Display terminal with a cursor responsive virtual distributed menu.

摘要

An interactive display terminal of the multiple overlapping window type is provided. Each of the windows (42) is smaller in dimension than the overall display screen. One or more of the windows have an associated virtual distributed menu which is made up of a plurality of menu items (43-50) respectively distributed about the periphery (41) of the associated window but not displayed during normal operations. Cursor means and means for moving the cursor are also provided. The display terminal further includes apparatus which in response to the movement of the cursor across a selected region in a window periphery will effect the display of a selected menu item associated with the particular selected region. The overlapping windows are preferably rectangular in shape and the selected regions are adjacent to corners of the periphery. The menu items are distributed so as to be positioned adjacent to the respective region across which the cursor movement will result in the item display.