A valuator menu for use as a user interface tool.

THE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF THIS INVENTION PROVIDES A USER INTERFACE TOOL FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY SELECTING A MENU ITEM AND A VALUE, FROM A RANGE OF VALUES, FOR THE MENU ITEM. THE USER INTERFACE TOOL OF THISINVENTION IS REFERRED TO AS A VALUATOR MENU, SINCE IT ALLOWS BOTH THE SELECTION OF A VALUE FROM A RANGE OF VALUES, AND THE SELECTION OF A MENU ITEM FROM A MENU LIST. AS A USER MOVES A CURSOR OVER A MENU OF SELECTABLE ITEMS ON A SCREEN DISPLAY, THE ITEM UNDERNEATH THE CURSOR IS HIGHLIGHTED. IN ADDITION, AS THE USER MOVES THE CURSOR WITHIN THE HIGHLIGHTED MENU ITEM, A VALUE RELATIVE TO THE POSITIONOF THE CURSOR WITHIN THAT MENU ITEM IS DISPLAYED. THIS VALUATOR VALUE IS DYNAMICALLY UPDATED AS THE CURSOR POSITION CHANGES WITHIN THE MENU ITEM. WHEN THE USER PERFOMS AN INPUT SELECTION, I.E. THROUGHA MOUSE BUTTON OR A KEYBOARD INTERACTION, BOTH THE SELECTED MENU ITEM AND THE VALUE, RELATIVE TO THE CURSOR POSITION, ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY RETURNED TO THE APPLICATION PROGRAM RUNNING ON THE DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM.(FIG. 4)