Patent ID: 6297837
Filing Date: 2001-10-02
Classification: G06F,G09G

Abstract:
In a computer system having an output device and processor for running an operating system having a graphical user interface and an application program wherein the application program and the graphical user interface output window elements that are based on a visual representation of the window elements provided by the operating system, a method comprising the computer-implement steps of:maintaining information by the operating system about the metric characteristics of a specific window element provided by the operating system independent of other window elements provided by the operating system;outputting by the application program and the graphical user interface, the specific window element provided by the operating system, wherein the output it uniformly based solely on the information maintained by the operating system about the metric characteristics of the specific window element provided by the operating system;providing a function in the operating system for obtaining the information that is maintained about the metric characteristics of the specific window element provided by the operating system; andcalling the operating system function by the application program and the graphical user interface of the operating system to obtain the information maintained about the metric characteristics of the specific window element provided by the operating system.