Patent ID: 8584008
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: determining that a first data container and a second data container overlap within a user interface display, the first data container and the second data container visually attached, respectively, to a first pointer and a second pointer, the first pointer being of a fixed size and the second pointer being of the fixed size, the first pointer to visually connect the first data container to a first target item and the second pointer to visually connect the second data container to a second target item, the first pointer and second pointer connecting to the data containers at a default position and pointing to the target item and, by default, aligned in the same manner as the target items, the first target and the second target item being cells in the same row of a spreadsheet, the first and second data container being displayed in one or more predefined linear zones that are positioned so as to cause the first and second data container to be aligned parallel to the row of the spreadsheet that includes the cells; responsive to the determining and using one or more processors, automatically shifting one or more boundaries of at least one of the first data container or the second data container while maintaining the fixed size of the first and second pointers so that the first data container and the second container do not overlap within the display; determining that, as a result of the shifting, the first pointer is not visually joined to the first data container; shifting the first pointer toward the first data container so as to maintain a visual connection with respect to the first pointer; and maintaining an orientation of the first pointer and the second pointers so that the first pointer points to the first target item and the second pointer points to the second target item.