SOLVER-BASED VISUALIZATION FRAMEWORK

• US 20100324870A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rubin, Darryl E., Beckman, Brian C., Mital, Vijay, Green, David G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,692,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Visualization frameworks may include solvers. The solvers may be used to determine the properties of view components of view compositions. In some instances, the solvers may be explicitly composed using a relational structure, such as a dependency tree. In some instances, the solvers may be implicitly composed based on property-setters having solvers invoking other property-setters having solvers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for using a plurality of model variables that define properties of one or more view components of a view composition, the method comprising:

an act of using a known first model variable of the plurality of model variables to solve for an unknown second model variable of the plurality of model variables, the second model variable defining a first property of a first view component of the view composition;

an act of setting the first property of the first view component of the view composition to the value of the solved second model variable; and

an act of rendering the view composition including the first view component.

2. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the known first model variable defines a second property of the first view component.

3. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 2, wherein a solver invoked by a property-setter for the first property of the first view component performs the act of using the known first model variable of the plurality of model variables to solve for the unknown second model variable of the plurality of model variables;

and wherein the property-setter for the first property of the first view component performs the act of setting the first property of the first view component of the view composition to the value of the solved second model variable.

4. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the property-setter for the first property of the first view component is invoked by a property-setter for the second property of the first view component.

5. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the known first model variable defines a first property of a second view component of the view composition.

6. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 5, wherein a solver invoked by a property-setter for the first property of the first view component performs the act of using the known first model variable of the plurality of model variables to solve for the unknown second model variable of the plurality of model variables;

and wherein the property-setter for the first property of the first view component performs the act of setting the first property of the first view component of the view composition to the value of the solved second model variable.

7. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the property-setter for the first property of the first view component is invoked by a property-setter for the first property of the second view component.

8. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the first view component is a child of the second view component.

9. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the second view component is a child of the first view component.

10. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a solver invoked by a property-setter for the first property of the first view component performs the act of using the known first model variable of the plurality of model variables to solve for the unknown second model variable of the plurality of model variables;

and wherein the property-setter for the first property of the first view component performs the act of setting the first property of the first view component of the view composition to the value of the solved second model variable.

11. A computer program product comprising one or more physical computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

one or more computer-executable instructions for invoking a first property-setter, the first property-setter configured to set at least one property of at least one view component of a view composition and to invoke a second property-setter, the second property-setter being configured to;

invoke a solver configured to solve for an unknown first model variable of a plurality of model variables that define properties of one or more view components of the view composition; and

set a first property of a first view component of the view composition to the value of the solved second model variable.

12. The computer program product in accordance with claim 11, wherein the first property-setter configured to set a second property of the first view component of the view composition.

13. The computer program product in accordance with claim 11, wherein the first property-setter configured to set a first property of a second view component of the view composition.

14. The computer program product in accordance with claim 13, wherein the first view component is a child of the second view component.

15. The computer program product in accordance with claim 13, wherein the second view component is a child of the first view component.

16. A computer program product comprising one or more physical computer-readable media having thereon one or more computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to instantiate in memory the following:

a first property-setter for a first property of a first view component of a view composition; and

a second property-setter for a first property of a second view component of the view composition;

the first property-setter being configured to;

set the first property of the first view component of the view composition; and

invoke the second property-setter;

the second property-setter being configured to;

invoke a solver configured to use a known first model variable of a plurality of model variables that define properties of one or more view components of the view composition to solve for an unknown second model variable of the plurality of model variables; and

set the first property of the second view component of the view composition to the value of the solved second model variable.

17. The computer program product in accordance with claim 16, wherein the first property-setter is configured to set the first property of the first view component of the view composition by setting the first property of the first view component of the view composition to the value of the first model variable.

18. The computer program product in accordance with claim 16, wherein the first view component is a child of the second view component.

19. The computer program product in accordance with claim 16, wherein the second view component is a child of the first view component.

20. The computer program product in accordance with claim 16, wherein the first view component comprises a parametric target to which the second view component is applied.