Object-action user interface management system

An object-action manager for creating and manipulating a high-level user interface for managing interaction between an end-user and a developer-defined application, comprising:

• a parser for reading a description file and creating data structures for building user interface screens, said description file having screen definitions for user interface screens, said parser creates said data structures according to a late binding convention;
• an object-list builder connected to the parser which receives the data structures from the parser, said object-list builder creates an object-list interface screen according to the data structures, the object-list interface screen having an object-list region and a menubar disposed above the object-list region, the object-list region displays a set of objects and associated attributes, said object-list region accessible by the end-user and being scrollably viewable, the menubar having view means for manipulating the set of objects and associated attributes displayed on the object-list region to create a customized view;
• a dialog-box builder connected to the parser which receives the data structures from the parser, said dialog-box builder creates a task dialog interface screen and a step menu interface screen both according to the data structures, the task dialog interface screen having a first control area and a task region disposed above the first control area, the first control area having at least one pressable first control button accessible by the end-user, said at least one pressable first control button performs a predetermined action when pressed, the task region having at least one selector and a means for manipulating a selected object and associated attributes from the object-list interface screen, the step menu interface screen having a second control area with at least one pressable second control button accessible by the end-user, said at least one pressable second control button performs a predetermined action when pressed;
• a library of access functions connected to the object-list builder and the dialog-box builder, said library having at least one subroutine for manipulating the end-user interface;
• and
• a display handler connected to the object-list builder, the dialog-box builder and the library of access functions, said display handler manages interaction between the end-user of the user interface and the object-action manager.