Flexible window management on a computer display

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A technique is described for managing windows in a display system. The window manager allows a user to mark an area on the display to define the dimensions and contents of a resized window. All non-hidden text and attributes within the enclosed area are incorporated into the resized window; however, the original windows do not lose their original characteristics. The marked area may span multiple windows, so multiple windows may be incorporated into the newly resized window. For each position within the newly resized window a, check is made for a window below. If no window exists below this position, the default or, background, character and attribute are incorporated into the newly resized …