INFOCENTER USER INTERFACE FOR APPLETS AND COMPONENTS

• US 20020089526A1
• Filed: 12/29/1998
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: WILSON, DOUGLASS J., BOOTH, JONATHAN, BUXTON, JEFFREY J., PINKUS, JENNIFER, GRINDEL, CHARLES E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,469,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A mechanism for generating customized graphical user interfaces for applications in an object-oriented environment is disclosed. Such applications may comprise Java beans, applets or components. The graphic user interface comprises a visual user interface, e.g. an action bar which contain a set of buttons and menus as well as a set of widget and property/command panels, as well as a communication interface through which configuration and user responses are exchanged with the applications. The relationship between the graphic user interface and an applet is based on the applet communicating selection and user interface information to the graphic user interface, and the graphic user interface handling the user gestures by calling methods on specific interfaces of the applet. Communications between the graphic user interface and applets occur over an information bus architecture referred to as the InfoBus.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface to applet members within a Java virtual machine (JVM) having an information bus that allows direct communication and data sharing between applet members of the information bus, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) making a general user interface a member of the information bus;

(b) in response to an announcement from an applet member of the information bus, querying the applet member regarding all specified requirements for the user interface for the applet member;

(c) transmitting to the general user interface the requirements of the user interface for the applet member;

(d) generating the applet member user interface based on the requirements.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(e) issuing a user interface change request by the applet member to the general user interface;

(f) performing the change request upon the applet member for customizing the applet member user interface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the general user interface is a base object and each applet member interface is an instance class of the general user interface base object.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) includes:

(d1) generating an action bar; and

(d2) generating a plurality of menu items based on the requirements of the applet member.

5. The method of claim of claim 4 further comprising:

(d3) implementing a set of graphical user interface panels.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises:

(d4) invoking selected action descriptors to generate the applet member user interface.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the action bar is designed for a work file environment.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the action bar is designed for a web browser environment.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the step (d2) includes:

(d5) preparing a popup menu for a portion of the plurality of menu items.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises:

(d6) generating a quick-pick item to select a widget.

11. An apparatus for providing graphical user interfaces for object-oriented applications, the apparatus comprising:

a communications interface, coupling each application;

an action bar to allow a user to select options for defining the graphical user interface for a selected application;

a visual user'"'"'s interface generator, coupled to the communications interface and the action bar, to call methods on specific interfaces in accordance with the options selected by the user using the action bar so as to build the defined graphical user interface for the selected application.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the action bar further comprises:

property or command panels that illustrate user interface options; and

menus that define user interface options.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the communications interface is a information bus that provides data sharing between member applications.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the applications comprise Java beans.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the applications comprise Java applets.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the applications comprise Java components.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the information bus is a Java-based bus.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

program code to issue a user interface change request by the applet member to the general user interface;

program code to perform the change request upon the applet member for customizing the applet member user interface.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the general user interface is a base object and each applet member interface is an instance class of the general user interface base object.

21. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the generating program code includes:

program code to generate an action bar; and

program code to generate a plurality of menu items based on the requirements of the applet member.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising:

program code to implement a set of graphical user interface panels.

23. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the generating program code comprises program code to invoke selected action descriptors to generate the applet member user interface.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the action bar is designed for a work file environment.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the action bar is designed for a web browser environment.

26. The computer program code of claim 21 further comprising:

program code to prepare a popup menu for a portion of the plurality of menu items.

27. The computer program code of claim 18 further comprising program code to generate a quick-pick item to select a widget.

18. A computer program product to provide a user interface to applet members within a Java virtual machine (JVM) having an information bus that allows direct communication and data sharing between applet members of the information bus the computer program product comprising computer usable medium upon which program code is stored, comprising:

program code to make a general user interface a member of the information bus;

in response to an announcement from an applet member of the information bus, program code to query the applet member regarding all specified requirements for the user interface for the applet member;

program code to transmit to the general user interface the requirements of the user interface for the applet member;

program code to generate the applet member user interface based on the requirements.

28. A method for dynamically generating a user interface in a network computer environment comprising the steps of:

receiving an announcement of a user object selection from an application;

querying the selection object for a user interface description;

graphically displaying an action bar based on the user interface description; and

responding to the user.