Apple Inc.

Benjamin W Sharpe

Stephen P Capps

Gregg S Foster

Kenneth E Victor

Peter E Alley

Peter J Potrebic

Danny L Dishon

Norberto Menendez

Scott C Collins

A method of creating an editor that is executed on a first computer system is disclosed in which the editor is arranged to facilitate the editing of data from a first application program executed on a second computer system without requiting that the first application program run on the first computer system. The method includes the steps of creating a display info array that identifies the data fields that may be displayed in a data browser window portion of the editor and creating an edit info array that identifies the data fields may be edited in a detail window portion of the editor. In a preferred embodiment, validation scripts that define the types of data that may be accepted in each of the data fields that is set forth in the edit info array are identified, with the validations scripts forming a portion of the edit info array. This arrangement facilitates editing data using a foreign computer system. Initially, a meta database is created on the first computer system and the meta database is synchronized with a database on the second computer system. An overview browser window of records in the meta database is then displayed on a screen of the first computer system when the meta database is selected. When a user selects a particular record for editing, a detail editing widow of a selected meta database record is displayed on the screen of the first computer system. Thereafter edits inputted into the first computer system are received and the records in the meta database are changed accordingly. Finally, the meta database is resynchronized with the database on the second computer system to transfer the edits to the first computer system.

Method of forming an editor

A development environment and method is provided in which a first computer system is used to develop an application for execution in a second computer system--such as a pen-based computer--having a graphical user interface. The first computer system also has a graphical user interface that can display (1) a palette containing lists and/or buttons of 'components' representing graphical interface elements such as slide bars, dialog boxes, buttons, check boxes, icons, menus, etc., (2) a layout window corresponding a display screen of the second computer and containing 'views' of selected palette components and (3) a browser allowing the views to be edited graphically. To develop an application, the user creates views on the layout window by (1) selecting a component from the palette and (2) drawing a border for the view in the layout window. Each view so created represents a 'template' which is a frame object having a plurality of 'slots' which may be edited in a slot editor area of the browser. Some views in the layout window may be 'linked views' which point to sublayout windows containing a plurality of other views. Still further, a system is provided that allows the creation of user defined proto templates containing an arrangement of views defined by the user. The user-defined proto templates can be used to create views in the layout window as described above.

Method of creating packages for a pointer-based computer system

A method for managing a computerized database characterized by the steps of: a) providing a collection of view styles including a card view and a list view; b) selecting an initial view from the collection of view styles; c) determining an initial record index; d) deriving information from at least one record of a computerized database indicated by the record index; e) displaying the information in the selected view style; f) detecting a user input indicating a view style, an index selection, or both; and g) repeating steps d, e, and f in response to the detected user input. The method also includes displaying a card area on a screen of a pen-based computer system which depicts structured information concerning an entity, and displaying a free-form area on the screen depicting unstructured information concerning the entity. A computerized database of the present invention includes a digital computation system having a central processing unit (CPU), memory coupled to the CPU, a display coupled to the CPU, and a mechanism for pointing to selected positions on the display. A card area on the display depicts structured information retrieved from a database stored in the system memory.

Interface for a computerized database having card and list views

Text, graphics, or other selected objects of a computer screen are selected and converted into a 'visual clipboard' which is attached to a convenient boundary of the screen. The visible clipboard is preferably implemented on a pen-based computer system where the object is selected by a stylus, is dragged to a boundary, and is converted to a clipboard icon at the boundary. Multiple clipboard icons may be produced by the user, and can be moved from one boundary location to another. The contents of the clipboard can be inserted or 'pasted' into an application program by dragging the clipboard icon with the stylus to the desired insertion location. Preferably, each clipboard is provided with indicia representative of the contents of the clipboard.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Benjamin W Sharpe