Alan W Ezekiel

US Patent:

56257830, Apr 29, 1997

Filed:

Dec 13, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/354923

Inventors:

Alan W. Ezekiel - Bellevue WA
Bradford A. Christian - Redmond WA

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 1500

US Classification:

395352

Abstract:

A processor (CPU) in the computer system executes an application program made up of a number of components, each associated with a set of commands. While the program is executing, a current operating mode of the program is selected. The processor automatically constructs a dynamic menu for the selected operating mode by determining which of the program's components are active in the current operating mode, merging the commands sets of these active components to form an active set of command for the current operating mode, and organizing the commands of the active set into a menu structure. The constructed, displayed menu items can be selected with an input device. Menu items contained in a displayed application menu bar are revised when one of a number of subwindows displayed by the application is selected. Displayed menu items pertaining to a particular subwindow are included in the menu bar when the subwindow is selected. Add-on software components provides additional menu items to those provided by the application program and their implementations without itself having to modify the application's menu bar to add those menu items or intercept and process user input for selecting these menu items.