EXTENDABLE BLADE SEQUENCE ALONG PANNABLE CANVAS DIRECTION

1 . A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to operate a user interface program that is configured to display a user interface on a display of the computing system, the user interface comprising:

a canvas that extends in an extendable direction on the user interface; and

an activation mechanism that may be activated to generate a first blade on the canvas, the first blade including a plurality of elements, each of at least some of the plurality of elements having at least one corresponding blade such that if the corresponding element is selected, the corresponding blade appears on the canvas as a second blade on the canvas.

2 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second blade is contiguous the first blade in the panning direction of the canvas.

3 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first blade is scrollable in a direction perpendicular to the extendable direction.

4 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elements are hierarchically structured and include at a first selectable element, a parent element, that contains a plurality of child elements at least one of which being selectable, such that a blade corresponding to the parent element appears on the canvas if the parent element is selected, and such that a blade corresponding to the child element appears on the canvas if the selectable child element is selected.

5 . A method for generating a user interface, the method comprising:

an act of providing a canvas that extends in a pannable direction in the user interface;

an act of presenting a first blade in a canvas at a first position of the canvas in the pannable direction, the first blade including a first plurality of elements, each of at least some of the first plurality of elements having a corresponding blade such that if the corresponding element is selected, the corresponding blade appears on the canvas as a second blade on the canvas;

an act of detecting a selection of one of the first plurality of elements; and

in response to the detection of the selection of the element in the first plurality of elements, an act of presenting a second blade in a canvas at a second position of the canvas in the pannable direction.

6 . The method in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the second blade includes a second plurality of elements, each of at least some of the second plurality of elements having a corresponding blade such that if the corresponding element is selected, the corresponding blade appears on the canvas as a third blade on the canvas.

7 . The method in accordance with claim 6 , further comprising:

in response to user interaction, an act presenting a viewer that allows an entire sequence of blades including at least the first, second, and third blades to be viewed on the display.

8 . The method in accordance with claim 6 , further comprising:

in response to user interaction, an act of saving an entire sequence of blades including at least the first blade, the second blade, and the third blade.

9 . The method in accordance with claim 6 , the first blade occupying a majority of the canvas at the first position, and the second blade occupying a majority of the canvas at the second position.

10 . The method in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the first blade occupies all of the canvas at the first position, and the second blade occupies all of the canvas at the second position.

11 . A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to operate a user interface program that is configured to display a user interface on a display of the computing system, the user interface comprising:

a canvas that extends in an extendable direction on the user interface; and

an activation mechanism that may be activated to generate a first blade on the canvas, the first blade including a first plurality of elements; and

an extension mechanism configured to performing the following in response to detection of a selection of an element of a prior plurality of elements in a prior blade:

an act of presenting a subsequent blade on the canvas, the subsequent blade corresponding to the selected element in the prior blade, the subsequent blade also containing a plurality of selectable elements,

wherein if a selectable element of the first plurality of elements in the first blade is selected, the extension mechanism responds by presenting a second blade having a second plurality of selectable elements.

12 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the extension mechanism is configured such that under predetermined circumstances the subsequent blade is presented on the canvas adjacent in the extendable direction to the prior blade on the canvas.

13 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the activation mechanism is included within an activation area of the user interface, the activation area including a plurality of activation mechanisms, each for generating a different initiating blade on the canvas.

14 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 11 , wherein for at least one subsequent blade, the subsequent blade defaults to a full size blade that occupies at least a majority of the displayable area of the canvas.

15 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 14 , wherein for at least one subsequent blade, the subsequent blade defaults to a browse size blade that occupies less than a majority of the displayable area of the canvas.

16 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 11 , wherein for at least one subsequent blade, the subsequent blade has a size adjustment mechanism that may be used to reduce the size of the blade or increase the size of the blade, such that if there is a series of one or more contiguous blades that are in the extendable direction on the canvas, the position of the one or more contiguous blades are likewise adjusted so as to continue to be contiguous with the subsequent blade that has its size adjusted.

17 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the size adjustment mechanism comprises a collapsing mechanism that is configured to collapse the blade into a collapsed representation that has an expansion control that allows the subsequent blade to be returned to its pre-collapsed state.

18 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the extension mechanism is configured such that under predetermined circumstances the subsequent blade is presented on the canvas so as to be fixed on a display regardless of panning of the canvas.

19 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the fixed portion of the display is in a middle portion of the display within a dimension along the extendable direction.

20 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the fixed portion is on one of the sides of the display within a dimension along the extendable direction.