Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Jeffrey Thomas Chrisope

Jessica Lynn Fosler

Nikhil Kothari

Simon Calvert

Shawn Patrick Burke

Daniel R Dole

Brian Keith Pepin

Emmanuel John Athans

Tarek Madkour

Anson Michael Horton

Michael R Harsh

Paul Yuknewicz

Antoine Cote

Bulusu Krishna Mohan

Daniel Ryan Lehenbauer

Scott E Seiber

Andrew Cheng-min Lin

Fred W Balsiger

James Roy Schmelzer, Jr

Meghan Rae Perez

Jian Yuan

Donna Wallace

Graeme Mott

Christopher Dias

Joseph F Kubiniec

Stephen Giff

Corrina Barber

Jeannette Anne Gatlin

Jeffrey Stylos

Daniel J Lehenbauer

James Kristian Johansen

Hierarchical structures are visualized and navigated using an orbital model. Sibling nodes are orbitally displayed in a generally circular arrangement along an orbital path. Choosing one of the orbitally displayed nodes opens it, moving down in the hierarchy. Nodes which were not chosen are undisplayed, and child node(s) of the chosen node are orbitally displayed. Node movements may be animated. A history displays recently chosen nodes. Choosing a parent node of the orbiting nodes undisplays the child nodes, and the parent node and its siblings are orbitally displayed, thereby moving up in the hierarchy. A user may select nodes from different parts of the hierarchy by moving them into a selection tray. Selected nodes can then be subjected to a specified batch operation. Controls are available for sorting nodes and/or for altering node appearance in the display.

Orbital representation of hierarchical navigation

'In-situ editing' of a control property within a design surface is provided. 'In-situ editing' refers to a feature that can allow a user (e.g., developer) to easily perform multi-pass configuration operations on their user interface (UI) components. This can be achieved by introducing the concept of a new editing mode or view to the integrated development environment (IDE)&#x2014;(e.g., a Property Editing View (PEV)). The PEV mode can be active. In other words, the user will be presented with a mechanism of viewing and editing all properties without having to move off of the design surface. For example, editing can be performed in-place eliminating the conventional need to enter a property grid.

Property independent in-place editing

A layout including a plurality of items therein is instantiated on a display of a computing device. At least one of the items and the layout are changeable and may require relocation and/or resizing. Each item has a periphery and at least one of the items is defined to include a margin exterior to the periphery thereof. The margin is a defined distance from the periphery of the item within which another item cannot reside. In response to another item being moved so as to encroach upon the margin of an item at issue, the item at issue is to be relocated away from and in the opposite direction from the another item to clear such encroaching item from such encroached-upon margin and thereby relieve such encroachment.

System and method for automatic item relocating in a user interface layout

An API is provided for positioning items in a table. The API allows a number of columns or a number of rows, or both, to be specified for a table. Any items to be placed in the table may be identified for the API. Items may be 'moveable,' or not associated with fixed positions in the table. The moveable items may be placed adjacently in the table to fill a first row. New rows or columns may be generated to accommodate additional items. Items may also be 'fixed,' or associated with fixed positions in the table. Moveable items may fill in around the fixed items. A novel algorithm is provided to efficiently place both moveable and fixed items in a table. An on-demand reservation grid may be used in conjunction with the algorithm, thereby accommodating items that span multiple columns and/or rows.

Systems and methods for efficiently generating table layouts using moveable items

A user interface is provided that exposes items such as developer tasks, commands, property settings, and other related information to a user. The user interface may be invoked in a number of development interfaces such as, for example, a designer or an editor. The user interface may be either an object bound interface or an action triggered interface. An object bound interface exposes a set of items that are associated with a corresponding object. An action triggered interface exposes a set of items that are associated with a corresponding triggering action. In addition to enumerating developer tasks, the user interface may provide a direct link to other interfaces that facilitate task execution.

System and method for exposing tasks in a development environment

Growing community of inventors

Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Jeffrey Thomas Chrisope