System and method for selecting a view mode using a control including a graphical depiction of the view mode

摘要

A method and apparatus for selecting a view mode and a preferred setting within that view mode for displaying one or more items in a screen display. A single user input indicates the selected view mode. The input mechanism can be a hardware device, such as a keyboard or mouse, or a software control presented in a graphical user interface. The software control includes a graphical depiction of the current view mode. A preferred setting for each available view mode may be stored and activated by the software control.