Method and computer system for providing and processing a human interface description

• US 20040249486A1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Koch, Wolfgang, Ahlert, Dirk, Liebich, Gunther
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Computer-implemented method, computer system and computer program product for providing and processing a human interface description. A user submits data 170 by using an human interface description 160. The data 170 comprise status information of at least one layout element of human interface description 160. The computer system receives 480 the data 170. Optionally, the computer system stores 485 the data 170 in a data instance 150. The data instance 150 can be modified by an application program via interface 155. Preferably, the computer system provides the human interface description 160 by merging 470. a layout template 140-1 with the data instance 150. Preferably, the data instance 150 is instantiated from a data description 140-2.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing and processing a human interface description, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an human interface description to prompt a user for data input; and

receiving data from the user, wherein the data comprise a status of at least one layout element of the human interface description.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step further comprises the steps of:

providing a layout template and a data description;

instantiating a data instance from the data description; and

merging the data instance with the layout template into an human interface description.

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

storing the data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the merging step uses a transformation program in a programming language.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transformation program is a style sheet language transformation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in the receiving step, the data comprise a XPath.

13. A data carrier readable by a computer;

the data carrier storing a plurality of instructions for causing a processor of the computer to create and process a human interface description, the plurality of instructions causing the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 3.

7. A computer system for providing and processing a human interface description, the computer system comprising:

means for providing an human interface description to prompt an user for data input; and

means for receiving data from the user, wherein the data comprise a status of at least one layout element of the human interface description.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the means for providing further comprises:

means for providing a layout template and a data description;

means for instantiating a data instance from the data description; and

means for merging the data instance with the layout template into an human interface description.

9. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising means for storing the data.

10. A computer program product having a plurality of instructions for causing a processor of a computer to provide and process a human interface description, the computer program product causing the computer to execute the following steps:

providing an human interface description to prompt an user for data input; and

receiving data from the user, wherein the data comprise a status of at least one layout element of the human interface description.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer program product causes the computer to execute the providing step through the steps of:

providing a layout template and a data description;

instantiating a data instance (150) from the data description; and

merging the data instance with the layout template into an human interface description.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer program product causes the computer to further execute the step of:

storing the data.