	US 7,564,458 B2
	System and method for interactively linking data to shapes in a diagram
Matthew T. Adereth, Redmond, Wash. (US); Abraham Mathew, Edmonds, Wash. (US); Heidi McAllister, Brier, Wash. (US); and Heidi Munson, Seattle, Wash. (US)
Assigned to Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash. (US)
Filed on Dec. 15, 2004, as Appl. No. 11/12,875.
Prior Publication US 2006/0125827 A1, Jun. 15, 2006
Int. Cl. G06T 11/20 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 345—440 [345/441; 345/674]

19 Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents cause a computer to:

execute an instance of a graphical visualization program, the graphical visualization program having a drawing surface and being operable to display a diagram having at least one shape on the drawing surface; and

within the instance of the graphical visualization program,

import data from a first data source external to the graphical visualization program;

select a master shape from a plurality of different shapes; and

display the imported data from the first external data source as a first two dimensional table in an interactive display within the instance of the graphical visualization program, the first two dimensional table having one or more rows and one or more columns;

in response to at least one row from the two dimensional table in the interactive display being dragged and dropped onto the drawing surface,

when the row is dropped over a blank area of the display surface, create a new shape on the drawing surface where the row is dropped over the drawing surface, the newly created shape being the master shape when a master shape is selected and being a default shape when a master shape is not selected, and create new links by populating custom properties of the created shape with data from the dragged and dropped row;

when the row is dropped over an existing shape of the display surface, remove existing links between the at least one shape and another row in the two dimensional table and create new links by populating custom properties of the at least one shape with data from the dragged and dropped at least one row.