PARTIAL-HEIGHT PANES AS A METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING PALETTE LAYOUT AND SCREEN REAL ESTATE USAGE

摘要

A tool panel docking application is described that manages the docking of tool panels and palettes on an edge of an IDE workspace. As the user selects to dock various tool panels, the IDE monitors the positioning of each panel so as not to overlap the content of any of the individual panels making up the combined docked palettes and that allow the user to select how much of the underlying workspace is obscured by the combined docked palettes.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving a first signal to dock a first tool panel to an edge of a workspace in an Integrated Development Environment (IDE); docking the first tool panel at a first position on the edge responsive to the first signal; receiving a second signal to dock a second tool panel to the edge of the workspace; docking the second tool panel at a second position adjacent to the first position of the first tool panel responsive to the second signal, wherein the first and second tool panels do not overlap one another; and wherein a resulting combined first and second tool panels obscures only a portion of said workspace determined necessary to display the first and second tool panels.