Platform for Generating Composite Applications

• US 20100153865A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Barnes, Andrew, Hill, Gregg, Busateri, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 9,032,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to composite applications that can be created and implemented using components of a platform disclosed herein. Widgets associated with one or more products available in a mashup container can be implemented based on a selection by a user of the widgets from a widget catalog. A behavior of, and an interaction between, the widgets can be defined using metadata data associated with the widgets without requiring assistance from the user. A skin can be applied to the composite application that controls a visual presentation of the application on a display.

Claims

1. A method of creating a composite application comprising:

implementing widgets associated with one or more products available in a mashup container based on a selection by a user of the widgets from a widget catalog;

defining a behavior of, and an interaction between, the widgets using metadata data associated with the widgets without requiring software development effort from the user; and

applying a skin to the composite application, the skin controlling a visual presentation of the application on a display.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

retrieving the widgets selected by the user and configuration metadata associated with a position at which one or more of the widgets are to be depicted on the display;

loading the widgets based on the configuration metadata into the mashup container at runtime;

interpreting the layout specification metadata at runtime when widgets are being loaded into the environment; and

depicting, graphically, the one or more widgets at the position.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving layout specification metadata specific to the user, the layout specification metadata corresponding to a layout of the widgets;

loading the widgets into the mashup container at runtime based on the role of the user;

interpreting the layout specification metadata at runtime when widgets are being loaded into the environment; and

depicting, graphically, the one or more widgets at the position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first one of the widgets is incompatible with a second one of the widgets and the method further comprises:

connecting the first one of the widgets with the second one of the widgets;

translating events associated with the first one of the widgets to a form compatible with the second one of the widgets; and

applying rules involving interactions between the first one of the widgets and the second one of the widgets for transfer of the events between the first one of the widgets and the second one of the widgets so that the first one of the widgets is unaware of the second one of the widgets.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising

querying a first one of the widgets representing a data producer for a type of data being exchanged;

building a list of active widgets from the widgets in the mashup container;

retrieving the widget metadata from the widget catalog for the active widgets;

determining whether the widgets from the list of active widgets are data consumers of the type of data being exchanged;

adding the widgets identified as data consumers of the type of data being exchanged to a list of possible actions; and

displaying the list of possible action to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising

operating one or more of the widgets that is dependent on a service provider interface (SPI) of the mashup container within a third party container;

and

providing an adapter that converts between the SPI of the mashup container and the SPI or the third party container.

7. The method of 1 further comprising:

building a list of available external destination containers, a first one of the widgets capable of being implemented in a destination container associated with the list;

receiving a selection of the destination container from the list;

locating a widget publisher from the widget metadata and a correct widget adapter from the widget metadata;

encapsulating the first one of the widgets with the located adapter; and

adding the first one of the widget to the destination container using the widget publisher.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by at least one computing device facilitates creating a composite application by:

implementing widgets associated with one or more products available in a mashup container based on a selection by a user of the widgets from a widget catalog;

defining a behavior of, and an interaction between, the widgets using metadata data associated with the widgets without requiring software development effort from the user; and

applying a skin to the composite application, the skin controlling a visual presentation of the application on a display.

9. The medium of claim 8 further comprising

retrieving the widgets selected by the user and layout specification metadata associated with a position at which one or more of the widgets are to be depicted on the display;

loading the widgets based on the configuration metadata into the mashup container at runtime;

interpreting the layout specification metadata at runtime when widgets are being loaded into the environment; and

depicting, graphically, the one or more widgets at the position.

10. The medium of claim 8 further comprising:

retrieving layout specification metadata specific to the user, the layout specification metadata corresponding to a layout of the widgets;

loading the widgets into the mashup container at runtime based on the role of the user;

interpreting the layout specification metadata at runtime when widgets are being loaded into the environment; and

depicting, graphically, the one or more widgets at the position.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein a first one of the widgets is incompatible with a second one of the widgets and the medium further comprises:

connecting the first one of the widgets with the second one of the widgets;

translating events associated with the first one of the widgets to a form compatible with the second one of the widgets; and

applying rules involving interactions between the first one of the widgets and the second one of the widgets for transfer of the events between the first one of the widgets and the second one of the widgets so that the first one of the widgets is unaware of the second one of the widgets.

12. The medium of claim 8 further comprising

querying a first one of the widgets representing a data producer for a type of data being exchanged;

building a list of active widgets from the widgets in the mashup container;

retrieving the widget metadata from the widget catalog for the active widgets;

determining whether the widgets from the list of active widgets are data consumers of the type of data being exchanged;

adding the widgets identified as data consumers of the type of data being exchanged to a list of possible actions; and

displaying the list of possible action to the user.

13. The medium of claim 8 further comprising

operating one or more of the widgets that is dependent on a SPI of the mashup container within a third party container;

and

providing an adapter that converts between the SPI of the mashup container and the SPI or the third party container.

14. The medium of 8 further comprising:

building a list of available external destination containers, a first one of the widgets capable of being implemented in a destination container associated with the list;

receiving a selection of the destination container from the list;

locating a widget publisher from the widget metadata and a correct widget adapter from the widget metadata;

encapsulating the first one of the widgets with the located adapter; and

adding the first one of the widget to the destination container using the widget publisher.

15. A system for creating a composite application comprising:

a mashup container in which widgets associated with one or more products are implemented based on a selection by a user of the widgets from a widget catalog, the mashup container facilitating a definition of a behavior of, and an interaction between, the widgets using metadata data associated with the widgets without requiring software development effort from the user and facilitating applying a skin to the composite application that controls a visual presentation of the application on a display.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the widget catalog is configured to retrieve the widgets selected by the user and system further comprises:

a layout generator configured to retrieve, from a configuration repository, configuration metadata associated with a position at which one or more of the widgets are to be depicted on the display; and

a composite application assembler configured to load the widgets based on the configuration metadata into the mashup container at runtime, interpret the layout specification metadata at runtime when widgets are being loaded into the environment, and to depict, graphically, the one or more widgets at the position.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a layout generator configured to retrieve layout specification metadata specific to the user, interpret the layout specification metadata at runtime when widgets are being loaded into the environment, and to depict, graphically, the one or more widgets at the position, the layout specification metadata corresponding to a layout of the widgets; and

a composite application assembler configured to load the widgets into the mashup container at runtime based on the role of the user.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein a first one of the widgets is incompatible with a second one of the widgets and the system further comprises:

a widget event mediator configured to connect the first one of the widgets with the second one of the widgets, translate events associated with the first one of the widgets to a form compatible with the second one of the widgets, and apply rules involving interactions between the first one of the widgets and the second one of the widgets for transfer of the events between the first one of the widgets and the second one of the widgets so that the first one of the widgets is unaware of the second one of the widgets.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a widget data exchange configured to query a first one of the widgets representing a data producer for a type of data being exchanged, build a list of active widgets from the widgets in the mashup container, retrieve the widget metadata from the widget catalog for the active widgets, determine whether the widgets from the list of active widgets are data consumers of the type of data being exchanged, add the widgets identified as data consumers of the type of data being exchanged to a list of possible actions, and display the list of possible action to the user.

20. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a widget adapter configured to operate one or more of the widgets that is dependent on a SPI of the mashup container within a third party container and provide an adapter that converts between the SPI of the mashup container and the SPI or the third party container.