Importance

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Abstract

A drawer-like apparatus for storing objects for use with a data set in an application window on a digital computer. The drawer is advantageously associated with a user data set instead of with an application program or an application window. The drawer further includes a visible drawer handle displayed in the application window and a drawer storage area coupled to the visible drawer handle. Unless accessed via the visible drawer handle, at least a majority of the drawer storage area is visually hidden. The drawer storage area is capable of storing a plurality of objects, at least one of the plurality of objects stored within the drawer storage area is represented upon access by a symbolic representation within the drawer storage area. There are two types of drawers, default and customizable. Default drawers are read-only storage devices and store an unalterable number of default objects. On the other hand, customizable drawers have contents that may be changed and are generally used to store user-deposited objects. To control user access to the drawer, the association between the drawer and the data set is inhibitable based on a predetermined availability criteria. Further, each drawer may include a write-enable criteria, which determines whether that drawer is default or customizable to a particular user.

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First Claim