Patent ID: 7493568

Claim:
A method for providing a selection of properties for an electronic document associated with an application program having a user interface, comprising the steps of: determining a context for the electronic document displayed on the user interface; determining formatting properties for the electronic document displayed on the user interface associated with the application program, wherein a formatting property has an associated control; determining a status of the formatting property creating a customized palette based upon the formatting properties and the context of the electronic document, wherein the customized palette includes controls only for formatting properties that are available to a user and excludes controls for formatting properties that are not available to a user; sizing the palette and resizing the displayed electronic document to accommodate the palette so that the palette and the electronic document can be simultaneously viewed; coordinating the palette with a toolbar associated with the application program so that the palette provides control features in a same order as corresponding control features in the toolbar; sending the palette to a user interface associated with the application program, wherein the displayed palette at the user interface excludes displayed controls for the unavailable formatting properties for the electronic document; determining a change in the status of the formatting property or the context of the electronic document; and based upon the change of the formatting property or the context of the electronic document, modifying the palette to reflect the change in the formatting property or the change in the context of the electronic document, wherein the modified palette includes controls only for formatting properties that are available to a user and excludes controls for formatting properties that are not available to a user; sizing the modified palette and resizing the displayed electronic document to accommodate the modified palette so that the modified palette and the electronic document can be simultaneously viewed; coordinating the modified palette with the toolbar so that the modified palette provides control features in a same order as corresponding control features in the toolbar; and replacing the palette with the modified palette so that the modified palette is displayed adjacent to a viewing content area occupied by the electronic document on the user interface, said modified palette being displayed such that the modified palette and an activated associated content of the modified palette do not obscure any portion of the viewing content area occupied by said electronic document regardless of whether the electronic document occupies all portions of the viewing content area, the activated associated content including a pop-up menu or a pull down box, wherein the displayed modified palette excludes displayed controls for the unavailable formatting properties for the electronic document.