APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING THE ASSIGNMENT OF DISPLAY ATTRIBUTE IDENTIFICATION VALUES AND MULTIPLE HARDWARE COLOR LOOKUP TABLES

In a bit mapped display environment which has n hardware color look-up tables (CLUTs) where n = 1 or more, which also has a limited number of Display Attribute Identification Values, and which may operate under various window systems, such as the X Window System protocol, an apparatus and a method for installing hardware colormaps under the constraint of a finite number of Display Attribute Identification Values, whereby the most recently installed (MRI) policy of the X Window System is followed. The invention provides a scheme which gracefully degenerates to some "color flashing" when Display Attribute Identification Values are exhausted; which allows Display Attribute Identification Values to be uncoupled from colormap management and used for more graphics intensive functions when needed; and which dynamically regenerates when display attributes again become available. The invention also minimizes the rendering of the Display Attribute Planes when a new colormap is installed in a system containing multiple hardware color look-up tables.