User interface expander and collapser

1. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodied in a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform operations to indicate expanded states and collapsed states, in a higher level visual control tool bar, of lower level expander/collapser items in an area of a user interface display separate from the higher level visual control tool bar, the operations comprising:

providing a lower level expander/collapser indicator area in the higher level visual control tool bar;

displaying a first display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all the lower level expander/collapser items are in a collapsed state;

displaying a second different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all of the lower level expander/collapser items are in an expanded state; and

displaying a third different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when at least one of the lower level expander/collapser items is in the collapsed state and at least another one of the lower level expander/collapser items is in the expanded state.

2. The program storage device as in claim 1 wherein, during display of the third display, the operation comprises displaying at least two different mixed state action buttons in the lower level expander/collapser indicator area of the higher level visual control tool bar.

3. The program storage device as in claim 1 further comprising maintaining the lower level expander/collapser indicator area as a substantially same size when displaying the first, second and third displays in the indicator area.

4. A method of indicating expanded states and collapsed states of lower level expander/collapser items of a user interface display in a higher level visual control tool bar separate from an area having the lower level expander/collapser items, the method comprising:

providing, in the higher level visual control tool bar, a lower level expander/collapser indicator area;

displaying a first display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all the lower level expander/collapser items are in a first state;

displaying a second different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all of the lower level expander/collapser items are in a second different state; and

displaying a third different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when a first one of the lower level expander/collapser items is in the first state and a second one of the lower level expander/collapser items is not in the first state.

5. The method as in claim 4 wherein displaying the third different display comprises displaying at least two different mixed state action buttons in the lower level expander/collapser indicator area of the higher level visual control tool bar.

6. The method as in claim 4 further comprising maintaining the lower level expander/collapser indicator area as a substantially same size when displaying the first, second and third displays in the indicator area.

7. The method as in claim 6 wherein displaying the third different display comprises providing a plus (+) shaped button and a minus (−) shaped button in the indicator area.

8. The method as in claim 4 wherein displaying the third different display occurs when only a first lower level immediately beyond the higher level visual control tool bar contains both items in the first state and items not in the first state, and does not occur when a second deeper lower level beyond the first lower level contains both items in the first state and items not in the first state.

9. The method as in claim 4 further comprising:

selecting a first action button in the higher level visual control toolbar of the third display to expand all the expander/collapser items in the lower level to the second state, wherein the second state comprises an expanded state.

10. The method as in claim 9 further comprising:

selecting a second action button in the higher level visual control toolbar of the third display to collapse all the expander/collapser items in the lower level to the first state, wherein the first state comprises a collapsed state.

11. A method of indicating expanded states and collapsed states of lower level expander/collapser items in a higher level visual control tool bar, displayed separately from the lower level expander/collapser items, of a user interface display the method comprising:

providing, in the higher level visual control tool bar, a lower level expander/collapser indicator area;

displaying a first display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all the lower level expander/collapser items are in a first state;

displaying a second different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all of the lower level expander/collapser items are in a second different state;

displaying a third different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when a first one of the lower level expander/collapser items is in the first state and a second one of the lower level expander/collapser items is not in the first state; and maintaining the lower level expander/collapser indicator area as a substantially same size when displaying the first, second and third displays in the indicator area, wherein displaying the third different display comprises providing two arrow shaped buttons in the indicator area pointing in different directions.

12. A method of indicating expanded states and collapsed states of lower level expander/collapser items in a higher level visual control tool bar, displayed separately from the lower level expander/collapser items, of a user interface display, the method comprising:

providing, in the higher level visual control toolbar, a lower level expander/collapser indicator area;

displaying a first display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all the lower level expander/collapser items are in a first state;

displaying a second different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all of the lower level expander/collapser items are in a second different state; and

displaying a third different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when a first one of the lower level expander/collapser items is in the first state and a second one of the lower level expander/collapser items is not in the first state,

wherein displaying the third different display occurs when a first lower level immediately beyond the higher level visual control tool bar contains both items in the first state and items not in the first state, and when a second deeper lower level beyond the first lower level contains both items in the first state and items not in the first state.

13. A method of expanding expander/collapser items in a lower level of a user interface display comprising:

indicating expanded states and collapsed states of lower level expander/collapser items in a higher level visual control tool bar, displayed separately from the lower level expander/collapser items, of a user interface display, comprising:

providing, in the higher level visual control tool bar, a lower level expander/collapser indicator area;

displaying a first display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all the lower level expander/collapser items are in a first state;

displaying a second different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all of the lower level expander/collapser items are in a second different state;

displaying a third different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when a first one of the lower level expander/collapser items is in the first state and a second one of the lower level expander/collapser items is not in the first state;

allowing only one expander/collapser item in the lower level to be expanded at any one time when the expander/collapser item is directly expanded by selection of a user; and

expanding all the expander/collapser items in the lower level when an action button in the indicator area of the higher level visual control tool bar is selected by the user.