G - Physics – 06 – F
Patent
G - Physics
06
F
354/229
G06F 3/14 (2006.01) G06F 3/033 (2006.01)
Patent
CA 1301355
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Workspaces provided by an object-based user interface appear to share windows and other display objects. Each workspace's data structure includes, for each window in that workspace, a linking data structure called a placement which links to the display system object which provides that window, which may be a display system object in a preexisting window system. The placement also contains display characteristics of the window when displayed in that workspace, such as position and size. Therefore, a display system object can be linked to several workspaces by a placement in each of the workspaces' data structures, and the window it provides to each of those workspaces can have unique display characteristics. The display system object can operate continuously despite switching between one workspace and another, and the windows it provides in successive workspaces can share features so that they appear to the user to be the same window or versions of the same window. As a result, the workspaces appear to be sharing a window. Workspaces can also appear to share a window if each workspace's data structure includes data linking to another workspace with a placement to the shared window. A special workspace is automatically included in each of the other workspaces, so that windows in that workspace go with the user into any other workspace. The user can invoke a switch between workspaces by selecting a display object called a door, and a back door to the previous workspace is created automatically so that the user is not trapped in a workspace. Upon leaving a workspace, the user can select windows which will be transferred into the workspace being entered, in which case placements are automatically created for the next workspace. A display system object providing a window to a -1- workspace being left remains active so that when that workspace is reentered, the window will have the same contents as when it disappeared. Also, the placements of a workspace are updated so that when the workspace is reentered its windows are organized the same as when the user left that workspace. The user can enter an overview display which shows a representation of each workspace and the windows it contains so that the user can navigate to any workspace from the overview. The user can also perform window and workspace manipulations while in the overview. For example, a group of workspaces can be selected in the overview to be stored in a file and can subsequently be retrieved from the file and recreated from the overview. These file operations can be used for delivery of applications through a special interface analogous to a catalogue. -2-
558772
Card Stuart K.
Henderson D. Austin Jr.
Maxwell John T. III
Sim & Mcburney
Xerox Corporation
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