Displaying mnemonic abbreviations for commands

摘要

Abbreviations are displayed for user-entered text commands, to facilitate discovery of keyboard shortcuts and to reinforce branding. Users enter commands by typing them into a text input field. Commands can be provided in a verb-noun structure, where the verb specifies what is to be done and the noun specifies the object or a parameter for the verb. Upon user entry of a command, or portion thereof, the entered portion is replaced by an abbreviation. The abbreviation can represent a single key, key combination, or multi-character string. The abbreviation can also include a logo or other graphic component, if desired. The abbreviation can replace the verb portion of the entered command, or it can be shown alongside or adjacent to the text input field, or it can be shown in an overlay or according to any other mechanism. A transition effect can be performed when introducing the abbreviation.

主权项

1. A method of operating a computing device, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:
receiving a user input comprising a series of characters representing a command for performing a search, the command including a first portion corresponding to a name of a website to be used to perform the search and a second portion corresponding to one or more parameters of the search; displaying, on a display of the computing device, the series of characters representing the command in a command entry field; displaying a graphic representation comprising a stylized character-based abbreviation of the name of the website in the command entry field by replacing the first portion of the command with the graphic representation while leaving the second portion of the command unchanged in the command entry field, the replacing comprising displaying a transition effect to gradually introduce the graphic representation in place of the first portion of the command and to remove the first portion of the command, wherein the graphic representation indicates a shortcut that enables entry of a subsequent search command into the command entry field instead of the first portion of the command and wherein the graphic representation is selectable so that when a user selects the graphic representation in the command entry field, the first portion of the command is restored in the command entry field; and performing a search corresponding to the command.