Inventors:
Steven Adam Breinberg - Sunnyvale CA
Marc Rene Keller - San Jose CA
Hannes Helmut Ruescher - Palo Alto CA
Hiroya Chiba - Sunnyvale CA
Assignee:
Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA
International Classification:
G06F 314
Abstract:
A computer-based method of sizing and positioning controls within a window is disclosed. The method divides a window, and in particular a dialog window, into rectangular regions, referred to as frames. A logical description of the relative positions and sizes of the controls and frames within the dialog window is specified. The method automatically determines the coordinates of each control and positions the controls accordingly during execution of the computer program that is displaying the dialog window. The method is performed in two stages: a specification stage and a layout stage. In the specification stage, a dialog window is subdivided into multiple nested rectangular frames. The set of frames for a dialog window forms a hierarchical tree of frames. In the layout stage, the method traverses the tree of frames twice.