Patent ID: 7812976

Claim:
In a controller for a production system, wherein the controller includes a display in the form of a graphical user interface, a method for concurrent programming of multiple feature operations to a single production job, the method comprising: presenting options for a concurrent selection of job properties or queue properties on a graphical user interface, wherein said graphical user interface functions within a document production system to direct document finishing operations, wherein said queue properties include default values for a virtual device to which the job will be submitted, and wherein said job properties include job feature selection options comprising all said finishing operations supported by said document production system; presenting said job feature selection options on the graphical user interface that are available, wherein said job feature selection options display only valid job feature combinations; providing toggle controls on the graphical user interface for job feature options whose operation is limited by previously selected job feature options; presenting valid location selections for a first finishing option selection; providing a dynamic graphic to illustrate an application of said first finishing option selection for a completed document; checking against rules controlling finishing option combinations; applying said rules to said first finishing option selection to determine which valid finishing options are available as second finishing option selections; presenting said valid second finishing option selections on said user interface; presenting valid location selections for said second finishing option selection to be applied to said completed document; applying said rules to said second finishing option selection to determine which valid finishing options are available as further finishing option selections; providing a dynamic graphic to illustrate the application of said first finishing option selection and said second finishing option selection on the completed document; repeating presenting valid further finishing option selections on said user interface, presenting valid location selections for said further finishing options selections, applying said rules, and providing a dynamic graphic until all finishing selections have been completed; and presenting combinations of finishing options that are unsupported by the finishing equipment as being inactive.