Method and apparatus for updating a User Interface for a computer system based on a physics model

摘要

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for updating a User Interface (UI) for a computer system. During operation, the system receives a request from a user or an application to modify a spatial attribute of a widget in the UI, such as the size or the location of the widget, wherein the term “widget” generally refers to any UI component, including windows, frames, buttons, list boxes, etc. In response to this request, the system modifies the spatial attribute of the widget. In modifying the spatial attribute of the widget, the system ensures that the modifications adhere to a physics model.