Meta Data Driven User Interface System and Method

• US 20080263142A1
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Glass, Richard A., Daugherty, Wayne A.
• Application Number:
  US12/104,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263142A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation

Abstract

A method comprises receiving a request for a webpage and retrieving metadata from a database. The metadata may be translated into one or more webparts. The method further comprises loading the one or more webparts onto the webpage and displaying the webpage.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for a webpage;

retrieving metadata from a database;

translating the metadata into one or more webparts;

loading the one or more webparts onto the webpage; and

displaying the webpage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata defines a number and arrangement of the webparts to be displayed on the webpage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more webparts comprise one or more formlets, wherein each formlet comprises one or more control fields.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the webpage comprises displaying the control fields corresponding to one record.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the webpage comprises displaying the control fields corresponding to a plurality of records.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more control fields are bound to the metadata in the database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the metadata further defines a number and arrangement of control fields to be displayed within a webpart.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

altering the metadata;

based on alterations to the metadata, altering the number and arrangement of control fields to be displayed within a webpart

re-loading the webparts; and

displaying an updated webpage.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein altering the metadata comprises:

accessing the database; and

manually altering the metadata in the database.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein altering the metadata comprises:

entering desired alterations into a graphical user interface; and

automatically making the desired alterations to the metadata in the database.

11. A system, comprising:

an interface operable to receive a request for a webpage;

a processor operable to;

retrieve metadata from a database;

translate the metadata into one or more webparts;

load the one or more webparts onto the webpage; and

the interface further operable to display the webpage.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the metadata defines a number and arrangement of the webparts to be displayed on the webpage.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the webparts comprise formlets, wherein each formlet comprises one or more control fields.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more control fields are bound to the metadata in the database.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the metadata further defines a number and arrangement of control fields to be displayed within a webpart.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a graphical user interface operable to receive desired alterations from a user and automatically make the desired alterations to the metadata in the database.

17. Logic encoded in a computer readable medium and operable, when executed on a processor to:

receive a request for a webpage;

retrieve metadata from a database;

translate the metadata into one or more webparts;

load the one or more webparts onto the webpage; and

display the webpage.

18. The logic of claim 17, wherein the metadata defines a number and arrangement of the webparts to be displayed on the webpage.

19. The logic of claim 17, wherein the webparts comprise formlets, wherein each formlet comprises one or more control fields.

20. The logic of claim 19, wherein the one or more control fields are bound to the metadata in the database.

21. The logic of claim 19, wherein the metadata further defines a number and arrangement of control fields to be displayed within a webpart.

22. The logic of claim 17, wherein the logic is further operable to:

receive, via a graphical user interface, desired alterations; and

automatically make the desired alterations to the metadata in the database.