Ex Parte CUOMO et al - Page 2




              Appeal No. 2003-0509                                                                Page 2                
              Application No. 08/657,510                                                                                


              of software, (id. at 1), and the use and manipulation of  hierarchical data, e.g., object                 
              oriented class libraries, has been of particular concern.  They explain that a developer                  
              must know or understand the relationship of components within a hierarchy and the                         
              content of specific components within the hierarchy.  While it is simple to present one of                
              these concepts to a developer in a graphical user interface ("GUI"), they have observed                   
              difficulty presenting both simultaneously.  (Id. at 2.)                                                   


                     Accordingly, the appellants' visual programming environment simultaneously                         
              displays a "class window," a "methods window," and a "composition editor window."    A                    
              class library with which a developer is working can be displayed in the class window                      
              either as a tree, as a list, or in a format graphically representating the classes.  The                  
              developer may select a class for inclusion in the application under development, e.g., a                  
              GUI.  The methods window displays the software code for the selected class.  Using the                    
              methods window, the developer can modify the existing code or add new code.  The                          
              composition editor window displays a graphical view of the application under                              
              development.  (Id. at 32.)  A further understanding of the invention can be achieved by                   
              reading the following claim.                                                                              
                     15. In a data processing system, a system for permitting a user to include                         
                     selectable classes from available class packages in an application being                           










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