Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Todd J Green

Richard Wales Stoakley

James F Springfield

James Brian Kurtz

Chris J Guzak

Philip Alan Bernstein

Justin Mann

Sergey Melnik

Ramkumar Ramasubramanian

Suzan Andrew

Alan P Nash

A general-purpose reusable algebraic-based composition algorithm for composing mappings between data schemas. The algorithm handles more expressive mappings, makes a best-effort to eliminate symbols when a perfect answer cannot be obtained, includes new heuristics, and is extensible. A relational algebraic language is provided wherein each mapping is expressed as a set of constraints, and each constraint is either a containment or equality of two or more relational algebraic expressions. The composition mechanism exploits monotonicity properties of algebraic operators in operator arguments, handles NULLs and bag semantics, operates to allow composition to produce a partial result when a complete result is not possible, facilitates symbols elimination one symbol at a time using left composition, for example, as a way of isolating the symbols, supports making a best-effort to eliminate as many symbols as possible from an intermediate schema, and handles unknown or partially known operators via delayed handling.

Mapping composition using algebraic operators

A method and system are provided for use in a computer system for organizing and displaying notification items associated with the system, applications or other components, within a notification area. The system monitors items that are placed in the notification, comparing the period of placement with a predetermined time threshold value, If the item has remained inactive for longer than the predetermined threshold period, the item is hidden from the notification area. Additionally, the system monitors the hidden items for changes in icon appearance and will unhide the item upon a change in appearance or specific selection by a user. New items and unhidden items are arranged in the order of the most recent addition to the notification area. The system also allows a user to customize the behavior associated with individual notification items.

Method and system for reducing notification area clutter

A method and system are provided for organizing, displaying, and accessing representations of one or more running tasks on a graphical user interface in a computer system. The system organizes like application files and clusters the corresponding taskbar buttons and, upon reaching a threshold limit, creates and displays a group button that contains the like application files and removes the like taskbar buttons from the taskbar. Further, upon reaching a second threshold limit, the system ungroups the application taskbar buttons, displays them on the taskbar and removes the group button from the taskbar.

Method and system for clustering and grouping taskbar buttons

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Todd J Green