input at application-specific controls, the system sends a message to the sub-dialog procedure. In response to input at standard controls, the system sends a message to a common dialog procedure provided in the operating system.
Inventors
- 👤 George H. Pitt, III
- 👤 Christopher J. Guzak
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 18:28
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/44; G06F9/451; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S715/00; Y10S715/975
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A method for extending a common dialog box in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system, the method comprising: in response to a request from an application to create a common dialog box, creating a common dialog box using a common dialog box template provided in a common dialog box library, reading a sub-dialog box template provided by the application; adding application-specific features defined in the sub-dialog box template to the common dialog box by creating a sub-dialog box; displaying a combined common dialog box and the sub-dialog box on a display screen of the programmed computer system; in response to user input to the sub-dialog box, sending a first notification message to a sub-dialog box procedure in the application to process the user input to the sub-dialog box; and in response to user input to the common dialog box, sending a second notification message to a common dialog box procedure in the common dialog box library to process the user input to the common dialog box.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
168 words
A method for extending a common dialog box in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system, the method comprising: in response to a request from an application to create a common dialog box, creating a common dialog box using a common dialog box template provided in a common dialog box library, reading a sub-dialog box template provided by the application; adding application-specific features defined in the sub-dialog box template to the common dialog box by creating a sub-dialog box; displaying a combined common dialog box and the sub-dialog box on a display screen of the programmed computer system; in response to user input to the sub-dialog box, sending a first notification message to a sub-dialog box procedure in the application to process the user input to the sub-dialog box; and in response to user input to the common dialog box, sending a second notification message to a common dialog box procedure in the common dialog box library to process the user input to the common dialog box.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the common dialog box template is binary data defining the appearance and controls included in the common dialog box and the sub-dialog box template is binary data defining application-specific controls to be added to the common dialog box.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the adding step includes resizing the common dialog box to include the application-specific controls defined in the sub-dialog box template to be added to the common dialog box.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the request from the application is a function call specifying the sub-dialog box template and sub-dialog procedure associated with the sub-dialog box.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
166 words
A method for extending a common dialog box in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system, the method comprising: receiving a function call from an application to create a common dialog box in a shared common dialog box library, the function call specifying a sub-dialog box template and a sub-dialog box procedure; creating a common dialog box in response to the function call; creating a sub-dialog box to the common dialog box in response to the function call using the sub-dialog box template to add application-specific controls to the common dialog box; displaying the common dialog box and the sub-dialog box on a display screen of the computer system; in response to user input at an application-specific control in the sub-dialog box, reporting the user input directly to the sub-dialog box procedure; and in response to user input at a standard control in the common dialog box, reporting the user input directly to the common dialog box procedure in the shared common dialog box library.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
166 words
A method for extending a common dialog box in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system, the method comprising: receiving a function call from an application to create a common dialog box in a shared common dialog box library, the function call specifying a sub-dialog box template and a sub-dialog box procedure; creating a common dialog box in response to the function call; creating a sub-dialog box to the common dialog box in response to the function call using the sub-dialog box template to add application-specific controls to the common dialog box; displaying the common dialog box and the sub-dialog box on a display screen of the computer system; in response to user input at an application-specific control in the sub-dialog box, reporting the user input directly to the sub-dialog box procedure; and in response to user input at a standard control in the common dialog box, reporting the user input directly to the common dialog box procedure in the shared common dialog box library.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the shared common dialog box library is a dynamic link library accessible to a plurality of applications running in the computer system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 5 further including the steps of: in response to user input at an application-specific control in the sub-dialog box, sending a first message to a control procedure associated with the application-specific control in the sub-dialog box, and sending a second message to the sub-dialog procedure in the application.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 5 further including the steps of: in response to user input at a standard control in the common dialog box, sending a first message to a control procedure associated with the standard control in the common dialog box, and sending a second message to the common dialog procedure in the shared common dialog box library.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
137 words
A method for extending a common user interface window in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system, the method comprising: receiving a command from an application to create a common window on a display screen, the command specifying an application-specific template that defines the appearance of an application-specific extension to the common window and specifying a child window procedure that processes input directed to the application-specific extension; in response to the command, creating a common window including a parent common window and a child window of the parent common window, the child window including the application-specific extension to the common window; displaying the common window including the application-specific extension on a display screen; and processing user input to the application-specific extension by sending a message corresponding to the user input directly to the child window procedure.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
137 words
A method for extending a common user interface window in a windowing environment of a programmed computer system, the method comprising: receiving a command from an application to create a common window on a display screen, the command specifying an application-specific template that defines the appearance of an application-specific extension to the common window and specifying a child window procedure that processes input directed to the application-specific extension; in response to the command, creating a common window including a parent common window and a child window of the parent common window, the child window including the application-specific extension to the common window; displaying the common window including the application-specific extension on a display screen; and processing user input to the application-specific extension by sending a message corresponding to the user input directly to the child window procedure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the application-specific template defines a child window to the common window, the child window including only the application-specific extension to the common window.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the creating step includes: positioning the application-specific extension relative to the parent common window so that the common window includes both the application-specific extension and one or more common controls in the parent common window.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the positioning step includes: positioning the application-specific extension below the one or more common controls in the parent common window by adjusting a coordinate representing position of the application-specific extension.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
100 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the positioning step includes: reading coordinates of the application specific extension, wherein the coordinates specify a position of the application-specific extension relative to the one or more common controls; determining whether the coordinates of the application specific extension need to be adjusted to fit the one or more common controls and the application-specific extension in the common window; and if the coordinates of the application-specific extension need to be adjusted, then adjusting the coordinates of the application-specific extension to maintain the position of the application-specific extension relative to the one or more common controls.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
102 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the positioning step includes: reading coordinates of the application specific extension, wherein the coordinates specify a position of the application-specific extension relative to the one or more common controls; determining whether the coordinates of the application specific extension need to be adjusted to fit the one or more common controls and the application-specific extension in the common window; and if the coordinates of the application-specific extension need to be adjusted, then adjusting coordinates of the one or more common controls to maintain the position of the application-specific extension relative to the one or more common controls.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5438659A
Cited
US5555370A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-10-06 | 2001-04-07 | 2001-10-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-10-06 | 2005-04-07 | 2005-10-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-10-06 | 2009-04-07 | 2009-10-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |