Graphical user interface with hierarchical structure for customizable menus and control objects

A graphical user interface for a computer, said interface including graphical objects that are displayed on a monitor of the computer and that are accessed by users to control the operation of the computer, said interface comprising:

• a plurality of first code modules, each of which defines the structural relationship of elements that constitute a displayed image of an associated graphical object;
• a plurality of sets of second code modules which depend from said first code modules, wherein each set of second code modules includes a code module which depends from a respective one of said first code modules, each of said second code module defining an appearance for each of the elements in the image of a graphical object to be displayed on the monitor;
• and
• means responsive to a user command for selecting one of said sets of second code modules to controls the appearances of the graphical objects in the user interface.

A method for controlling an appearance of a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including graphical objects that are displayed on a monitor of a computer and that are accessed by users to control the operation of the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• organizing a plurality of first code modules, wherein each of the plurality of first code modules defines a structural relationship of elements that constitute a displayed image of an associated graphical object;
• organizing a plurality of sets of second code modules that depend from the plurality of first code modules, wherein each set of second code modules includes a code module that depends from a respective one of the plurality of first code modules, wherein each of the second code modules defines an appearance for each of the elements in the image of a graphical object to be displayed on the monitor;
• and
• selecting one of the plurality of sets of second code modules to control the appearances of the graphical objects in the graphical user interface.

A computer-readable medium, comprising:

• a first portion having stored therein a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes graphical objects that are displayed on a monitor of a computer and that are accessed by users to control the operation of the computer, the graphical user interface comprising a plurality of definitions that are respectively associated with the graphical objects, each of the definitions comprising a hierarchical set of software code modules;
• a second portion having stored therein a first code module at one level of the hierarchy, wherein the first code module defines the structural relationship of elements that constitute a displayed image of the graphical object;
• and
• a third portion having stored therein a second code module at a lower level of the hierarchy that depends from the first code module, wherein the second code module defines an appearance for each of the elements in the image of the graphical object to be displayed on the monitor.

A computer-readable medium, comprising:

• a first portion having stored therein a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes graphical objects that are displayed on a monitor of a computer and that are accessed by users to control the operation of the computer;
• a second portion having stored therein a plurality of first code modules, wherein each of the plurality of first code modules defines a structural relationship of elements that constitute a displayed image of an associated graphical object;
• a third portion having stored therein a plurality of sets of second code modules that depend from the plurality of first code modules, wherein each set of second code modules includes a code module that depends from a respective one of the plurality of first code modules, wherein each of the second code modules defines an appearance for each of the elements in the image of a graphical object to be displayed on the monitor;
• and
• a fourth portion having stored therein an object, responsive to a user command, for selecting one of the plurality of sets of second code modules to control the appearances of the graphical objects in the graphical user interface.