A view system is provided for each application program in a computer system in order to display application-generated information on a display. To increase graphic speed, the view system transfers graphic information directly into the screen buffer into a screen buffer area defined by a visible area definition. Since the view system creates a view defined by the visible area definition, the view can be made non-rectilinear by providing a suitable definition. The visible area definition may define a visible area of any arbitrary two-dimensional shape, including, but not limited to, rectilinear, disjoint, elliptical, etc. This mechanism makes it possible to provide a single drawing canvas comprised of non-contiguous areas and enhances traditionally rectangular window systems because it allows windows to have any arbitrary two-dimensional shape.