Method and apparatus for building an application interface

• US 20030234816A1
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosen, Alexander D., DiCristina, Paul H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention comprise a design tool for designing an application interface. The design tool includes a graphical user interface (GUI) that visually represents a hierarchy of data and the relationships between the data. Thus, the design tool eliminates the need for an interface designer to have independent knowledge of the structure of the data (i.e., the data fields and relationships between the data). The design tool'"'"'s GUI represents the data and the relationships between the data in a hierarchical display referred to as a data palette. An output hierarchy comprised of output levels is created as the user selects fields from the data palette to be displayed in the application'"'"'s interface. When a data field is selected, the design tool automatically determines the appropriate interface component and output level of the output hierarchy using the relationships defined for the data. Output levels are associated with interface components that comprise the application'"'"'s interface. Examples of interface components that can be used in the application'"'"'s interface include a form, view and subband.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method of building an application interface comprising:

generating a data palette that displays a set of data fields and relationships defined for said data fields;

generating an output hierarchy having a plurality of output levels, each of said plurality of output levels being associated with one or more interface components of said interface;

using said relationships to assign a selected one of said data fields to one of said interface components in one of said plurality of output levels of said output hierarchy.