Developing and executing applications with configurable patterns

• US 20060036745A1
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Stienhans, Frank, Giese, Peter, Shaburov, Victor, Muenkel, Markus, Goerke, Bjoern
• Granted Patent: US 8,296,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing techniques for developing user interface applications using configurable patterns and for executing such pattern-based applications. The techniques include receiving an identification of a pattern, generating configuration data for the pattern, and storing the configuration data separately from the pattern. The pattern includes a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifies predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements. The configuration data specifies associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system, and further specifies customization data for the user interface elements.

Claims

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

receiving an identification of a pattern, the pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements;

generating configuration data for the pattern, the configuration data specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system, and further specifying customization data for the user interface elements; and

storing the configuration data separately from the pattern.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein generating the configuration data for the pattern includes:

displaying a specification of the entities in the back-end system;

receiving user input selecting one or more of the entities in the back-end system; and

associating the selected entities in the back-end system with one or more of the user interface elements in the pattern.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein the pattern includes one or more nested patterns, and wherein generating the configuration data for the pattern includes generating additional configuration data for each of the one or more nested patterns.

4. The product of claim 1, wherein the predefined arrangement of user interface elements includes a plurality of different layouts of the user interface elements, and wherein generating the configuration data for the pattern includes:

receiving user input selecting a layout from the plurality of different layouts; and

associating the user interface elements in the selected layout with one or more of the entities in the back-end system.

5. The product of claim 1, wherein generating the configuration data for the pattern includes:

receiving user input modifying the predefined arrangement of user interface elements; and

associating the user interface elements in the modified arrangement of user interface elements with one or more of the entities in the back-end system.

6. The product of claim 5, wherein the user input comprises a specification of screen positions for one or more of the user interface elements.

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

receiving configuration data for a pattern, the pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the configuration data specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system, and further specifying customization data for the user interface elements; and

modifying a first instance of a set of predefined application elements based on the configuration data.

8. The product of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

executing a first application that uses the first instance of the set of predefined application elements.

9. The product of claim 8, wherein executing the first application comprises:

displaying the user interface elements according to the customization data; and

enabling a user to invoke the predefined actions using the user interface elements and the associated entities in the back-end system.

10. The product of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

modifying a second, distinct instance of the set of predefined application elements based on the configuration data; and

executing a second, distinct application that uses the second instance of the set of predefined application elements.

11. The product of claim 8, wherein modifying the first instance of the set of predefined application elements occurs during execution of the first application.

12. The product of claim 8, wherein modifying the first instance of the set of predefined application elements occurs when the predefined application elements are accessed.

13. The product of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise loading the first application prior to executing the first application, and wherein modifying the first instance of the set of predefined application elements occurs during loading of the first application.

14. The product of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise loading the first application prior to executing the first application, and wherein modifying the first instance of the set of predefined application elements occurs prior to loading of the first application.

15. The product of claim 7, wherein the set of predefined application elements includes one or more of models, views, and controllers.

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

establishing an integrated development environment for developing applications based on a programming model;

establishing a plurality of patterns, each pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, and each pattern having an associated configuration application and an associated pattern component, wherein each configuration application and each pattern component is developed using the integrated development environment and conforms to the programming model; and

developing an application by executing the configuration application for one of the patterns to produce configuration data for the pattern, the configuration data specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system, and further specifying customization data for the user interface elements.

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

storing the configuration data for the pattern separately from the pattern component associated with the pattern.

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

executing the application by using the pattern component associated with the pattern to read the configuration data and to modify one or more predefined application elements in the pattern component based on the configuration data.

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

establishing one or more run-time services operable to be used by applications developed according to the programming model, and wherein the pattern component invokes one or more of the run-time services during execution of the application.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving an identification of a pattern, the pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements;

means for generating configuration data for the pattern, the configuration data specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system, and further specifying customization data for the user interface elements; and

means for storing the configuration data separately from the pattern.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving configuration data for a pattern, the pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the configuration data specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system, and further specifying customization data for the user interface elements; and

means for modifying a first instance of a set of predefined application elements based on the configuration data.