Importance

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Abstract

A development environment and method is provided in which a first computer system is used to develop an application for execution in a second computer system--such as a pen-based computer--having a graphical user interface. The first computer system also has a graphical user interface that can display (1) a palette containing lists and/or buttons of 'components' representing graphical interface elements such as slide bars, dialog boxes, buttons, check boxes, icons, menus, etc., (2) a layout window corresponding a display screen of the second computer and containing 'views' of selected palette components and (3) a browser allowing the views to be edited graphically. To develop an application, the user creates views on the layout window by (1) selecting a component from the palette and (2) drawing a border for the view in the layout window. Each view so created represents a 'template' which is a frame object having a plurality of 'slots' which may be edited in a slot editor area of the browser. Some views in the layout window may be 'linked views' which point to sublayout windows containing a plurality of other views. Still further, a system is provided that allows the creation of user defined proto templates containing an arrangement of views defined by the user. The user-defined proto templates can be used to create views in the layout window as described above.

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First Claim