Developing and executing applications with configurable patterns

• US 20050257157A1
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Penmatsa, Vinay Nath, Kavaler, Adi, Stienhans, Frank, Giese, Peter, Gilboa, Yuval, Shaburov, Victor, Shumakher, Gennady
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for developing user interface applications using configurable patterns and for executing such pattern-based applications. The applications can be developed by generating a graphic representation of a pattern, which can include multiple pattern elements having prearranged user interface elements. The pattern can specify predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, and the graphic representation can include graphic objects corresponding to the pattern elements. Application development can further include receiving user input identifying a selected graphic object and modifying the graphic representation to display information regarding the pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object.

Claims

1. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product being operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

generating a graphic representation of a pattern, the pattern comprising multiple pattern elements including prearranged user interface elements, the pattern specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the graphic representation comprising graphic objects corresponding to the pattern elements;

receiving user input comprising an identification of a selected graphic object; and

modifying the graphic representation to display information regarding the pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving additional user input comprising configuration information for the pattern, the configuration information specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system; and

modifying the graphic representation of the pattern in accordance with the configuration information.

3. The product of claim 2, wherein the graphic representation suppresses details of the pattern elements in order to reduce complexity of the graphic representation.

4. The product of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise generating a visual representation of one or more available entities in a back-end system, and wherein the additional user input comprises a selection of one or more of the available entities.

5. The product of claim 2, wherein the configuration information further specifies customization data for the user interface elements, and wherein the operations further comprise modifying the graphic representation of the pattern in accordance with the customization data.

6. The product of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise generating configuration data for the pattern based on the configuration information, the configuration data specifying the associations between the user interface elements and the entities in the back-end system in a predefined format.

7. The product of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise storing the configuration data separately from the pattern.

8. The product of claim 1, wherein the at least one pattern element comprises a data port, and the operations further comprise:

receiving user input identifying a second pattern;

receiving user input specifying the connection of the data port to the second pattern; and

automatically configuring the second pattern based on the data from the data port.

9. The product of claim 1, wherein at least one of the pattern elements is a nested pattern, and the selected graphic object corresponds to the nested pattern, and wherein modifying the graphic representation of the pattern comprises displaying a graphic representation of the nested pattern.

10. The product of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving additional user input comprising configuration information for the nested pattern; and

modifying the graphic representation of the nested pattern based on the configuration information.

11. The product of claim 9, wherein the pattern is an application floor plan.

12. The product of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving additional user input comprising configuration information for the pattern, the configuration information specifying an association between the pattern element corresponding to a selected graphic object and an entity in a back-end system, the entity in the back-end system comprising multiple sub-entities; and

automatically associating all the sub-entities with the pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object.

13. The product of claim 12, wherein automatically associating all the sub-entities with the pattern element comprises generating a sub-element in the pattern element for each sub-entity.

14. The product of claim 12, wherein:

the pattern element comprises a search form;

the entity in the back-end system comprises a query;

the sub-entities comprise query parameters for the query; and

automatically associating all the sub-entities with the pattern element comprises modifying the search form so that it is operable to display all the query parameters.

15. The product of claim 12, wherein:

the pattern element comprises a list pane;

the entity in the back-end system comprises a table;

the sub-entities comprise columns in the table; and

automatically associating all the sub-entities with the pattern element comprises modifying the list pane so that it is operable to display all the table columns.

16. The product of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a visual representation of one or more chart objects, each chart object corresponding to a chart program operable to graphically represent data;

receiving additional user input, the additional user input comprising configuration information and an identification of a selected chart object, the configuration information specifying an association between the pattern element corresponding to a selected graphic object and an entity in a back-end system; and

associating the chart program corresponding to the selected chart object with the selected pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object.

17. The product of claim 16, wherein the chart program corresponding to the selected chart object is operable to receive a specification of one or more chart features, and wherein the additional user input further comprises a selection of one or more of the chart features.

18. The product of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving user input comprising additional configuration information for the pattern, the configuration information specifying an association between the pattern element corresponding to a selected graphic object and a first entity in a back-end system;

identifying one or more related entities in the back-end system, each related entity being related the first entity;

generating a visual representation of the related entities;

receiving user input comprising an identification of a selected related entity; and

associating the pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object with the selected related entity instead of the first entity.

19. The product of claim 18, wherein the first entity comprises a first data structure having a key, and wherein the related entities are distinct data structures having the key.

20. The product of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a representation of one or more modules in a selected back-end system;

receiving user input comprising an identification of a selected one of the modules;

sending a request for information about the selected module to an agent;

receiving first data comprising a description of one or more entities in the selected module;

displaying a representation of the one or more entities;

receiving user input comprising an identification of a selected one of the entities; and

displaying a representation of the selected entity in the graphic representation of the pattern.

21. The product of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise associating the selected entity with the pattern element corresponding to a selected graphic object.

22. The product of claim 20, wherein the description of the one or more entities comprises meta data about the one or more entities.

23. The product of claim 22, wherein the meta data is from a repository that stores normalized data describing the selected back-end system.

24. The product of claim 20, wherein the description of the one or more entities is in a self-describing format.

25. The product of claim 24, wherein the self-describing format is XML.

26. The product of claim 20, wherein the one or more entities are queries that can be executed in the selected module.

27. The product of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending a request for information about the selected entity to the agent;

receiving second data comprising a description of input that can be provided to the selected entity and output that can be produced by the selected entity; and

displaying the second data in the graphic representation of the pattern.

28. The product of claim 27, wherein:

the selected entity is a query that can be executed in the selected module;

the description of the input comprises a list of query parameters that can provided to the query; and

the description of the output comprises a list of data fields retrieved by the query.

29. The product of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a representation of one or more back-end systems;

receiving user input comprising an identification of a selected back-end system;

sending a request for information about the selected back-end system to the agent; and

receiving second data from the agent, the second data comprising a description of the modules in the selected back-end system.

30. A method comprising:

generating a graphic representation of a pattern, the pattern comprising multiple pattern elements including prearranged user interface elements, the pattern specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the graphic representation comprising graphic objects corresponding to the pattern elements;

receiving user input comprising an identification of a selected graphic object; and

modifying the graphic representation to display information regarding the pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving additional user input comprising configuration information for the pattern, the configuration information specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system; and

modifying the graphic representation of the pattern in accordance with the configuration information.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one pattern element comprises a data port, and the operations further comprise:

receiving user input identifying a second pattern;

receiving user input specifying the connection of the data port to the second pattern; and

automatically configuring the second pattern based on the data from the data port.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving additional user input comprising configuration information for the pattern, the configuration information specifying an association between the pattern element corresponding to a selected graphic object and an entity in a back-end system, the entity in the back-end system comprising multiple sub-entities; and

automatically associating all the sub-entities with the pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

generating a visual representation of one or more chart objects, each chart object corresponding to a chart program operable to graphically represent data;

receiving additional user input, the additional user input comprising configuration information and an identification of a selected chart object, the configuration information specifying an association between the pattern element corresponding to a selected graphic object and an entity in a back-end system; and

associating the chart program corresponding to the selected chart object with the selected pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving user input comprising additional configuration information for the pattern, the configuration information specifying an association between the pattern element corresponding to a selected graphic object and a first entity in a back-end system;

identifying one or more related entities in the back-end system, each related entity being related the first entity;

generating a visual representation of the related entities;

receiving user input comprising an identification of a selected related entity; and

associating the pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object with the selected related entity instead of the first entity.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

displaying a representation of one or more modules in a selected back-end system;

receiving user input comprising an identification of a selected one of the modules;

sending a request for information about the selected module to an agent;

receiving first data comprising a description of one or more entities in the selected module;

displaying a representation of the one or more entities;

receiving user input comprising an identification of a selected one of the entities; and

displaying a representation of the selected entity in the graphic representation of the pattern.

37. An apparatus comprising:

a computer operable to;

generate a graphic representation of a pattern, the pattern comprising multiple pattern elements including prearranged user interface elements, the pattern specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the graphic representation comprising graphic objects corresponding to the pattern elements;

receive user input comprising an identification of a selected graphic object; and

modify the graphic representation to display information regarding the pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the computer is further operable to:

receive additional user input comprising configuration information for the pattern, the configuration information specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system; and

modify the graphic representation of the pattern in accordance with the configuration information.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the computer is further operable to:

receive user input comprising additional configuration information for the pattern, the configuration information specifying an association between the pattern element corresponding to a selected graphic object and a first entity in a back-end system;

identify one or more related entities in the back-end system, each related entity being related the first entity;

generate a visual representation of the related entities;

receive user input comprising an identification of a selected related entity; and

associate the pattern element corresponding to the selected graphic object with the selected related entity instead of the first entity.