Automated binding for object oriented programming user interface components

• US 20060112399A1
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lessly, Roger T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for automated binding of an application user interface to the data that it manipulates in an object oriented programming system is provided. In one embodiment, responsive to instantiating an application user interface, a binder object is constructed for at least one component in the application user interface. The binder mediates the exchange of data between the component and the corresponding field in the model. The binder monitors the component for data change events and monitors the model for data change and state change events from the field. The binding is specified by a moniker that is shared by the component and the field. Using the moniker, the binder synthesizes method names to get and set the field value and retrieve the field'"'"'s state. The binder then locates and invokes, using introspection, the methods in the model that match the synthesized method names.

Claims

1. A method for automated binding of an application user interface to the data manipulated by the user interface, the method comprising:

responsive to instantiating an application user interface, constructing a binder object for at least one component in the application user interface;

registering the binder object with a notification dispatcher as a data change and state change listener of the model for the moniker of the user interface component;

registering the binder with the user interface component as a listener for various events that the user interface component can generate;

synthesizing method names with the binder;

locating the methods in the model that match the synthesized method names; and

searching for and binding to an appropriate method that returns the current state of a field in the model.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the methods comprise the getter, setter, and “

is-valid”

methods;

locating the methods in the model comprises locating the getter and setter methods in the model; and

searching for and binding to an appropriate method comprises searching for and binding to an “

is-valid”

method.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the binder utilizes introspection to find the getter, setter, and the is-valid methods in the model.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the introspection is Java reflection.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that data in the user interface component has changed, receiving, at the binder, the event, retrieving, with the binder, the new value, and updating, using the binder, the value in the model.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that data in the model has changed,

sending, from the model, a data change notification using the moniker of the field that changed via the notification dispatcher, and

receiving, at the binder, the notification, calling, with the binder, the bound getter to retrieve the new value from the model, and updating, using the binder, the user interface component.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that a state change occurred in the model,

sending, from the model, a state change notification;

receiving the notification at the binder; and

getting, at the binder, a Boolean value indicating the applicable state of the field in the model.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

performing, with the binder, one of enabling and disabling a corresponding user interface component based on the returned Boolean value.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that an event occurred in the user interface component,

receiving, at the binder, an appropriate user interface event notification;

synthesizing, with the binder, an event-handling method name, and

searching, with the binder, the application user interface for the method.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the method is found, calling, with the binder, the event-handling method.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method comprise at least one of a data method, an event method, and an auxiliary method.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the data method comprises one of a get method, a set method, an “

is valid”

method, and methods for populating components.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the methods for populating components comprise “

get-list”

methods.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the event method comprises handle user interface events generated by the various components in the user interface.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the event method is bound to a method in the view object.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the auxiliary method comprises methods that provide one of auxiliary information and handle binder-generated notifications.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the auxiliary method handles at least one of validation of the maximum length of a text field, handle errors detected by the binder, and provide monikers for table columns.

18. A computer program product in a computer readable media for use in a data processing system for automated binding of an application user interface to the data manipulated by the user interface, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for, responsive to instantiating an application user interface, constructing a binder object for at least one component in the application user interface;

second instructions for registering the binder object with a notification dispatcher as a data change and state change listener of the model for the moniker of the user interface component;

third instructions for registering the binder with the user interface component as a listener for various events that the user interface component can generate;

fourth instructions for synthesizing method names with the binder;

fifth instructions for locating the methods in the model that match the synthesized method names; and

sixth instructions for searching for and binding to an appropriate method that returns the current state of a field in the model.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the methods comprise the getter, setter, and “

is-valid”

methods;

locating the methods in the model comprises locating the getter and setter methods in the model; and

searching for and binding to an appropriate method comprises searching for and binding to an “

is-valid”

method.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the binder utilizes introspection to find the getter, setter, and the is-valid methods in the model.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 20, wherein the introspection comprises Java reflection.

22. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

seventh instructions for, responsive to a determination that data in the user interface component has changed, receiving, at the binder, the event, retrieving, with the binder, the new value, and updating, using the binder, the value in the model.

23. The computer program product method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

seventh instructions for, responsive to a determination that data in the model has changed,

sending, from the model, a data change notification using the moniker of the field that changed via the notification dispatcher, and

receiving, at the binder, the notification, calling, with the binder, the bound getter to retrieve the new value from the model, and updating, using the binder, the user interface component.

24. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

seventh instructions for, responsive to a determination that a state change occurred in the model,

sending, from the model, a state change notification;

receiving the notification at the binder; and

getting, at the binder, a Boolean value indicating the applicable state of the field in the model.

25. The computer program product as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

eighth instructions for performing, with the binder, one of enabling and disabling a corresponding user interface component based on the returned Boolean value.

26. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

seventh instructions for, responsive to a determination that an event occurred in the user interface component,

receiving, at the binder, an appropriate user interface event notification;

synthesizing, with the binder, an event-handling method name, and

searching, with the binder, the application user interface for the method.

27. The computer program product as recited in claim 26, further comprising:

eighth instructions for, responsive to a determination that the method is found, calling, with the binder, the event-handling method.

28. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein the method comprise at least one of a data method, an event method, and an auxiliary method.

29. A system for automated binding of an application user interface to the data manipulated by the user interface, the system comprising:

first means for, responsive to instantiating an application user interface, constructing a binder object for at least one component in the application user interface;

second means for registering the binder object with a notification dispatcher as a data change and state change listener of the model for the moniker of the user interface component;

third means for registering the binder with the user interface component as a listener for various events that the user interface component can generate;

fourth means for synthesizing method names with the binder;

fifth means for locating the methods in the model that match the synthesized method names; and

sixth means for searching for and binding to an appropriate method that returns the current state of a field in the model.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein:

the methods comprise the getter, setter, and “

is-valid”

methods;

locating the methods in the model comprises locating the getter and setter methods in the model; and

searching for and binding to an appropriate method comprises searching for and binding to an “

is-valid”

method.

31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the binder utilizes introspection to find the getter, setter, and the is-valid methods in the model.

32. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the introspection comprises Java reflection.

33. The system as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

seventh means for, responsive to a determination that data in the user interface component has changed, receiving, at the binder, the event, retrieving, with the binder, the new value, and updating, using the binder, the value in the model.

34. The system method as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

seventh means for, responsive to a determination that data in the model has changed,

sending, from the model, a data change notification using the moniker of the field that changed via the notification dispatcher, and

receiving, at the binder, the notification, calling, with the binder, the bound getter to retrieve the new value from the model, and updating, using the binder, the user interface component.

35. The system as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

seventh means for, responsive to a determination that a state change occurred in the model,

sending, from the model, a state change notification;

receiving the notification at the binder; and

getting, at the binder, a Boolean value indicating the applicable state of the field in the model.

36. The system as recited in claim 35, further comprising:

eighth means for performing, with the binder, one of enabling and disabling a corresponding user interface component based on the returned Boolean value.

37. The system as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

seventh means for, responsive to a determination that an event occurred in the user interface component,

receiving, at the binder, an appropriate user interface event notification;

synthesizing, with the binder, an event-handling method name, and

searching, with the binder, the application user interface for the method.

38. The system as recited in claim 37, further comprising:

eighth means for, responsive to a determination that the method is found, calling, with the binder, the event-handling method.

39. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the method comprise at least one of a data method, an event method, and an auxiliary method.

40. An object oriented program structure for binding an application user interface with data manipulated by the user interface, the structure comprising:

a view comprising an application user interface object and at least one user interface component, wherein the user interface component comprises a moniker string that associates the user interface component with its data and event handlers;

a model object which manages program data and implements program rules for the object oriented program;

at least one binder object corresponding to the at least one user interface component object, wherein the binder object uses the user interface component'"'"'s moniker to connect the user interface component to data access methods in the model object and event handling methods in the view; and

a notification dispatcher that routes change notifications from the model to an appropriate binder object.