Method and system for visual requirements and component reuse driven rapid application composition

• US 10,606,450 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Solutions Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Solutions Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Sharma, Vibhu, Kaulgud, Vikrant, Sengupta, Shubhashis, Debnath, Poulami, Savagaonkar, Milind Ravikiran, Chandrasekaran, Shrikanth Narayanaswamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/492,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20170371504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 715763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A rapid application developer system is disclosed that provides a development platform configured to generate an application manifest document for developing a new target application within a certain industry. The application manifest is generated based on components identified from previously developed applications within the same industry as the target application.

Claims

1. A method for generating an application manifest, the method comprising:

receiving an application industry selection for a target application;

receiving a target application model selection input for identifying a target application model corresponding to the target application;

accessing the target application model based on the target application model selection input, where the target application model comprises a framework for the target application that includes at least an image of an application graphical user interface, application component identifiers of functional components in the target application model, and navigational flow information describing relationships and navigational rules between different screens for the target application model;

extracting functionality metadata from the target application model that identifies a functional component included in the images of the application graphical user interface, the functional component in the target application model, and the navigational flow information;

receiving a plurality of selected candidate components for the target application responsive to the functionality metadata;

displaying an application composition graphical user interface (GUI) comprising an application canvas area and a palette menu displayed separately from the application canvas area, wherein;

the palette menu includes a set of application building entities including at least a set of blocks, a set of rules, and a set of flow visuals, wherein a block included in the set of blocks includes machine-readable metadata comprising at least reuse restriction data and sample code data, wherein the reuse restriction data describes a scope of reuse for the corresponding block, and the sample code includes machine executable code for the corresponding block; and

the application canvas area includes the selected candidate components displayed to depict an exemplary navigational flow between the selected candidate components according to the navigational flow information;

receiving a selected application building entity and a selected flow visual from the set of application building entities;

displaying, within the application canvas area, the selected application building entity and the selected flow visual applied to the selected candidate components displayed in the application canvas area; and

generating an application manifest for the target application responsive to the selected candidate components, the selected flow visual, and the selected application building entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the functionality metadata from the target application model comprises:

analyzing the image of the graphical user interface; and

extracting component information from the analyzed image of the graphical user interface, wherein the component information identifies at least one component included in the image of the graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the functionality metadata includes at least one of a data input field included in the image of the graphical user interface, a data output field included in the image of the graphical user interface, category information corresponding to the image of the graphical user interface, tag information describing a component included in the image of the graphical user interface, a textbox field included in the image of the graphical user interface, a dropdown menu field included in the image of the graphical user interface, a navigational button included in the image of the graphical user interface, a graphical user interface widget included in the image of the graphical user interface, or a component group included in the image of the graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a target application design for the target application based at least on the plurality of candidate components, the functionality metadata, and the selected application building entity, wherein the target application design identifies relationships between candidate graphical user interfaces included in the target application design; and

wherein generating the application manifest is based on the target application design.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

revising the target application design based on the selected candidate components and the selected application building entity; and

generating a revised application manifest based on the revised target application design.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the target application model is created based on a previously developed application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the functional components in the target application model are obtained by extracting image information from the image of the application graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the application manifest to an application developer, wherein the application developer is configured to receive the application manifest and build the target application based on the application manifest.

9. A system for generating an application manifest, the system comprising:

a business analysis circuitry configured to;

receive an application industry selection for a target application;

receive a target application model selection input for identifying a target application model corresponding to the target application; and

access the target application model based on the target application model selection input, where the target application model comprises a framework for the target application that includes at least an image of an application graphical user interface, application component identifiers of functional components in the target application model, and navigational flow information describing relationships and navigational rules between different screens for the target application model;

a component analysis circuitry configured to;

extract functionality metadata from the target application model that identifies a functional component included in the images of the application graphical user interface, the functional component in the target application model, and the navigational flow information;

receive a plurality of selected candidate components for the target application responsive to the functionality metadata; and

display an application composition graphical user interface (GUI) comprising an application canvas area and a palette menu displayed separately from the application canvas area, wherein;

the palette menu includes a set of application building entities including at least a set of blocks, a set of rules, and a set of flow visuals, wherein a block included in the set of blocks includes machine-readable metadata comprising at least reuse restriction data and sample code data, wherein the reuse restriction data describes a scope of reuse for the corresponding block, and the sample code includes machine executable code for the corresponding block; and

the application canvas area includes the selected candidate components displayed to depict an exemplary navigational flow between the selected candidate components according to the navigational flow information;

an application design circuitry configured to;

receive a selected application building entity and a selected flow visual;

display, within the application canvas area, the selected application building entity and the selected flow visual applied to the selected candidate components displayed in the application canvas area; and

generate an application manifest for the target application responsive to the selected candidate components, the selected flow visual, and the selected application building entity.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the component analysis circuitry is configured to extract the functionality metadata from the target application model by:

analyzing the image of the graphical user interface; and

extracting component information from the analyzed image of the graphical user interface, wherein the component information identifies at least one component included in the image of the graphical user interface.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the functionality metadata includes at least one of a data input field included in the image of the graphical user interface, a data output field included in the image of the graphical user interface, category information corresponding to the image of the graphical user interface, tag information describing a component included in the image of the graphical user interface, a textbox field included in the image of the graphical user interface, a dropdown menu field included in the image of the graphical user interface, a navigational button included in the image of the graphical user interface, a graphical user interface widget included in the image of the graphical user interface, or a component group included in the image of the graphical user interface.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the application design circuitry is further configured to:

generate a target application design for the target application based at least on the plurality of candidate components, the functionality metadata, and the selected application building entity, wherein the target application design identifies relationships between candidate graphical user interfaces included in the target application design; and

generate the application manifest based on the target application design.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the application design circuitry is further configured to:

revise the target application design based on the selected candidate components; and

generate a revised application manifest based on the revised target application design.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the target application model is created based on a previously developed application.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the functional components in the target application model are obtained by extracting image information from the image of the application graphical user interface.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the application design circuitry is further configured to:

transmit the application manifest to an application developer, wherein the application developer is configured to receive the application manifest and build the target application based on the application manifest.

17. A computing device comprising:

a memory configured to store a target application model, where the target application model comprises a framework for a target application that includes at least an image of an application graphical user interface, application component identifiers of functional components in the target application model, and navigational flow information describing relationships and navigational rules between different screens for the target application model; and

a processor configured to;

receive an application industry selection for the target application;

receive a target application model selection input for identifying the target application model;

access the target application model from the memory based on the target application model selection input;

extract functionality metadata from the target application model that identifies a functional component included in the images of the application graphical user interface, the functional component in the target application model, and the navigational flow information;

receive a plurality of selected candidate components for the target application responsive to the functionality metadata;

display an application composition graphical user interface (GUI) comprising an application canvas area and a palette menu displayed separately from the application canvas area, wherein;

the palette menu includes a set of application building entities including at least a set of blocks, a set of rules, and a set of flow visuals, wherein a block included in the set of blocks includes machine-readable metadata comprising at least reuse restriction data and sample code data, wherein the reuse restriction data describes a scope of reuse for the corresponding block, and the sample code includes machine executable code for the corresponding block; and

the application canvas area includes the selected candidate components displayed to depict an exemplary navigational flow between the selected candidate components according to the navigational flow information;

receive a selected application building entity and a selected flow visual;

display, within the application canvas area, the selected application building entity and the selected flow visual applied to the selected candidate components displayed in the application canvas area; and

generate an application manifest for the target application responsive to the selected candidate components, the selected flow visual, and the selected application building entity.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the target application model is created based on a previously developed application.