APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COMPONENT-BASED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

• US 20080222600A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Chong-mok, Min, Kyung-sub, Choi, Yoon-hee, Hong, Seon-jin
• Application Number:
  US11/960,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20080222600A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

An apparatus and method for component-based software development, which can provide a development environment and a graphical user interface for systematically developing already prepared software based on a component. The apparatus for component-based software development includes a graphical-user-interface-providing unit to provide a graphical user interface to generate any one of a function-level component and a build-level component from source code; a user input unit to receive a user input value to generate any one of the function-level component and the build-level component; and a control unit to generate any one of the function-level component and the build-level component in accordance with the input value.

Claims

1. An apparatus for component-based software development, the apparatus comprising:

a graphical-user-interface-providing unit to provide a graphical user interface to generate any one of a function-level component and a build-level component from source code;

a user input unit to receive a user input value for generate any one of the function-level component and the build-level component; and

a control unit to generate any one of the function-level component and the build-level component in accordance with the input value and to control the graphical user interface providing unit in response to user input from the user input unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises:

a first region to display local elements corresponding to a present task;

a second region to display global elements;

a third region to generate and assemble the function-level component;

a fourth region to display an attribute of a selected element; and

a fifth region to display a message related to generation of a component.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the user input unit receives basic information for generating the function-level component from the user; and

the graphical user interface providing unit adds a symbol corresponding to the function-level component to the graphical user interface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a language that defines an interface of the function-level component is automatically prepared from the symbol extracted from a selected header filer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user input unit receives basic information for generating the build-level component from the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the user input unit receives input to select a directory, in which the source code for generating the build-level component is located, from the user.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the user input unit receives input to select a build file for generating the build-level component from the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user input unit receives input to select a third-party library and a header from the user.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the user input unit receives input to select a build action from the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user input unit receives input from the user to define a set interface for changing the setting of the build-level component and to select a variable to be used for the setting.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit performs a build test by changing the value of the variable.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user input unit receives basic information for generating a composite build-level component, in which the build-level component is assembled, from the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user input unit receives input to perform a mapping of directories of sub-build-level components included in the composite build-level component from the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user input unit receives input to perform a mapping of a set interface of the sub-build-level component on a set interface of the composite build-level component from the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user input unit receives input from the user to perform a mapping of function-level components corresponding to the sub-build-level components.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if a symbol name collision between the components occurs, the control unit resolves the symbol name collision through the graphical user interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit provides a result of a search for the build-level component related to a specified function-level component through the graphical user interface.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit provides a result of a search for the function-level component related to a specified interface through the graphical user interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit provides a result of a search for the function-level component related to a specified build-level component through the graphical user interface.

39. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit to store components including basic-level components and functional-level components.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the storage unit comprises:

a local component storage unit to store components relating to a current project; and

a global component storage unit to store components that can be used for any project.

20. A method of component-based software development, comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to generate any one of a function-level component and a build-level component from source code;

receiving a user input value to generate any one of the function-level component and the build-level component; and

generating any one of the function-level component and the build-level component in accordance with the input value.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the graphical user interface comprises:

a first region to display local elements corresponding to a present task;

a second region to display global elements;

a third region to generate and assemble the function-level component;

a fourth region to display an attribute of a selected element; and

a fifth region to display a message related to a component generation.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the inputting comprises:

inputting basic information for generating the function-level component; and

adding a symbol that corresponds to the function-level component to the graphical user interface.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a language that defines an interface of the function-level component is automatically prepared from the symbol extracted from a selected header file.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving of user input comprises receiving basic information for generating the build-level component.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the receiving of the user input comprises receiving input to select a directory in which the source code for generating the build-level component is located.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the receiving of the user input comprises receiving input to select a build file for generating the build-level component.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the receiving of the user input comprises receiving input to select a third-party library and a header.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving of the user input comprises receiving input to select a build action.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the receiving of the user input comprises:

receiving input to define a set interface for changing the setting of the build-level component; and

receiving input to select a variable to be used for the setting.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the generating comprises performing a build test by changing the value of the variable.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving of the user input comprises receiving basic information for generating a composite build-level component in which the build-level component is assembled.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving of the user input comprises receiving input to perform a mapping of directories of sub-build-level components included in the composite build-level component.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the receiving of the user input comprises receiving input to perform a mapping of a set interface of the sub-build-level component on a set interface of the composite build-level component.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the receiving of the user input comprises receiving user input to perform a mapping of function-level components corresponding to the sub-build-level components.

35. The method of claim 20, wherein the generating comprises providing the resolving the symbol name collision through the graphical user interface, if a symbol name collision occurs between the components.

36. The method of claim 20, wherein the generating comprises providing a result of a search for the build-level component related to a specified function-level component through the graphical user interface.

37. The method of claim 20, wherein the generating comprises providing a result of a search for the function-level component related to a specified interface through the graphical user interface.

38. The method of claim 20, wherein the generating comprises providing a result of a search for the function-level component related to a specified build-level component through the graphical user interface.

41. A method of developing software using reusable components via a graphical user interface, the method comprising;

receiving basic information about a functional-level component to be generated via a graphical user interface;

displaying, on the graphical user interface, a region in which an interface for the functional-level component can be defined;

generating the functional-level component using the basic information and the interface defined via the graphical-user interface; and

recording the functional-level component in a storage medium for re-use.

42. A computer-readable medium having a program recorded thereon that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to display a graphical user interface to develop re-usable software components, the graphical user interface comprising:

a first region to display information about a project in process;

a second region to display components that can be re-used and to permit searching for components available for re-use;

a third region to allow the user to generate components; and

a fourth region to display an attribute of a selected element.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the third region displays error messages.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the fourth region allows a user to define the attributes of the selected element.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the second region comprises:

a functional-level component pane to display functional-level components that can be re-used;

a build-level component pane to display build-level components that can be re-used; and

a search result pane to display the results of a search.