International Business Machines Corporation

Bethany Lyn Kessen

Martin T Moore

Molly Kestner Barksdale

Gerald Ray Woods

Lorin Ullmann

Brian Lee White Eagle

Christopher Andrew Peters

Christopher Joseph Paul

Craig M Lawton

Jonathan Andrew Lewis

Jason C Plurad

Gary St Mark Beadle

Jesse B Overby, Iii

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing user lists are provided. A group of instant messaging addresses used most frequently by a user of an instant messaging client on the communications device is identified. The identified group of instant messaging addresses is displayed visibly within a display in the communications device.

Dynamically creating historical groups in a messaging client

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for sending a user's availability information to an instant messaging (IM) partner. A user predefines areas of the user's display and associates these predefined areas, or 'hotspots', with user defined messages. If the user is not available to immediately respond to an incoming message, the user may move the IM dialog window to a 'hotspot' in the display. Depending upon the user-defined message associated with the &#x201c;hotspot&#x201d;, the IM application generates an automated response indicating the user's availability to respond to the message, and sends the message to the IM partner. The user also may predefine and associate the user's IM status with a &#x201c;hotspot&#x201d;. Moving an IM dialog window into a &#x201c;hotspot&#x201d; automatically changes the user's status based on the associated &#x201c;hotspot&#x201d;. This change is communicated to only the particular IM dialog window partner while other IM partners are unaffected.

Method for determining availability of participation in instant messaging

A system and method for displaying layered data, such as data with a hierarchical relationship is provided. A flat tree view control is provided that indicates the level corresponding to individual data items without indenting data items. Colors or grayscale shading is applied to each data item to indicate the item's level within the hierarchy. Items within the same level use the same color or shading. When an item is selected by the user it is expanded or collapsed depending on whether the layers below the selected item already appear on the display screen. Additional level indicator values and level indicator bars can be used to further indicate the level of data items. A data item can also be highlighted to indicate a particular attribute corresponding with an individual data item.

System and method for using shading layers and highlighting to navigate a tree view display

A system and method for displaying layered data, such as data with a hierarchical relationship is provided. A flat tree view control is provided that indicates the level corresponding to individual data items without indenting data items. Layer bars, or markers, are used to indicate the level of the individual data items within the data hierarchy. In addition, color or grayscale shading can be applied to each data item to further indicate the item's level within the hierarchy. Items within the same level use the same color or shading. When an item is selected by the user it is expanded or collapsed depending on whether the layers below the selected item already appear on the display screen. Additional level indicator values can be used to further indicate the level of data items. A data item can also be highlighted to indicate a particular attribute corresponding with an individual data item.

System and method for using layer bars to indicate levels within non-indented tree view control

A method for window snap control for a split screen computer program GUI is provided. In the method, an area between a first and second display windows of a computer program is selected. The selected area activates a snap function of the computer program. The snap function displays a selection icon for client interaction with a selection indicator within the selection icon. Selecting the indicator will increase a size of the first display window while simultaneously decreasing a size of the second display window.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Bethany Lyn Kessen