Application interface wrapper

• US 20040226027A1
• Filed: 05/06/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QAD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: QAD Incorporated
• Inventors: Winter, Tony Jon
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

A method of separating a function of the business logic of an application from a user interface of the application where the business logic and user interface of the application are intermingled is provided. The method includes providing a wrapper interface for the application. The method also includes providing a function of the business logic of the application separated from the user interface of the application through the wrapper interface.

Claims

1. A method of separating the function of business logic of an application from a user interface of the application where the business logic and user interface of the application are intermingled, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a wrapper interface for the application; and

providing a function of the business logic of the application separated from the user interface of the application through the wrapper interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a wrapper interface includes wrapping the application with a Java interface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a function includes providing a new user interface to a user such that the user may interact with the business logic of the application through the new user interface.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of providing the business logic includes providing the new user interface as an HTML interface.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

providing an XML representation of at least a portion of the user interface from the application to a resource.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of:

converting the XML representation of the portion of the user interface to an HTML representation using the resource and a style sheet defining the HTML representation.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:

providing the HTML representation to a user through a web browser.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

processing an interaction between the business logic of the application and a user of the application.

9. The method of the claim 8 wherein the step of processing includes at least one of processing a data entry, data retrieval, data update, data removal, error notification, data contention between the business logic of the application and a user of the application.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a wrapper interface includes wrapping each of a plurality of applications included in an enterprise resource planning application.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a function includes providing the business logic of the application as an API separated from the user interface of the application.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

receiving, at the API, an electronic message related to an interaction between the application and an electronic message sender.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving, at the API, an XML based electronic message related to the interaction between the application and an electronic message sender.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

determining an identity of the electronic message; and

correlating the electronic message to the application using the identity.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of determining includes determining a name and a version number of the electronic message.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

determining rules for conducting the interaction between the application and the electronic message sender based on the identity of the electronic message.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

converting the electronic message to XML format before the electronic message is received by the API.

18. A computer readable carrier including computer program instructions which cause a computer to implement a method of separating business logic of an application from a user interface of the application where the business logic and user interface of the application are intermingled, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a wrapper interface for the application; and

providing a function of the business logic of the application separated from the user interface of the application through the wrapper interface.

19. A wrapped application comprising:

an application having an intermingled user interface and business logic; and

a wrapper for wrapping the application such that a function of the business logic of the application is separated from the user interface of the application.