Method and apparatus for maintaining a visual appearance of at least one window when a resolution of the screen changes
A method and apparatus for maintaining a visual appearance of at least one window displayed on a screen after a change in a resolution of the screen includes a first step of receiving a display change notice indicative that the resolution of the screen is to be changed from a current screen resolution to a new screen resolution. A second step of determining the current screen resolution. A third step of determining the new screen resolution. A fourth step of generating at least one scaling factor based on the current screen resolution and the new screen resolution. A fifth step of transmitting a windows resize to a window drawing module for triggering drawing the window on the screen using the new visual parameters when the resolution changes from the current screen resolution to the new screen resolution.
1. A method of maintaining a visual appearance of at least one window displayed on a screen when a resolution of the screen changes from a current screen resolution to a new screen resolution, comprising,
when a change in a vertical resolution is similar to a change in horizontal resolution, generating only one of a vertical scaling factor and a horizontal scaling factor, the vertical scaling factor being generated by dividing said new vertical resolution by said current vertical resolution and the horizontal scaling factor being generated by dividing said new horizontal resolution by said current horizontal resolution; and
sending to a window drawing module a window resize trigger comprising a single scaling factor, the single scaling factor being similar to the generated one of the horizontal scaling factor or the vertical scaling factor;
wherein the single scaling factor is for generating new visual parameters by scaling current visual parameters, said new visual parameters for drawing the at least one window on the screen when the resolution changes from the current screen resolution to the new screen resolution, said window resize trigger triggering said drawing the at least one window on the screen using said new visual parameters when the resolution changes from said current screen resolution to said new screen resolution.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining said current visual parameters and generating said new visual parameters by scaling said current visual parameters using said single scaling factor.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said determining said current visual parameters comprises requesting said current visual parameters from one of an application associated with the at least one window and a windows manager.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said current visual parameters comprise:
a vertical position of a reference point associated with the at least one window relative to a reference point on the screen;
a horizontal position of said reference point associated with the at least one window relative to said reference point on the screen;
a height of the at least one window; and
a width of the at least one window.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said generating at least one scaling factor is based on said current screen resolution and said new screen resolution comprises generating a vertical scaling factor and a horizontal scaling factor, and said generating new visual parameters by scaling said current visual parameters comprises multiplying said vertical position of a reference point associated with the at least one window relative to a reference point on the screen, and said a height of the at least one window by said single scaling factor, and multiplying said horizontal position of said reference point associated with the at least one window relative to said reference point on the screen, and said width of the at least one window by said single scaling factor.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein units of said current visual parameters and said new visual parameters are pixels.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining if said new screen resolution is suitable for maintaining the visual appearance of the at least one window displayed on the screen when the resolution changes from said current screen resolution to said new screen resolution.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining a minimum resolution below which the visual appearance of the at least one window is negatively impacted, wherein said determining if said new screen resolution is suitable comprises determining if said new screen resolution is less than said minimum resolution.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said determining said minimum resolution comprises requesting said minimum resolution from an application associated with the at least one window.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining said current screen resolution by requesting said current screen resolution from one of an application associated with the at least one window and a windows manager.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a display change message indicative that the resolution of the screen is to be changed, said display change message comprising the new screen resolution.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining said new screen resolution by requesting said new screen resolution from one of an application associated with the at least one window and a windows manager.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said windows resize trigger comprising said at least one scaling factor, and configured for triggering said window drawing module to determine said current visual parameters and generate said new visual parameters by scaling said current visual parameters using said at least one scaling factor.
14. A computing device for maintaining a visual appearance of at least one window displayed on a screen coupled to said computing device when a resolution of the screen changes from a current screen resolution to a new screen resolution, comprising,
a memory for storing a windows manager, a window drawing module for drawing the at least one window, and an automatic resize detection application, said automatic resize detecting application configured for:
when a change in a vertical resolution is similar to a change in horizontal resolution, generating only one of a vertical scaling factor and a horizontal scaling factor, the vertical scaling factor being generated by dividing said new vertical resolution by said current vertical resolution and the horizontal scaling factor being generated by dividing said new horizontal resolution by said current horizontal resolution; and
sending to a window drawing module a window resize trigger comprising a single scaling factor, the single scaling factor being similar to the generated one of the horizontal scaling factor or the vertical scaling factor;
wherein the single scaling factor is for generating new visual parameters by scaling current visual parameters, said new visual parameters for drawing the at least one window on the screen when the resolution changes from the current screen resolution to the new screen resolution, said window resize trigger triggering said window drawing module to draw the at least one window on the screen using said new visual parameters when the resolution changes from said current screen resolution to said new screen resolution; and
a processor for processing said windows manager, said window drawing module, and said automatic resize detection application.
15. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein said window drawing module is configured to determine said current visual parameters and generate said new visual parameters by scaling said current visual parameters using said scaling factor.
16. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein said memory further stores an application comprising said automatic resize detection application.
17. The computing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said window drawing module is responsive to receipt of the window resize trigger to draw the at least one window on the screen.