COMPOUND CONTROLS

• US 20150242093A1
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ab Initio Technology LLC (Ab Initio Software Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ab Initio Technology LLC (Ab Initio Software Corporation)
• Inventors: Yost, Gregg, Goldshlag, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 9,575,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for specifying a compound control. One of the methods includes identifying a first application. The method includes displaying a canvas. The method includes displaying, in the canvas, a first display object associated with the first application. The method includes identifying a second application, the second application being a computer executable program. The method includes displaying, in the user interface, a second display object associated with a second application. The method includes, in response to a user action that associates the second display object with the first display object, configuring the first application to invoke the second application. The method includes creating a third display object that includes the first set of selector objects and the second set of selector objects.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method including:

identifying a first application, the first application being a computer executable program;

displaying, in a user interface, a canvas for displaying one or more display objects,

displaying, in the canvas, a first display object associated with the first application;

wherein the first display object includes a first set of selector objects and includes a mapping between first set of selector objects and one or more parameters of the first application;

identifying a second application, the second application being a computer executable program;

displaying, in the user interface, a second display object associated with a second application,

wherein the second display object includes a second set of selector objects and includes a mapping between the second set of selector objects and one or more parameters of the second application; and

in response to receiving an indication of a user action that associates the second display object with the first display object, configuring the first application to invoke the second application, and

creating a third display object that includes the first set of selector objects and the second set of selector objects.

2. The method of claim 1, further including reading the second display object from a file.

3. The method of claim 1, further including generating a third application for configuring the first application and the second application using the user interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the third application includes a first display object and a second display object;

and

changing a value associated with the first display object changes a value associated with the second display object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application is a first dataflow graph and the second configurable application is a second dataflow graph.

6. The method of claim 6, wherein the associating the second application with the first application includes configuring the first dataflow graph to execute the second dataflow graph.

7. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with computer program instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations including:

identifying a first application, the first application being a computer executable program;

displaying, in a user interface, a canvas for displaying one or more display objects,

displaying, in the canvas, a first display object associated with the first application;

wherein the first display object includes a first set of selector objects and includes a mapping between first set of selector objects and one or more parameters of the first application;

identifying a second application, the second application being a computer executable program;

displaying, in the user interface, a second display object associated with a second application,

wherein the second display object includes a second set of selector objects and includes a mapping between the second set of selector objects and one or more parameters of the second application; and

in response receiving an indication of to a user action that associates the second display object with the first display object, configuring the first application to invoke the second application, and

creating a third display object that includes the first set of selector objects and the second set of selector objects.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further include reading the second display object from a file.

9. The medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further include generating a third application for configuring the first application and the second application using the user interface.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the third application includes a first display object and a second display object;

and changing a value associated with the first display object changes a value associated with the second display object.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein the first application is a first dataflow graph and the second configurable application is a second dataflow graph.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the associating the second application with the first application includes configuring the first dataflow graph to execute the second dataflow graph.

13. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

identifying a first application, the first application being a computer executable program;

displaying, in a user interface, a canvas for displaying one or more display objects,

displaying, in the canvas, a first display object associated with the first application;

wherein the first display object includes a first set of selector objects and includes a mapping between first set of selector objects and one or more parameters of the first application;

identifying a second application, the second application being a computer executable program;

displaying, in the user interface, a second display object associated with a second application,

wherein the second display object includes a second set of selector objects and includes a mapping between the second set of selector objects and one or more parameters of the second application; and

in response to receiving an indication of a user action that associates the second display object with the first display object, configuring the first application to invoke the second application, and

creating a third display object that includes the first set of selector objects and the second set of selector objects.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further include reading the second display object from a file.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further include generating a third application for configuring the first application and the second application using the user interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the third application includes a first display object and a second display object;

and changing a value associated with the first display object changes a value associated with the second display object.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first application is a first dataflow graph and the second configurable application is a second dataflow graph.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the associating the second application with the first application includes configuring the first dataflow graph to execute the second dataflow graph.

19. A system comprising:

means for identifying a first application, the first application being a computer executable program;

means of displaying a canvas for displaying one or more display objects,

means for displaying, in the canvas, a first display object associated with the first application;

wherein the first display object includes a first set of selector objects and includes a mapping between first set of selector objects and one or more parameters of the first application;

means for identifying a second application, the second application being a computer executable program;

means for displaying a second display object associated with a second application,

wherein the second display object includes a second set of selector objects and includes a mapping between the second set of selector objects and one or more parameters of the second application; and

means for configuring, in response to a user action that associates the second display object with the first display object, the first application to invoke the second application, and

means for creating a third display object that includes the first set of selector objects and the second set of selector objects.