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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 selec

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.

대표청구항 ▼

In a computer system comprising a processor, a method comprising the steps of: executing an application program with the processor, the application program comprising a plurality of components, each component being associated with a set of commands; while executing the application program, selecting

In a computer system comprising a processor, a method comprising the steps of: executing an application program with the processor, the application program comprising a plurality of components, each component being associated with a set of commands; while executing the application program, selecting a current operating mode from among a plurality of possible operating modes of the application program; and constructing automatically with the processor a menu for the selected current operating mode, the menu comprising an organized structure of commands pertinent to the current operating mode, by determining from among the plurality of components of the application program a collection of active components for the current operating mode, merging the command sets of the active components to determine an active set of commands for the current operating mode, and organizing the commands of the active set into a menu structure, wherein the computer system further comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) providing a windowing capability for the application program that enables the application program to display an application window and two or more subwindows, and wherein each subwindow displayed by the application program corresponds to one of the possible operating modes, and wherein: the step of selecting a current operating mode selects the operating mode to which a subwindow displayed by the application program designating as active in the graphical user interface corresponds.