Frame component container
First Claim
1. A method for rapid incorporation of changes to a project, the project including at least first and second forms, comprising the steps of:
- a) embedding into each of the first and second forms a respective object derived from a frame component container;
b) changing the frame component container; and
c) automatically including by inheritance the changes that were made to the frame component container into a source file of the first and second forms, whereby all instances of the object derived from the frame component container are synchronized on a display with any changes that were made to the frame component container.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and methods for rapidly incorporating changes to a project is described. An object derived from a frame component container is embedded into a project, with the frame component container being freely changeable as desired. Any changes made to the frame component container are automatically included, by inheritance, into the source files of the project. Preferably, the method synchronizes on a display all instances of the object derived from the frame component container to the frame component container. The development system includes a computer and an interface for creating frame objects having components. Software permits the creation of descendant frame objects from an ancestor frame, propagation of modifications of the ancestor frame to each descendant frame object, notification of the descendant frame objects that its corresponding ancestor frame has been modified, and synchronization on a display of all of the descendant frames with any modifications to the components of the ancestor frame.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for rapid incorporation of changes to a project, the project including at least first and second forms, comprising the steps of:
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a) embedding into each of the first and second forms a respective object derived from a frame component container;
b) changing the frame component container; and
c) automatically including by inheritance the changes that were made to the frame component container into a source file of the first and second forms, whereby all instances of the object derived from the frame component container are synchronized on a display with any changes that were made to the frame component container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 8, 9)
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4. A method for rapid incorporation of changes to multiple, discrete projects each including at least a first form, comprising the steps of:
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a) embedding into the first form of each project a respective object derived from a frame component container;
b) changing the frame component container; and
c) automatically including by inheritance the changes that were made to the frame component container into a source file of the first form of each project, whereby all instances of the object derived from the frame component container are synchronized on a display with any changes that were made to the frame component container.
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5. In a form-based development system, a method for assisting a user with creating an application program, the method comprising:
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creating an ancestor frame comprising a set of components, each component having a set of properties;
embedding at least one descendant frame into a form, said descendant frame having a set of components inherited from the ancestor frame;
modifying said at least one descendant frame by overriding a value stored for at least one property;
storing said at least one descendant frame by storing values for only those properties which have been overridden;
modifying at least one component of said ancestor frame;
in response to said modifying step, propagating a property value from each property which has been modified to all said at least one descendant frame; and
synchronizing on a display all said at least one descendant frame with any modifications to said at least one component of said ancestor frame. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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16. In a form-based development system, a method for assisting a user with creating an application program, the method comprising:
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creating an ancestor frame comprising a set of components, each component having a set of properties;
embedding at least one descendant frame into a form, said descendant frame having a set of components inherited from the ancestor frame;
modifying said at least one descendant frame by overriding a value stored for at least one property;
storing said at least one descendant frame by storing values for only those properties which have been overridden;
modifying a component of the ancestor frame;
in response to said modifying step, notifying each component of a descendant frame which inherits from the modified component of the modification;
synchronizing on a display all said at least one descendant frame with any modifications to said at least one component of said ancestor frame; and
in response to receiving a notification of the modification, updating each notified component of a descendant frame with values for those properties of the ancestor which have not been overridden at the descendant frame.
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17. In a form-based development system, a method for assisting a user with creating an application program, the method comprising:
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creating an ancestor frame comprising a set of components, each component having a set of properties;
embedding at least one descendant frame into a form, said descendant frame having a set of components inherited from the ancestor frame;
modifying said at least one descendant frame by overriding a value stored for at least one property;
storing said at least one descendant frame by storing values for only those properties which have been overridden;
creating a new component at the ancestor frame;
synchronizing on a display all said at least one descendant frame with any modifications to said at least one component of said ancestor frame; and
in response to said creating step, creating at each descendant a corresponding new component.
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19. A development system comprising:
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a computer having a processor and a memory;
an interface for creating frame objects having components;
means for creating a descendant frame object from an ancestor frame object, said means including means for automatically propagating to each descendant frame object so created modifications which occur at said ancestor frame object; and
means for synchronizing on a display all said at least one descendant frame with any modifications to said at least one component of said ancestor frame. wherein said means for automatically propagating includes means for notifying a descendant frame object that its corresponding ancestor frame object has been modified.
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Specification