Graphical editor with incremental development

• US 20060271909A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Koi Chong, Huang, Jinchao, Nguyen, Thuc
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Techniques for developing a graphical editor using an incremental development approach. Externally-stored descriptors are used to specify information on which a graphical editor engine operates to create a graphical editor. Developers can thus redefine the look and feel of the graphical editor by modifying these descriptors, effectively re-configuring the elements of visual models without changing the code of the graphical editor engine. Visual models for modeling a domain can be created and used, without first requiring the domain model to be defined.

Claims

1. A method of enabling incremental development of a graphical editor, comprising steps of:

providing an editor engine component that creates the graphical editor;

adapting the editor engine component to process a visual model structural file, wherein the visual model structural file describes a visual model supported by the editor engine, adheres to a specified visual meta-model, identifies a visual model descriptor file, and supports graphical editing of one or more domains; and

adapting the editor engine component to process the identified visual model descriptor file, wherein the identified visual model descriptor file specifies constraints on the visual model and adheres to a specified visual descriptor meta-model, and wherein the processing of the visual model descriptor file thereby configures behavior of the visual model in the graphical editor.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of adapting the editor engine component for subsequently associating a domain model with the visual model.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of adapting the editor engine component for substituting a different visual model structural file, wherein the domain model is then associated with this different visual model structural file:

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visual model descriptor file further specifies type information for domain model elements to be associated with visual elements of the graphical editor.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of adapting the editor engine component to reconfigure the graphical editor by processing a different visual model descriptor file.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visual model descriptor file is persisted externally from the editor engine.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing of the visual model descriptor file configures properties of visual elements renderable with the graphical editor.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visual model descriptor file specifies a basic shape of each of at least one visual element of the visual model.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visual model descriptor file specifies one or more composition behaviors of each of at least one visual element of the visual model.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visual model descriptor file specifies, for each of at least one visual element of the visual model, one or more relationships between the visual element and another visual element of the visual model.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling at least one property of at least one visual element that is renderable with the graphical editor to be modified by modifying the visual model descriptor file, such that the editor engine component can then process the modified visual model descriptor file and thereby modify the at least one property.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing pre-built graphical parts for use in the graphical editor.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling the graphical editor to be used to edit the visual model, and wherein the constraints specified in the visual model descriptor file provide bounds for allowable operations during the editing.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a framework of classes that are extendable for creating the graphical editor.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the pre-built parts comprise at least one common edit part, at least one common graphical figure, and at least one reference icon.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specified constraints comprise permitted behaviors of elements of the visual model.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specified constraints comprise prohibited behaviors of elements of the visual model.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

evaluating the configured behavior of the visual model using the graphical editor;

determining, as a result of the evaluating step, additional requirements for the visual model;

revising the visual model descriptor file to specify the additional requirements; and

re-configuring the graphical editor using the revised visual model descriptor file.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein visual elements of the visual model comprise nodes and links.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visual model structural file further specifies an identifier for a domain model to be associated with the visual model.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the visual model structural file further specifies a location of an external file where a descriptor for the domain model is stored.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identified visual model structural file specifies details of visual relationships to be supported by the visual model.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identified visual model descriptor file further specifies a graphical figure to be used for representing domain model elements of a particular one of the supported domains.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identified visual model descriptor file further specifies editing behaviors to be provided for domain model elements of a particular one of the supported domains.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the editor engine component is adapted for changing the editing behaviors by processing a modified version of the visual model descriptor file.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visual model structural file specifies elements of the visual model.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the visual model descriptor file specifies properties of the elements of the visual model.

28. A system for enabling incremental development of a graphical editor, comprising:

an editor engine component that creates the graphical editor;

processing means in the editor engine component for processing a visual model structural file, wherein the visual model structural file describes a visual model supported by the editor engine, adheres to a specified visual meta-model, identifies a visual model descriptor file, and supports graphical editing of one or more domains; and

processing means in the editor engine component for processing the identified visual model descriptor file, wherein the identified visual model descriptor file specifies constraints on the visual model and adheres to a specified visual descriptor meta-model, and wherein the processing of the visual model descriptor file thereby configures behavior of the visual model in the graphical editor.

29. The system according to claim 28, further comprising processing means in the editor engine component for subsequently associating a domain model with the visual model, such that a domain described by the domain model can then be graphically edited using the graphical editor.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein the processing means in the editor engine component for processing the identified visual model descriptor file are adapted for reconfiguring the graphical editor by processing a different visual model descriptor file.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein the processing means in the editor engine component for processing the identified visual model descriptor file operates to configure properties of visual elements renderable with the graphical editor.

32. The system according to claim 28, wherein the identified visual model structural file specifies details of visual relationships to be supported by the visual model.

33. The system according to claim 28, wherein the identified visual model descriptor file further specifies editing behaviors to be provided for domain model elements of a particular one of the supported domains, and wherein the editor engine component is adapted for changing the editing behaviors by processing a different visual model descriptor file.

34. A computer program product for enabling incremental development of a graphical editor, wherein the computer program product is embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprises computer-readable instructions for:

executing an editor engine component that creates the graphical editor;

processing, by the editor engine component, a visual model structural file, wherein the visual model structural file describes a visual model supported by the editor engine, adheres to a specified visual meta-model, identifies a visual model descriptor file, and supports graphical editing of one or more domains; and

processing, by the editor engine component, the identified visual model descriptor file, wherein the identified visual model descriptor file specifies constraints on the visual model and adheres to a specified visual descriptor meta-model, and wherein the processing of the visual model descriptor file thereby configures behavior of the visual model in the graphical editor.

35. The computer program product according to claim 34, further comprising computer-readable instructions for enabling at least one property of at least one visual element that is renderable with the graphical editor to be modified by modifying the visual model descriptor file, such that the editor engine component can then process the modified visual model descriptor file and thereby modify the at least one property.

36. The computer program product according to claim 34, further comprising computer-readable instructions for enabling the graphical editor to be used to edit the visual model, and wherein the constraints specified in the visual model descriptor file provide bounds for allowable operations during the editing.

37. The computer program product according to claim 34, wherein the specified constraints comprise permitted behaviors of elements of the visual model.

38. The computer program product according to claim 34, wherein the identified visual model descriptor file further specifies a graphical figure to be used for representing domain model elements of a particular one of the supported domains.

39. The computer program product according to claim 34, wherein the identified visual model descriptor file further specifies editing behaviors to be provided for domain model elements of a particular one of the supported domains, and wherein the editor engine component is adapted for changing the editing behaviors by processing a different visual model descriptor file.