Patent ID: 9250786
Filing Date: 2016-02-02
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A method of performing a snapping operation in a graphical user interface, the method comprising: receiving a first user input indicating an initiation of a dragging operation in the graphical user interface, the first user input indicating a first location in the graphical user interface; evaluating respective distances between the first location and a plurality of source features in the graphical user interface; determining a source feature corresponding to a source object in response to the source feature having a shortest distance among the respective distances to the first location; receiving a second user input during the dragging operation in the graphical user interface, the second user input indicating a current location in the graphical user interface; determining, using at least one processor of a machine, a current target feature corresponding to a current target object based on the current location; and snapping the source feature corresponding to the source object to the current target feature corresponding to the current target object; unsnapping the source feature corresponding to the source object from the current target feature corresponding to the current target object in response to the source feature being dragged away from the current target feature before completing the dragging operation; and continuously determining a new target feature corresponding to a new target object based on the current location of the source feature during the dragging operation.