System and method for visual application development without programming

• US 20020199034A1
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NICE Systems Technologies Inc. (Nice Ltd)
• Original Assignee: IEX Corporation (Nice Ltd)
• Inventors: Beckett, Stephen, McDougald, Danny, House, Donald, Palmer, Todd, Donnelly, Ray, Beckett, Becky, Yoder, Henry, Lamberti, Santino
• Granted Patent: US 7,240,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A method and system for creating distributed applications without programming is disclosed. A Connection Editor interacts with an interface manager attached to each program in the visual development system. The interface manager allows connections to be made using the Connection Editor between the compatible properties of disparate programs by a visual process. Upon-connection, the interface manager automates data flow between disparate properties without requiring any additional programming. Furthermore, the interface manager allows for dynamic properties to be exposed based on the run-time discovery of data.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for automating data flow in a visual development configuration between disparate program interfaces without source code programming, comprising the steps of:

including an interface manager in each of a plurality of disparate computer programs;

implementing a connection editor to interact with said interface managers of said plurality of disparate computer programs; and

utilizing said connection editor to connect selected said interface managers of said plurality of disparate computer programs to establish a plurality of real-time connections between said plurality of disparate computer programs creating automated data flow between said computer programs.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said interface manager supports dynamic connection points to allow for the run-time discovery of data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data corresponding to the dynamic connection points is received from a database.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the data corresponding to the dynamic connection points is user defined input.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the data corresponding to the dynamic connection points comprises fields in a protocol.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

creating a data structure for each of the dynamic connection points, wherein the data structure includes simulation information of a static connection point interface property.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

implementing the interface manager as a common object model (COM) interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

implementing a source program tree within the connection editor, wherein the disparate computer programs are grouped by type; and

implementing a target program tree within the connection editor, wherein the disparate computer programs are grouped by type.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

classifying object meta-data corresponding to each the disparate computer program in the source program tree; and

classifying object meta-data corresponding to each the disparate computer program in the target program tree.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the classifications comprise Visual Component, Driver Object, and non-Visual Logic Component.

11. A system for automating data flow in a visual development configuration between disparate program interfaces without source code programming, comprising:

an interface manager in each of a plurality of disparate computer programs; and

a connection editor to interact with said interface managers of said plurality of disparate computer programs;

said connection editor utilized to connect selected said interface managers of said plurality of disparate computer programs to establish a plurality of real-time connections between said plurality of disparate computer programs creating automated data flow between said computer programs.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a computer to execute the automating of data flow in a visual development configuration between disparate program interfaces without source code programming.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said interface manager supports dynamic connection points to allow for the run-time discovery of data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said data corresponding to said dynamic connection points is received from a database.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said data corresponding to said dynamic connection points is user defined input.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said data corresponding to said dynamic connection points comprises fields in a protocol.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

logic configured to create a data structure for each of said dynamic connection points, wherein said data structure includes simulation information of a static connection point interface property.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

logic configured to implement said interface manager as a common object model (COM) interface.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a source program tree configured in said connection editor, wherein said disparate computer programs are grouped by type; and

a target program tree configured in said connection editor, wherein said disparate computer programs are grouped by type.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

logic configured to classify object meta-data corresponding to each said disparate computer program in said source program tree; and

logic configured to classify object meta-data corresponding to each said disparate computer program in said target program tree.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said classifications comprise Visual Component, Driver Object, and non-Visual Logic Component.

22. A computer configured for automating data flow in a visual development configuration between disparate program interfaces without source code programming, said computer comprising:

a plurality of disparate computer programs;

an interface manager configured in each of a plurality said disparate computer programs; and

a connection editor stored in said computer configured to interact with said interface manager of said plurality of disparate computer programs;

said connection editor utilized to create visual connections of selected said interface managers of said plurality of disparate computer programs, wherein said connections between said plurality of disparate computer programs enable automated data flow between said computer programs in real time.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein said plurality of disparate computer programs are stored internally on said computer.

24. The computer system of claim 22, wherein said plurality of disparate computer programs are stored internally on and externally to said computer.