Patent Document ID: 5384910
Application ID: 07999032
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method in a data processing system of providing a graphical user interface to facilitate operator interaction with said data processing system, comprising the method steps of: providing a menu-formatted graphical user interface including a plurality of menu fields whose identity and display positions are determined by an initial display configuration and which are adapted to receive alphanumeric input from a keyboard; simultaneously providing in said graphical user interface a menu field palette which includes at least one iconographic representation of at least one additional possible menu fields which is adapted to receive alphanumeric input from a keyboard; monitoring operator input, and performing at least one of the following tasks in response to a predetermined operator input: (a) including a particular one of said at least one additional possible menu fields from said menu field palette in said menu-formatted graphical user interface in response to operator selection of said at least one iconographic representation of said at least one additional possible menu fields; (b) removing a particular one of said plurality of menu fields from said menu-formatted graphical user interface; (c) automatically providing visual representations in said menu field palette of particular menu fields of said plurality of menu fields which are included or removed from said menu-formatted graphical user interface; utilizing said steps of including and removing to rearrange or alter at least one of (a) menu content in said menu-formatted graphical user interface, and (b) menu item positions in said menu-formatted graphical user interface; and receiving alphanumeric input from a keyboard in particular ones of said plurality of menu fields.