US 7,010,750 B2 · Method, program product, and processing system for performing object editing through implicit object selection

Abstract

A data processing system (10) has a processor (11), a display device (15), and a user input arrangement (17) which includes a pointer control device (19) such as a mouse. An edit function input is entered through the user input arrangement (17) and a target to be edited is identified in response to the edit function input. The target comprises some displayed object that is specified by proximity to a system pointer (29) at the time the edit function input is received. The edit function input defines an edit operation to be performed by the data processing system (10) on the identified target. After receiving the edit function input and responding to the input by identifying the target, the method includes determining a state of the target which indicates whether or not the edit operation is currently applied to the target. If the state of the target indicates that the edit operation is not currently applied to the target, the method includes applying the edit operation to the target. In this way, the edit operation is applied to the target without first having to explicitly select the target.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of performing an object editing operation in a data processing system having a display for displaying an object and also having a user input arrangement including a pointer control device for providing inputs to control the location of a pointer on the display, the data processing system also having a processing device programmed to receive and respond to inputs entered through the user input arrangement and provide an output for controlling the display, the method including the steps of:

(a) receiving an edit function input entered through the user input arrangement, the edit function input defining an edit operation to be performed by the data processing system;
(b) identifying a target in response to the edit function input, the target comprising an object appearing on the display as specified by proximity to the pointer at the time the edit function input is received;
(c) determining a state of the target;
and
(d) applying the edit operation to the target if the state of the target indicates that the edit operation is not currently applied to the target;
(e) identifying a first target string for the target if the state of the target indicates that the edit operation is currently applied to the target, the first target string comprising a first string of additional object elements which includes the target;
(f) determining the state of the first target string;
and
(g) applying the edit operation to the first target string if the state of the first target string indicates that the edit operation is not currently applied to the first target string.

6 more elements

A program product for performing an editing operation in a data processing system having a display for displaying an object and also having a user input arrangement including a pointer control device for providing inputs to control the location of a pointer on the display, the data processing system also having a processing device for executing the program product, the program product being stored on a computer readable medium and including:

(a) input program code for receiving an edit function input entered through the user input arrangement and for associating the edit function input with an edit operation to be performed by the data processing system;
(b) target identifying program code for identifying a target in response to the edit function input, the target comprising an object appearing on the display as specified by proximity to the pointer at the time the edit function input is received;
(c) first target string identifying program code for identifying a first target string if a state of the target indicates that the edit operation is currently applied to the target, the first target string comprising a first string of object elements which includes the target;
(d) state checking program code for determining the state of the target and for determining the state of the first target string;
and
(e) operation performance program code for applying the edit operation to the target if the state of the target indicates that the edit operation is not currently applied to the target and for applying the edit operation to the first target string if the state of the first target string indicates that the edit operation is not currently applied to the first target string.

3 more elements

A data processing system including:

(a) a display;
(b) a user input arrangement including a pointer control device, the pointer control device for providing inputs to control the location of a pointer on the display;
and
(c) a processor programmed to:
(I) receive an edit function input entered through the user input arrangement;
(ii) identify a target in response to the edit function input, the target comprising an object appearing on the display as specified by proximity to the pointer at the time the edit function input is received;
(iii) determine a state of the target;
and
(iv) apply an edit operation to the target if the state of the target indicates that the edit operation is not currently applied to the target, the edit operation comprising an operation defined by the edit function input;
(v) identify a first target string for the target if the state of the target indicates that the edit operation is currently applied to the target, the first target string comprising a first string of additional object elements which includes the target;
(vi) determine the state of the first target string;
and
(vii) apply the edit operation to the first target string if the state of the first target string indicates that the edit operation is not currently applied to the first target string.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method, program product, and processing system for performing object editing through implicit object selection

Life of this patent

Method, program product, and processing system for performing object editing through implicit object selection

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16