System and method for non-programmatically constructing software solutions

• US 10,268,525 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pegasystems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pegasystems Incorporated
• Inventors: Beckett, Stephen Marshall, Castagno, Antony J., Lockwood, Damon Gerard, McDougald, Horace Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Aguilera, Todd
• Application Number:
  US15/692,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20180129545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 717100-121, 717162-167, 719328-329, 715763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

A visual software development system in which a user can graphically build a design or software solution without having to write software code includes one or more adapters that interrogate interfaces of the software platform that a software system or systems is built in accordance with and generate descriptions that the user can then incorporate into the design. The software systems can be of disparate technology platforms, an adapter provided that suits each platform. The descriptions can be represented graphically for the user with icons in an integrated development environment (IDE), and the user can build the design by dragging or otherwise selecting descriptions to be used and connecting them together to graphically represent the flow of information or communication of events among the descriptions.

Claims

1. A method for visual software development implemented in a computer system comprising a processor adapted to execute program instructions stored in a memory, a memory adapted to store program instructions that are executable by the processor, and program instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to perform the method comprising:

generating, by a first adapter, descriptions for a first software system, the first software system built in accordance with a first platform of a plurality of software platforms, the first adapter being associated with the same software platform as the first software system, the first adapter interrogating at least one element of the first software system utilizing the first platform and generating at least one description corresponding to an element of the first software system without altering or extending the first software system, the at least one description including a set of rules, the first adapter having a user interface to initiate interrogation when a new object is created within an element of the first software system, the first adapter interrogating properties of the new object, comparing the properties of the new object against the set of rules of the at least one description to determine whether there is a match, in response to the properties of the new object matching the set of rules, identifying the new object, and in response to the new object being identified, controlling the identified object;

receiving, at a user interface of an integrated development environment (IDE) to build a design using the descriptions, graphically selected descriptions and created interconnections of a design, the design comprising user-selected descriptions and the interconnections between descriptions and graphical icons representing the user selected descriptions and interconnections, the user-selected descriptions and interconnections together defining a user-defined algorithm; and

enabling the user-defined algorithm to be effected in response to the user-selected descriptions and interconnections.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first adapter is further adapted to provide a designer having a user interface to select an element of the first software system, to generate the set of rules included in the at least one description for each selected element, the set of rules identifying the selected element, and to create an automation component for each selected element storing the set of rules.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each automation component is adapted to expose at least one of properties, methods, and events to be used to manipulate the corresponding element of the first software system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each automation component is further adapted to provide synchronization methods and events to deterministically control the first software system without using timers or other non-deterministic mechanisms.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising interacting, by a driver, with interfaces of the first software system, to enumerate instances of elements of the first software system, the interfaces of the instances, and the items of the interfaces of the instances.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the driver is further adapted to control the first software system, the interaction with the interfaces of the first software system, and the items of the interfaces of the first software system, and to capture events generated by the first software system.

7. A visual software development system, comprising:

a processor adapted to execute program instructions stored in a memory, a memory adapted to store program instructions that are executable by the processor, and program instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to implement;

a first adapter adapted to generate descriptions for a first software system, the first software system built in accordance with a first platform of a plurality of software platforms, the first adapter being associated with the same software platform as the first software system, the first adapter interrogating at least one element of the first software system utilizing the first platform and generating at least one description corresponding to an element of the first software system without altering or extending the first software system, the at least one description including a set of rules, the first adapter having a user interface to initiate interrogation when a new object is created within an element of the first software system, the first adapter adapted to interrogate properties of the new object, to compare the properties of the new object against the set of rules of the at least one description to determine whether there is a match, when the properties of the new object match the set of rules, to identify the new object, and when the new object is identified, to control the identified object;

an integrated development environment (IDE) adapted to build a design using the descriptions, the IDE having a user interface adapted to graphically select descriptions and create interconnections of the design, the design comprising user-selected descriptions and the interconnections between descriptions and graphical icons representing the user selected descriptions and interconnections, the user-selected descriptions and interconnections together defining a user-defined algorithm; and

a loader adapted to enable the user-defined algorithm to be effected in response to the user-selected descriptions and interconnections.

8. The visual software development system of claim 7, wherein the first adapter is further adapted to provide a designer having a user interface to select an element of the first software system, to generate the set of rules included in the at least one description for each selected element, the set of rules identifying the selected element, and to create an automation component for each selected element storing the set of rules.

9. The visual software development system of claim 8, wherein each automation component is adapted to expose at least one of properties, methods, and events to be used to manipulate the corresponding element of the first software system.

10. The visual software development system of claim 9, wherein each automation component is further adapted to provide synchronization methods and events to deterministically control the first software system without using timers or other non-deterministic mechanisms.

11. The visual software development system of claim 7, further comprising at least one driver adapted to interact with interfaces of the first software system, to enumerate instances of elements of the first software system, the interfaces of the instances, and the items of the interfaces of the instances.

12. The visual software development system of claim 11, wherein the driver is further adapted to control the first software system, the interaction with the interfaces of the first software system, and the items of the interfaces of the first software system, and to capture events generated by the first software system.

13. A computer program product for visual software development comprising a computer readable non-transitory storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the computer-executable instructions executable by a computer system comprising a processor adapted to execute program instructions stored in a memory, a memory adapted to store program instructions that are executable by the processor, and program instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to perform:

generating, by a first adapter, descriptions for a first software system, the first software system built in accordance with a first platform of a plurality of software platforms, the first adapter being associated with the same software platform as the first software system, the first adapter interrogating at least one element of the first software system utilizing the first platform and generating at least one description corresponding to an element of the first software system without altering or extending the first software system, the at least one description including a set of rules, the first adapter having a user interface to initiate interrogation when a new object is created within an element of the first software system, the first adapter interrogating properties of the new object, comparing the properties of the new object against the set of rules of the at least one description to determine whether there is a match, when the properties of the new object match the set of rules, identifying the new object, and when the new object is identified, controlling the identified object;

receiving, at a user interface of an integrated development environment (IDE) to build a design using the descriptions, graphically selected descriptions and created interconnections of a design, the design comprising user-selected descriptions and the interconnections between descriptions and graphical icons representing the user selected descriptions and interconnections, the user-selected descriptions and interconnections together defining a user-defined algorithm; and

enabling the user-defined algorithm to be effected in response to the user-selected descriptions and interconnections.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the first adapter is further adapted to provide a designer having a user interface to select an element of the first software system, to generate the set of rules included in the at least one description for each selected element, the set of rules identifying the selected element, and to create an automation component for each selected element storing the set of rules.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein each automation component is adapted to expose at least one of properties, methods, and events to be used to manipulate the corresponding element of the first software system.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein each automation component is further adapted to provide synchronization methods and events to deterministically control the first software system without using timers or other non-deterministic mechanisms.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising interacting, by a driver, with interfaces of the first software system, to enumerate instances of elements of the first software system, the interfaces of the instances, and the items of the interfaces of the instances.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the driver is further adapted to control the first software system, the interaction with the interfaces of the first software system, and the items of the interfaces of the first software system, and to capture events generated by the first software system.