Method and apparatus for pattern based generation of graphical user interfaces (GUI)

• US 20020186248A1
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ramanathan, Venkatesh, Shrotri, Ulka
• Granted Patent: US 7,072,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A software tool for modeling and generating user windows of a graphical user interface of a software application has a modeling component for creating models of window types and instances thereof, a conversion component for converting model information into ASCII code, a library component for storing reusable code, and a window generation component for generating graphical user interfaces windows. The tool is characterized in that graphical user interface windows are generated in a batch process wherein certain fields shared by the windows are automatically populated with the appropriate application code taken from or inherited from the wintype model.

Claims

1. A software tool for modeling and generating user windows of a graphical user interface of a software application comprising:

a modeling component for creating models of window types and instances thereof;

a conversion component for converting model information into ASCII code;

a library component for storing reusable code; and

a window generation component for generating graphical user interfaces windows;

characterized in that graphical user interface windows are generated in a batch process wherein certain fields shared by the windows are automatically populated with the appropriate application code taken from or inherited from the wintype model.

2. The software tool of claim 1 wherein the application code is Winform.

3. The software tool of claim 1 wherein application code is one of Java or Webform.

4. The software tool of claim 1 wherein the application code is Java Server Pages.

5. The software tool of claim 1 wherein a wintype is a meta model and a GUI window is an instance of the wintype.

6. A software tool of claim 1 wherein input to the tool includes winclasses and application classes.

7. A method for modeling and generating user windows of a graphical user interface of a software application comprising steps of:

(a) providing at least one wintype and associated window specifications as input to a software tool;

(b) identifying controls for each group box and table within the at least one wintype;

(c) creating winclasses for each group box and table of the at least one wintype;

(d) providing mapping between the window attributes and controls of the winclass;

(e) identify other parameters available through interaction with window buttons; and

(f) instantiate each GUI window as an instance of the wintype including arguments to parameters expected by the wintype.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein in step (a) the wintype is a meta model.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein in step (c) the winclasses comprise the controls identified in step (b).

10. The method of claim 7 wherein in step (f) the GUI windows are generated in a batch process.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein in step (d) controls included standard controls associated with labels.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the modeling framework is a meta meta model framework having three levels of abstraction.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein multiple GUT windows are generated in a batch process.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein generated GUT windows are instances of one or more GUT wintypes.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the target platform supports one or more of Java server pages or Webforms.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the target platform supports Winform.

12. A system for modeling and generating GUT windows for software applications comprising:

a modeling framework for defining the data structure of the GUT windows;

a set of GUT standards for governing GUI window behaviors;

a GUT modeling tool for modeling GUT patterns and generating GUT instances of those patterns modeled; and

a target platform for receiving generated GUT windows and facilitating their operation.