A user interface display method that facilitates setting of various setting parameters for controlling an application program and preserving past values of the setting parameters as historical snapshots. When a setting panel is displayed and the user modifies setting parameter values in the setting panel and saves the new values, the pre-modified setting parameter values are saved as a historical snapshot, and the modified values are saved as the current setting parameters for controlling the program. Historical snapshots of setting panels that have been saved in the past can be displayed simultaneously with the current setting panel in a manner that visually simulates a stack of panels. The user can select any one of the historical panels in the stack, modify the setting values in that panel, and save the modified values as the current settings while keeping the historical snapshot.