Patent ID: 7287241
Filing Date: 2007-10-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. In a visual code designer that allows a user to manipulate a plurality of control objects on a common design surface, wherein each control object comprises one or more extensible snaplines that define alignment characteristics for each control, a method of helping the user to position a control on the common design surface by automatically aligning the control during design-time without the use of gridlines, the method comprising acts of: specifying snaplines for each of a plurality of controls, wherein each of the specified snaplines belongs to a particular control, and wherein each specified snaplines is extensible in that a developer can specify matching and alignment criteria; requesting one or more snaplines from an unselected control on a visual design surface; monitoring position information for a selected control within the visual design surface; comparing each snapline of the unselected control on the visual design surface to each snapline of the selected control; identifying a snapline of the unselected control that matches a snapline of the selected control based upon the developer-specified matching criteria; and in response to the snapline of the selected control being moved within a predetermined distance of the snapline of the unselected control, snapping the selected control into alignment with the unselected control.