Simplifying Interaction With Multiple Applications When Using Forms Via A Common Interface

• US 20090025017A1
• Filed: 09/03/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Chavan, Sameer
• Granted Patent: US 8,479,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/329
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Simplifying interaction with multiple applications when using forms via a common interface. In one embodiment, a mapping data indicating the forms used for corresponding combinations of an action and a class of data is maintained. On receiving an action identifier and a class identifier from a user using a common interface, the specific form is determined from the mapping data based on the action and class identifiers. The specific form is then displayed to the user on a display. As a result, a user can quickly/directly access a desired form.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a user to interact with a plurality of applications via a common interface, said method being implemented on a client system, wherein each of said plurality of applications is executed on a corresponding set of server systems and is designed to provide a corresponding plurality of forms for manipulating a plurality of classes of data, wherein each form corresponds to a combination of one of a plurality of actions and one of said plurality of classes of data, said method comprising:

maintaining a mapping data indicating a specific one of said plurality of forms used for a combination of an action and a class of data;

receiving an action identifier and a class identifier from said user;

determining a first form from said mapping data based on said action identifier and said class identifier in response to said receiving, said first form being contained in said plurality of forms; and

displaying said first form on a display,

wherein said maintaining, said receiving, said determining and said displaying are performed in said client system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said maintaining maintains in said mapping data a corresponding application which provides the corresponding form, wherein said determining determines a first application providing said first form, said first application being contained in said plurality of applications, said method further comprising:

retrieving said first form from said first application,

wherein said displaying displays the retrieved form as said first form.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said receiving further receives an instance identifier identifying an instance of the class of data identified by said class identifier, wherein said determining determines said first form from said mapping data based on said action identifier, said class identifier and said instance identifier in response to said receiving.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said maintaining, said receiving, said determining and said displaying are provided by a sub-interface contained in said common interface, said method further comprising:

providing an alternative sub-interface to enable said user to access said first form from said client system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said alternative sub-interface comprises requiring said user to navigate a subset of forms contained in said plurality of forms before said user is able to access said first form.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of applications constitute an enterprise application.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said plurality of classes of data corresponds to a plurality of business objects defined in said enterprise application, wherein said class identifier corresponds to a name associated with the corresponding business object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of actions corresponds to one of creation of a new business object, update of an existing business object, deletion of an existing business object, listing of business objects and search for a business object, wherein said action identifier corresponds to one of add, edit, delete, list and search.

9. A machine readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for causing a client system to enable a user to interact with a plurality of applications via a common interface, wherein each of said plurality of applications is executed on a corresponding set of server systems and is designed to provide a corresponding plurality of forms for manipulating a plurality of classes of data, wherein each form corresponds to a combination of one of a plurality of actions and one of said plurality of classes of data, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said client system causes said client system to perform the actions of:

maintaining a mapping data indicating a specific one of said plurality of forms used for a combination of an action and a class of data;

receiving an action identifier and a class identifier from said user;

determining a first form from said mapping data based on said action identifier and said class identifier in response to said receiving, said first form being contained in said plurality of forms; and

displaying said first form on a display.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein said maintaining maintains in said mapping data a corresponding application which provides the corresponding form, wherein said determining determines a first application providing said first form, said first application being contained in said plurality of applications, further comprising one or more instructions for:

retrieving said first form from said first application,

wherein said displaying displays the retrieved form as said first form.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein said receiving further receives an instance identifier identifying an instance of the class of data identified by said class identifier, wherein said determining determines said first form from said mapping data based on said action identifier, said class identifier and said instance identifier in response to said receiving.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein said maintaining, said receiving, said determining and said displaying are provided by a sub-interface contained in said common interface, further comprising one or more instructions for:

providing an alternative sub-interface to enable said user to access said first form from said client system.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein said alternative sub-interface comprises requiring said user to navigate a subset of forms contained in said plurality of forms before said user is able to access said first form.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein said plurality of applications constitute an enterprise application, wherein said plurality of classes of data corresponds to a plurality of business objects defined in said enterprise application and each of said plurality of actions corresponds to one of creation of a new business object, update of an existing business object, deletion of an existing business object, listing of business objects and search for a business object, wherein said class identifier corresponds to a name associated with the corresponding business object and said action identifier corresponds to one of add, edit, delete, list and search.

15. A computing system comprising:

a set of server systems executing a plurality of applications, wherein each of said plurality of applications is designed to provide a corresponding plurality of forms to facilitate users to manipulate a plurality of classes of data, wherein each form corresponds to a combination of one of a plurality of actions and one of said plurality of classes of data; and

a client system comprising;

a display unit;

a memory storing a mapping data indicating a specific one of said plurality of forms used for a combination of an action and a class of data; and

a processor receiving an action identifier and a class identifier from a user and determining a first form from said mapping data based on said action identifier and said class identifier, said first form being contained in said plurality of forms, said processor causing said first form to be displayed on said display unit.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said mapping data specifies a corresponding application which provides the corresponding form, wherein said processor determines a first application providing said first form and retrieves said first form from said first application, said first application being contained in said plurality of applications, wherein said processor displays the retrieved form as said first form on said display unit.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein said processor further receives an instance identifier identifying an instance of the class of data identified by said class identifier, wherein said processor determines said first form from said mapping data based on said action identifier, said class identifier and said instance identifier.

18. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said processor provides an alternative interface to enable a user to access said first form.

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein said alternative interface comprises requiring said user to navigate a subset of forms contained in said plurality of forms before said user is able to access said first form.

20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein said plurality of applications constitute an enterprise application, wherein said plurality of classes of data corresponds to a plurality of business objects defined in said enterprise application and each of said plurality of actions corresponds to one of creation of a new business object, update of an existing business object, deletion of an existing business object, listing of business objects and search for a business object, wherein said class identifier corresponds to a name associated with the corresponding business object and said action identifier corresponds to one of add, edit, delete, list and search.