Action binding

• US 20040216134A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Chadzelek, Thomas, Hammerich, Reiner
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/543 Local
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Methods, computer systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for handling events in an event-driven software application. An event request specifying an event and values for one or more event parameters is received in a system event handler. The system event handler identifies an action associated with the specified event. The action specifies a required set of parameters and an event handling function specifying one or more operations that can be performed on data. The system event handler generates an instance of the identified action by mapping the event parameter values to the required set of parameters. The event handling function is called in an application event handler with the generated instance of the identified action to invoke application code.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an event request specifying an event and values for one or more event parameters;

identifying an action associated with the specified event, the action specifying a required set of parameters and an event handling function specifying one or more operations that can be performed on data;

generating an instance of the identified action by mapping the event parameter values to the required set of parameters; and

calling the event handling function with the generated instance of the identified action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving an event request includes receiving a request for an event initiated in response to user input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the user input is received in an interface defined in a view of a model-view-controller design pattern.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the specified event includes information identifying one or more manipulations to be performed on data in a model associated with the view; and

the event handling function specifies one or more operations required to carry out the identified manipulations.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the action is defined in a controller associated with the view.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the action is associated in the view with the specified event.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the controller implements an event handler associated with the action.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the event handler includes an implementation of the event handling function.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the event handling function calls application code in the model or the controller, the application code implementing the specified operations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving an event request includes receiving an event request in a first event handler and extracting a representation of the event from the request.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the generated instance of the identified action is a valid instance of the identified action; and

wherein calling the event handling function includes calling the event handling function only if the generated instance of the identified action is determined to be valid.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the specified action is enabled; and

wherein calling the event handling function includes calling the event handling function only if the action is determined to be enabled.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the specified action includes an enabled attribute having a value indicating whether the action is enabled or disabled; and

determining whether the specified action is enabled includes accessing the value for the enabled attribute.

14. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for handling events, the computer program product being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

receive an event request specifying an event and values for one or more event parameters;

identify an action associated with the specified event, the action specifying a required set of parameters and an event handling function specifying one or more operations that can be performed on data;

generate an instance of the identified action by mapping the event parameter values to the required set of parameters; and

call the event handling function with the generated instance of the identified action.

15. The computer program product claim 14, wherein:

the event request includes a request for an event initiated in response to user input.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

the user input is received in an interface defined in a view of a model-view-controller design pattern.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein:

the specified event includes information identifying one or more manipulations to be performed on data in a model associated with the view; and

the event handling function specifies one or more operations required to carry out the identified manipulations.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein:

the action is defined in a controller associated with the view.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein:

the action is associated in the view with the specified event.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein:

the controller implements an event handler associated with the action.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein:

the event handler includes an implementation of the event handling function.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein:

the event handling function calls application code in the model or the controller, the application code implementing the specified operations.

23. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein:

the event request is received in a first event handler, the product being further operable to cause data processing apparatus to extract a representation of the event from the request.

24. The computer program product of claim 14, the product being further operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

determine whether the generated instance of the identified action is a valid instance of the identified action;

wherein the event handling function is called only if the generated instance of the identified action is determined to be valid.

25. The computer program product of claim 14, the product being further operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

determine whether the specified action is enabled;

wherein the event handling function is called only if the action is determined to be enabled.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein:

the specified action includes an enabled attribute having a value indicating whether the action is enabled or disabled; and

the product is operable to cause data processing apparatus to determine whether the specified action is enabled by accessing the value for the enabled attribute.

27. A computer system for event handling comprising:

a system event handler operable to perform an analysis to determine whether a system event received by the system event handler triggers an application event; and

an application event handler operable to call application code if the application event is triggered and invokes the application event handler.

28. A computer system for event handling, comprising:

a model;

a view operable to present the model and initiate a system event, the view being further operable to associate the system event with an action; and

a controller operable to manipulate the model in response to the system event, the controller being operable to provide the action and to call application code through an event handling function associated with the action.

29. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for handling events, the computer program product being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

provide a model, a view operable to present the model and initiate a system event, and a controller operable to manipulate the model in response to the system event;

provide an action in the controller;

associate the system event with the action; and

call application code through an event handling function associated with the action to manipulate the model in response to the system event.

30. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

performing an analysis of a system event in a system event handler to determine whether the system event triggers an application event;

initiating the application event in response to the analysis of the system event; and

processing the application event by an application event handler to call application code.

31. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for handling events, the computer program product being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

perform an analysis of a system event in a system event handler to determine whether the system event triggers an application event;

initiate the application event in response to the analysis of the system event; and

process the application event by an application event handler to call application code.