System and method for generating a web control in a Windows development environment

• US 20050262517A1
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: French, Jeffrey K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

This disclosure provides a system and method for generating a .NET web control in a Windows development environment. In one embodiment, an example method for generating a .NET web control in a Windows development environment includes initializing a design engine for Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI) forms, with the design engine operable to present a plurality of Windows controls to a user and one of the plurality of Windows controls comprising a web control host. A web control host object is instantiated based on the web control host at least partially in response to a request by the user. The web control host object is operable to present a plurality of web controls through the design engine. At least partially in response to a selection by the user of one of the web controls, a web control object is created via the web control host object. A Windows-based GUI form is generated using the design engine, with the GUI form comprising at least the web control object.

Claims

1. A method for generating a web control in a Windows development environment comprises:

initializing a design engine for Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI) forms, the design engine operable to present a plurality of Windows controls to a user and one of the plurality of Windows controls comprising a web control host;

instantiating a web control host object based on the web control host at least partially in response to a request by the user, the web control host object operable to present a plurality of web controls through the design engine;

creating a web control object via the web control host object at least partially in response to a selection by the user of one of the web controls; and

generating a Windows-based GUI form using the design engine, the GUI form comprising at least the web control object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a plurality of properties with the web control object at least partially based on user selection through the web control host object.

3. The method of claim 1, the web control host comprising a first web control host and the method further comprising:

instantiating a second web control host object based on the web control host, the second web control host object operable to present the plurality of web controls through the design engine;

creating a second web control object via the second web control host object at least partially in response to the user selecting one of the web controls; and

the generated GUI form further comprising the second web control object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initializing a GUI form template;

associating the web control object with the GUI form template; and

wherein generating the GUI form comprises generating the GUI form based on the GUI form template.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the plurality of web controls for presentation based on an XML document, the XML document comprising a first tag associated with a first of the plurality of web controls and a second tag associated with a second of the plurality of web controls.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

adding a third tag to the XML document via the design engine, the third tag associated with third party web control;

adding the third party web control to the plurality of web controls; and

refreshing the presentation of the plurality of web controls.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each web control is operable to be manipulated as a Windows control.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the web control host comprises a dynamic link library (DLL).

9. The method of claim 1, the generated GUI form comprising a Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) window and the method further comprising presenting the generated GUI form to the user through a web browser.

10. The method of claim 1, the plurality of web controls comprising any of the following:

ad rotator;

button;

calendar;

checkbox;

compare validator;

data grid;

hyperlink;

image;

link button;

radio button;

table; and

text box.

11. A design engine for Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI) forms, the design engine operable to:

present a plurality of Windows controls to a user and one of the plurality of Windows controls comprising a web control host;

instantiate a web control host object based on the web control host at least partially in response to a request by the user, the web control host object operable to present a plurality of web controls;

create a web control object via the web control host object at least partially in response to a selection by the user of one of the web controls; and

generate a Windows-based GUI form using the design engine, the GUI form comprising at least the web control object.

12. The design engine of claim 11, further operable to associate a plurality of properties with the web control object at least partially based on user selection through the web control host object.

13. The design engine of claim 11, the web control host comprising a first web control host and the design engine further operable to:

instantiate a second web control host object based on the web control host, the second web control host object operable to present the plurality of web controls;

create a second web control object via the second web control host object at least partially in response to the user selecting one of the web controls; and

the generated GUI form further comprising the second web control object.

14. The design engine of claim 11, further operable to:

initialize a GUI form template;

associate the web control object with the GUI form template; and

wherein the design engine operable to generate the GUI form comprises the design engine operable to generate the GUI form based on the GUI form template.

15. The design engine of claim 11, further operable to identify the plurality of web controls for presentation based on an XML document, the XML document comprising a first tag associated with a first of the plurality of web controls and a second tag associated with a second of the plurality of web controls.

16. The design engine of claim 15, further operable to:

add a third tag to the XML document via the design engine, the third tag associated with third party web control;

add the third party web control to the plurality of web controls; and

refresh the presentation of the plurality of web controls.

17. The design engine of claim 11, wherein each web control is operable to be manipulated as a Windows control.

18. The design engine of claim 11, wherein the web control host comprises a dynamic link library (DLL).

19. The design engine of claim 11, the generated GUI form comprising a Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) window and the design engine further operable to present the generated GUI form to the user through a web browser.

20. The design engine of claim 11, the plurality of web controls comprising any of the following:

ad rotator;

button;

calendar;

checkbox;

compare validator;

data grid;

hyperlink;

image;

link button;

radio button;

table; and

text box.

21. A system for generating a web control in a Windows development environment comprises:

memory operable to store a plurality of Windows controls, one of the plurality of Windows controls comprising a web control host; and

one or more processors operable to;

initialize a design engine for Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI) forms, the design engine operable to present the plurality of Windows controls to a user;

instantiate a web control host object based on the web control host at least partially in response to a request by the user, the web control host object operable to present a plurality of web controls through the design engine;

create a web control object via the web control host object at least partially in response to a selection by the user of one of the web controls; and

generate a Windows-based GUI form using the design engine, the GUI form comprising at least the web control object.

22. The system of claim 21, the one or more processors further operable to associate a plurality of properties with the web control object at least partially based on user selection through the web control host object.

23. The system of claim 21, the web control host comprising a first web control host and the one or more processors further operable to:

instantiate a second web control host object based on the web control host, the second web control host object operable to present the plurality of web controls through the design engine;

create a second web control object via the second web control host object at least partially in response to the user selecting one of the web controls; and

the generated GUI form further comprising the second web control object.

24. The system of claim 21, the one or more processors further operable to:

initialize a GUI form template;

associate the web control object with the GUI form template; and

wherein generating the GUI form comprises generating the GUI form based on the GUI form template.

25. The system of claim 21, the one or more processors further operable to identify the plurality of web controls for presentation based on an XML document, the XML document comprising a first tag associated with a first of the plurality of web controls and a second tag associated with a second of the plurality of web controls.

26. The system of claim 25, further operable to:

add a third tag to the XML document via the design engine, the third tag associated with third party web control;

add the third party web control to the plurality of web controls; and

refresh the presentation of the plurality of web controls.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein each web control is operable to be manipulated as a Windows control.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the web control host comprises a dynamic link library (DLL).

29. The system of claim 21, the generated GUI form comprising a Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) window and the one or more processors further operable to present the generated GUI form to the user through a web browser.

30. The system of claim 21, the plurality of web controls comprising any of the following:

ad rotator;

button;

calendar;

checkbox;

compare validator;

data grid;

hyperlink;

image;

link button;

radio button;

table; and

text box.

31. A system for generating a web control in a Windows development environment comprises:

means for initializing a design engine for Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI) forms, the design engine operable to present a plurality of Windows controls to a user and one of the plurality of Windows controls comprising a web control host;

means for instantiating a web control host object based on the web control host at least partially in response to a request by the user, the web control host object operable to present a plurality of web controls through the design engine;

means for creating a web control object via the web control host object at least partially in response to a selection by the user of one of the web controls; and

means for generating a Windows-based GUI form using the design engine, the GUI form comprising at least the web control object.