An application interface with multiple workspaces: the context switcher

One difficulty in the design of user interfaces is the limited amount of screen area available. A conflict arises between the need for displaying numerous interface elements at one time and the danger of confusing the user with too much information. The context switcher is designed to solve this conflict for applications consisting of several related subtasks which will be carried out repeatedly in varying sequence. The context switcher allows the creation of a variety of working environments, called workspaces, which the user can to switch. Each workspace provides an environment to fulfil a different subtask based on shared data and contributing to the overall task. The context switcher concept guarantees consistency of both data and metadata across all workspaces whilst allowing them to be updated at will.