Web service-enabled portlet wizard

• US 20040068554A1
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Patadia, Jalpesh, Musson, Scott, Bales, Christopher E., Beecroft, Troy
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A web service user interface can be automatically generated, thus simplifying development of web applications. Web service configuration data can be received and proxies to access the web service can be automatically generated. Communication code can also be automatically generated to facilitate communicate with said web service using the proxies. Display code can be automatically generated to display content provided by a web service. In one example, the web service user interface is a portlet.

Claims

1. A method for automatically generating a web service display, comprising:

receiving configuration data for a web service;

automatically generating proxies to access said web service based upon said configuration data;

automatically generating communication code to communicate with said web service using said proxies; and

automatically generating display code to display content of said web service, said content obtained using said communication code.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring a WSDL file for said web service, wherein said proxies are generated using said WSDL file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving step comprises:

providing a wizard user interface; and

receiving said configuration data from user input to said wizard user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said web service display permits client interaction with said web service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said web service display is a portlet

6. A method for automatically generating a web service display, comprising:

receiving configuration data for a web service;

automatically generating code to communicate with said web service using XML, wherein said communication is performed by;

converting web service submission data to XML format;

communicating said converted submission data to said web service;

receiving XML web service response data from said web service;

converting said response data from XML format to content of said web service; and

automatically generating display code to display said content of said web service.

7. A system, comprising:

an electronic business platform, said business platform adapted to interact with a web service;

an application running on said business platform, said business platform capable of presenting a display for said application to a client; and

a control center in communication with said business platform, said control center capable of configuring said display, wherein;

said business platform is capable of automatically generating code for at least a portion of said display in response to configuration instructions from said control center;

said portion displays content provided by said web service.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

said business platform uses proxies automatically generated by said control center to interact with said web service.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

said proxies are generated using a WSDL file for said web service.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein:

said business platform is adapted to interact with a web service using code automatically generated by said control center, said code configured to;

convert web service submission data to XML format;

communicate said converted submission data to said web service;

receive XML web service response data from said web service;

convert said response data from XML format to content of said web service.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein:

said control center configures said display using user input to a wizard interface.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein:

said display permits client interaction with said web service.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein:

said display is a portlet.

14. Computer software, capable of performing the steps:

receiving configuration data for a web service;

automatically generating proxies to access said web service based upon said configuration data;

automatically generating code to communicate with said web service using said proxies; and

automatically generating display code to display content of said web service, said content obtained using said communication code.

15. The software of claim 14, further capable of performing the steps:

acquiring a WSDL file for said web service, wherein said proxies are generated using said WSDL file.

16. The software of claim 14, wherein receiving configuration data for a web service comprises:

providing a wizard user interface; and

receiving said configuration data from user input to said wizard user interface.

17. The software of claim 14, wherein:

said display of content of said web service permits client interaction with said web service.

18. The software of claim 14, wherein:

said display of content of said web service is a portlet.

19. Computer software, capable of performing the steps:

receiving configuration data for a web service;

automatically generating code to communicate with said web service using XML, wherein said communication is performed by;

converting web service submission data to XML format;

communicating said converted submission data to said web service;

receiving XML web service response data from said web service;

converting said response data from XML format to content of said web service; and

automatically generating display code to display said content of said web service, said content obtained using said communication code.

20. Computer software, comprising:

means for receiving configuration data for a web service;

means for automatically generating proxies to access said web service;

means for automatically generating code to communicate with said web service using said proxies; and

means for automatically generating display code to display content of said web service, said content obtained using said communication code.

21. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for automatically generating a web service display, the computer readable medium program code having;

computer readable program code for receiving configuration data for a web service;

computer readable program code for automatically generating proxies to access said web service based upon said configuration data;

computer readable program code for automatically generating code to communicate with said web service using said proxies; and

computer readable program code for automatically generating display code to display content of said web service, said content obtained using said communication code.

22. A computer program product for automatically generating a web service display, comprising:

computer code for receiving configuration data for a web service;

computer code for automatically generating proxies to access said web service based upon said configuration data;

computer code for automatically generating code to communicate with said web service using said proxies; and

computer code for automatically generating display code to display content of said web service, said content obtained using said communication code.

23. A computer-readable medium, comprising:

means for receiving configuration data for a web service;

means for automatically generating proxies to access said web service;

means for automatically generating code to communicate with said web service using said proxies; and

means for automatically generating display code to display content of said web service, said content obtained using said communication code.

24. A system for generating a user-configured portal and portlet, comprising:

a business platform;

an enterprise application running on said business platform;

a control center in communication with said enterprise application, said control center capable of;

generating a portal for a web application of said enterprise application using configuration information received from a user through a graphical user interface; and

generating a portlet to associate with said portal, said portlet generated using configuration information received from a user through said graphical user interface.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said generating a portal is performed after said generating a portlet.

26. A method for automatically generating a user-configured portlet, comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface to configure a portlet;

receiving portlet configuration information from a user through said interface; and

generating said portlet in accordance with said configuration information.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein generating said portlet includes generating at least one java server page to define a portlet component.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein generating said portlet includes modifying a template portlet definition with said configuration information.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein modifying a template portlet definition includes modifying a template portlet file including XML based meta-data.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein generating said portlet includes generating said portlet using form-based generation.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein generating said portlet includes generating said portlet using web service call-based generation.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein generating said portlet includes generating said portlet using web service interface-based generation.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein receiving portlet configuration information includes receiving at least one of a portlet name, a portal with which to associate said portlet, a portlet descrition, a portlet component to include in said portlet, a content type for said portlet, a resource files location for said portlet, a generated code type for said portlet, and a web service with which to associate said portlet.

34. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

acquiring a WSDL file for a web service, said portlet generated in accordance with said WSDL file.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein receiving portlet configuration information includes receiving a URL of a WSDL file for a web service.

36. A method for receiving portlet configuration information used to automatically generate a user-configured portlet, comprising:

presenting at least one screen to a user requesting selection of at least one of a name for said portlet, a portal with which to associate said portlet, a description of said portlet, a portlet component to include in said portlet, a content type for said portlet, and a location in which to store resource files of said portlet;

receiving at least one of said name for said portlet, said portal with which to associate said portlet, said description of said portlet, said portlet component to include in said portlet, said content type for said portlet, and said location in which to store resource files of said portlet;

presenting a summary screen to said user, said summary screen including a list of files created and modified during said generation of said portlet.

37. A method for automatically generating a user-configured portlet:

presenting a graphical user interface for configuring a portlet, said graphical user interface including;

a portlet name screen, said portlet name screen including at least one of a portlet name field, a field for a portal with which to associate said portlet, and a portlet description field;

a portlet components screen, said portlet components screen including at least one of a titlebar component, a banner component, a header component, a content component, a footer component, and a help page component that can be selected for inclusion in said portlet;

a content types screen, said content types screen including at least one of a basic content type, a two page content type, and a web services content type that can be chosen for said portlet;

a resource files location screen, said resource files location screen including a field for a resource files location of said portlet;

receiving portlet configuration information from a user through said interface, said portlet configuration information including at least one of a portlet name, a portal with which to associate said portlet, a portlet description, a portal component to include in said portlet, a content type for said portlet, and a resource files location of said portlet;

presenting a summary screen, said summary screen including a list of files to be created and modified during said generation of said portlet; and

generating said portlet in accordance with said configuration information.

38. A method for automatically generating a web service display, comprising:

receiving configuration data for a web service;

automatically generating proxies to access said web service based upon said configuration data;

automatically generating portlet resource files and a portlet definition using said proxies; and

automatically generating display code to display content of said web service, said content obtained using said configuration information.