Method and apparatus for providing an object-oriented application interface for a computer system

摘要

A computer system has a processor, a display, and a object-oriented application interface between a user input device such as a cursor placement device and an object-oriented application program. The cursor placement device has a user button for generating a device event signal for controlling a pointer graphic on the display. The object-oriented application program includes a plurality of objects with logic and data for performing particular functions. An interactor object is responsive to a device event signal to change the display from displaying an icon to a thumbnail display. An interactable object is instantiated in an application address space, and includes data and methods for manipulating the data. The interactor object is instantiated in a system address space and is responsive to the device event signal for calling a predetermined one of the interactable object's methods to change the data therein. The system can also include apparatus for playing a script, thereby executing selected data changing methods in specified data objects, and a means for generating a presentation of data in a data model object.