Method and apparatus for an applet to display multiple windows
View Patent ↗A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for displaying multiple window applets on a computer. The applet is written using the frame class and intercepts the methods by which an applet is started and started by the computer to allow more than one applet, or more than one applet window, to be open at any given time. By intelligently intercepting the start and stop methods, and tracking which applets are open, multiple applets can be open at any given time within the system.
1. A computer implemented method for displaying multiple windows comprising:
a browser application on a computer executing an applet;
the applet displaying a first window outside of the browser application's window constraints using a class, wherein the class comprises elements that make a window displayed by the applet look like an executing application;
the applet displaying a second window outside of the browser application's window constraints simultaneously with the first window using the class; and
the method further comprising maintaining a list of displayed windows, closing the displayed windows in the list when the browser switches to a new web site, and reopening the displayed windows in the list of displayed windows when the browser executes the applet again.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the class is a FRAME class provided by an abstract windows toolkit™ (AWT).
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the class elements provide for displaying a title bar, a border for resizing objects, menus, an ability to modify a cursor to various states, and system commands.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising closing all displayed windows and halting execution of the applet when the browser switches to a new web site.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
leaving displayed windows open after the browser switches to a new web site;
providing an exit command; and
closing the displayed windows upon receiving the exit command.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first window is used to monitor a status of a resource and the second window is used to respond to an event occurring with the monitored resource.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the applet is monitoring hardware and software resources from multiple physical locations.
8. A system for displaying multiple windows comprising:
a computer;
a browser application executing on the computer, wherein the browser application comprises window constraints;
an applet, executed by the browser application, wherein the applet is configured to:
display a first window outside of the browser application's window constraints using a class, wherein the class comprises elements that make a window displayed by the applet look like an executing application; and
display a second window outside of the browser application's window constraints simultaneously with the first window using the class; and
the browser configured to maintain a list of displayed windows, close the displayed windows in the list when the browser switches to a new web site, and reopen the displayed windows in the list of displayed windows when the browser executes the applet again.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein the class is a FRAME class provided by an abstract windows toolkit™ (AWT).
10. The system of claim 8 wherein the class elements provide for the browser to display a title bar, a border for resizing objects, menus, an ability to modify a cursor to various states, and system commands.
11. The system of claim 8 wherein the browswer is configured to:
request a new web site; and
close all displayed windows and halt execution of the applet when the browser switches to a new web site.
12. The system of claim 8 wherein the browser is configured to:
leave displayed windows open after the browser switches to a new web site;
provide an exit command; and
close the displayed windows upon receiving the exit command.
13. The system of claim 8 wherein the first window is used to monitor a status of a resource and the second window is used to respond to an event occurring with the monitored resource.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the applet is further configured to monitor hardware and software resources from multiple physical locations.
15. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer and storing one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for displaying multiple windows, the method comprising:
a browser application on a computer executing an applet;
the applet displaying a first window outside of the browser application's window constraints using a class, wherein the class comprises elements that make a window displayed by the applet look like an executing application;
the applet displaying a second window outside of the browser application's window constraints simultaneously with the first window using the class; and
the method further comprising maintaining a list of displayed windows, closing the displayed windows in the list when the browser switches to a new web site, and reopening the displayed windows in the list of displayed windows when the browser executes the applet again.
16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the class is a FRAME class provided by an abstract windows toolkit™ (AWT).
17. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the class elements provide for displaying a title bar, a border for resizing objects, menus, an ability to modify a cursor to various states, and system commands.
18. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , the method further comprising closing all displayed windows and halting execution of the applet when the browser switches to a new web site.
19. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , the method further comprising:
leaving displayed windows open after the browser switches to a new web site;
providing an exit command; and
closing the displayed windows upon receiving the exit command.
20. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the first window is used to monitor a status of a resource and the second window is used to respond to an event occurring with the monitored resource.
21. The article of manufacture of claim 20 wherein the applet is monitoring hardware and software resources from multiple physical locations.