Application developer and method for generating platform independent code

• US 20060129972A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Yeager, John Andrew, Mendez, Miguel A., Tyburski, John Christopher
• Application Number:
  US11/000,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129972A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/76 Adapting program code to run in a different environment; Porting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A method for developing platform independent applications comprises integrating an interface into a software development platform, receiving an input indicative of a desired mobile-device type designated to receive an application responsive to the platform independent code, enabling a user to develop an instruction set via the interface, generating a set of platform independent files responsive to the mobile-device type and the instruction set, forwarding the set of platform independent files to a device translator, and generating a device-specific application responsive to the mobile-device type and the platform independent files. A computing device exposes the functions of a software development platform, generates a representation of a set of instructions designated for execution on a mobile device, and transforms the representation. The mobile device receives a device independent representation of an application program designated for operation on the mobile device along with an application program.

Claims

1. A method for developing platform independent code, comprising:

integrating an interface into a software development platform;

receiving an input indicative of a first developer desired mobile-device type designated to receive an application responsive to a platform independent code, the mobile-device type identifying an operator interface on the mobile device;

enabling a user to develop an instruction set via the interface and the software development platform;

generating a set of platform independent files responsive to the operator interface and the instruction set;

forwarding the set of platform independent files to a device translator configured to identify configuration options and native code responsive to the mobile-device type; and

forwarding the configuration options, native code, and platform independent files to a first device-specific packager to generate a device-specific application responsive to the mobile-device type and the platform independent files.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein integrating an interface comprises adding a plug-in that exposes the functionality of a software development platform to a developer of an application suited for execution on the desired mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an input comprises an indicator associated with at least one of a personal digital assistant, a phone, a media player, and a pager.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an input comprises defining a mobile-device specific operator interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an input comprises defining a mobile-device specific operating system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling a user to develop an instruction set comprises providing a user-selectable mode.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user-selectable mode comprises bifurcating mobile-device specific interface logic from other logic.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a set of platform independent files comprises producing at least one of a resource string file, a resource property pool file, a reference file, and a code file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the set of platform independent files comprises communicating the set with an executable specific to the operating system used on the first developer desired mobile-device type.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a device-specific application comprises retaining data responsive to the set of platform independent files.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selecting a second mobile-device type different from the first developer desired mobile-device type;

forwarding the data responsive to the set of platform independent files to a second device-specific packager; and

generating a device-specific application responsive to the second mobile-device type and the data responsive to the platform independent files.

12. A mobile device, comprising:

means for executing a previously installed application comprising a virtual machine and runtime;

means for receiving a package comprising a device independent representation of an application program designated for operation on the mobile device with a mobile-device specific application program; and

means for controllably executing the mobile-device specific application program such that the device independent representation is forwarded to and executed by the previously installed application on the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the means for receiving comprises a communication interface.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the means for receiving comprises a media interface.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the means for receiving comprises a communication session with a data store.

16. A computing device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor having stored therein;

logic configured to expose the functions of a software development platform to a user of the computing device, wherein the logic is responsive to an intermediate language source and configuration options associated with a mobile device remote from the computing device;

logic configured to generate a virtual machine instruction format representation of a set of instructions designated for execution on the mobile device;

logic configured to transform the configuration options and virtual machine instruction format representation into a data portion and identify native code responsive to a mobile-device type; and

logic configured to package the data portion and the native code to generate a mobile-device specific application.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the logic configured to expose the functions of a software development platform comprises a plug-in.

18. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the logic configured to generate a virtual machine instruction format produces a set of platform independent files.

19. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the native code identified by the logic configured to transform the virtual machine instruction format is configured to locate a client application on a remote mobile device.

20. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the logic configured to package the data portion and the native code is responsive to an operating system operable on a target mobile device.