Indicating potential focus in a user interface
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for an integrated user interface an interface that receives user input through the user interface. User selection input received through the user interface is used to sequentially update a selection register and sequential user selections are differentiated within the user interface based on their status within the selection register.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, via a processor of an information appliance, a first selection, the first selection comprising a current selection;
receiving, via the processor, a second selection, the first selection and the second selection comprising a selection stack, an order of the first selection and the second selection in the selection stack corresponding to a sequence in which the first selection and the second selection were made;
after receiving the second selection, designating the second selection as the current selection and the first selection as a first old selection, the designating the first selection as the first old selection and the designating of the second selection as the current selection comprising highlighting the first selection distinguishable from the second selection, the highlighting of the first selection and the second selection being distinguishable from one another using an animation, a speed of the animation varying based on a position in the selection stack;
receiving, via a command input, a command, the command comprising an operation, the first selection and the second selection comprising operands of the operation; and
performing, via the processor, the operation, the operation modifying the first selection or the second selection based on the order of the first selection and the second selection in the selection stack.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via the processor, a third selection;
adding the third selection to the selection stack; and
responsive to receiving the third selection and adding the third selection to the selection stack, designating the third selection as the current selection, the second selection as the first old selection, and the first selection as a second old selection.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the third selection comprises another operand in the operation.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first selection, the second selection, and the third selection are shown simultaneously in a graphical user interface of the information appliance.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first selection and the second selection are shown simultaneously in a graphical user interface of the information appliance.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation comprises at least one of the following:
an exchange operation;
an interchange operation;
a deselect operation;
a change of order operation;
a coalescing operation;
a multiple selection operation;
an undo operation; or
a redo operation.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the highlighting of the first selection and the second selection are further distinguishable from one another using visual contrast.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the highlighting of the first selection and the second selection are further distinguishable from one another using alphanumeric designations.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the animation comprises marching ants or a marquee style and wherein the speed of the animation highlighting the first selection is slower than the speed of the animation highlighting the second selection.
10. An information appliance apparatus comprising:
one or more computer processors; and
one or more memory devices that, responsive to execution by the one or more computer processors, perform instructions comprising:
receiving, via the one or more computer processors of the information appliance, a first selection, the first selection comprising a current selection;
receiving, via the one or more computer processors, a second selection, the first selection and the second selection comprising a selection stack, an order of the first selection and the second selection in the selection stack corresponding to a sequence in which the first selection and the second selection were made;
after receiving the second selection, designating the second selection as the current selection and the first selection as a first old selection, the designating the first selection as the first old selection and the designating of the second selection as the current selection comprising highlighting the first selection distinguishable from the second selection, the highlighting of the first selection and the second selection being distinguishable from one another using an animation, a speed of the animation varying based on a position in the selection stack;
receiving, via a command input, a command, the command comprising an operation, the first selection and the second selection comprising operands of the operation; and
performing, via the processor, the operation, the operation modifying the first selection or the second selection based on the order of the first selection and the second selection in the selection stack.
11. The information appliance of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
receiving, via the one or more computer processors, a third selection;
adding the third selection to the selection stack; and
responsive to receiving the third selection and adding the third selection to the selection stack, designating the third selection as the current selection, the second selection as the first old selection, and the first selection as a second old selection.
12. The information appliance of claim 11 , wherein the third selection comprises another operand in the operation.
13. The information appliance of claim 10 , wherein the operation comprises at least one of the following:
an exchange operation;
an interchange operation;
a deselect operation;
a change of order operation;
a coalescing operation;
a multiple selection operation;
an undo operation; or
a redo operation.
14. The information appliance of claim 10 , wherein the designating the first selection as the first old selection and the designating of the second selection as the current selection further comprises highlighting the first selection distinguishable from the second selection using visual contrast or alphanumeric designations.
15. The information appliance of claim 10 , wherein the animation comprises marching ants or a marquee style and wherein the speed of the animation highlighting the first selection is slower than the speed of the animation highlighting the second selection.
16. A system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
a command input; and
one or more memory devices having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more computer processors, perform the instructions comprising:
receiving, via the one or more computer processors of the information appliance, a first selection, the first selection comprising a current selection;
receiving, via the one or more computer processors, a second selection, the first selection and the second selection comprising a selection stack, an order of the first selection and the second selection in the selection stack corresponding to a sequence in which the first selection and the second selection were made;
after receiving the second selection, designating the second selection as the current selection and the first selection as a first old selection, the designating the first selection as the first old selection and the designating of the second selection as the current selection comprising highlighting the first selection distinguishable from the second selection, the highlighting of the first selection and the second selection being distinguishable from one another using an animation, a speed of the animation varying based on a position in the selection stack;
receiving, via the command input, a command comprising an operation in which the first selection and the second selection comprise operands of the operation; and
performing, via the processor, the operation, the operation modifying the first selection or the second selection based on the order of the first selection and the second selection in the selection stack.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
receiving, via the one or more computer processors, a third selection;
adding the third selection to the selection stack; and
responsive to receiving the third selection and adding the third selection to the selection stack, designating the third selection as the current selection, the second selection as the first old selection, the first selection as a second old selection and wherein the first selection, second selection, and third selection comprise the operands of the operation.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operation comprises at least one of the following:
an exchange operation;
an interchange operation;
a deselect operation;
a change of order operation;
a coalescing operation;
a multiple selection operation;
an undo operation; or
a redo operation.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the designating the first selection as the first old selection and the designating of the second selection as the current selection further comprises highlighting the first selection distinguishable from the second selection using visual contrast or alphanumeric designations.
20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the animation comprises marching ants or a marquee style and wherein the speed of the animation highlighting the first selection is slower than the speed of the animation highlighting the second selection.