Method and system for dynamically sharing user interface displays among a plurality of application program

• US 5,596,702 A
• Filed: 04/16/1993
• Issued: 01/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wiss, Richard, Stucka, Joan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, BA
• Application Number:
  US08/049,697
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155, 395/156, 395/157, 395/158, 395/159, 395/160, 395/161, 395/162, 395/700
• US Class Current: 715/746
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for the dynamic sharing of user interfaces and portions of user interfaces. A user interface server coupled to applications, a display object store, and a window management system. The user interface server allows an application developer to provide an application with a user interface that is independent of any particular window management system. The user interface server provides applications with the ability to dynamically load user interfaces from the display object store and to attach any sub-hierarchy of a user interface, stored in the display object store, to a previously loaded user interface. The sub-hierarchy can be attached at any point which is consistent with parent-child relationships for components.

Claims

1. In a data processing system including computing means, memory means, display means, and input means interconnected by a system bus, a subsystem for the dynamic sharing of user interfaces, said subsystem comprising:

a display object store stored in the memory means, said display object store containing a plurality of user interfaces, wherein each user interface display includes a plurality of hierarchically related user interface components and each of said user interfaces being identified by a user interface identifier;

a plurality of applications stored in the memory means, each application requiring the display of a user interface;

a window management system, stored in the memory means, for rendering user interfaces on the display means;

a user interface server stored in the memory means, the user interface server comprising;

control means for executing a received command from an application;

first command interface means for receiving said received command and associated data, wherein the received command is one of a first set of commands;

second command interface means for formulating and sending one or more rendering commands to the window management system in response to a received command, wherein the rendering command is one of a second set of commands; and

third command interface means for causing the retrieval of user interfaces from the display object store in response to a received command;

wherein a first application issues a load command from the first set of commands, the load command having a user interface identifier, the user interface server receiving the load command through the first command interface means, in response to receiving the load command the control means retrieving the user interface identified by the user interface identifier from the display object store through the third interface means, the control means then loading the user interface into a working memory area;

and wherein said first application issues one or more modify commands from the first command set wherein each modify command specifies a user interface component resource identifier and a new resource value, the user interface server receiving each modify command from the first command interface means, in response to receiving the modify command the control means locates the user interface component resource in the working memory area associated with the issuing application as specified by the user interface component resource identifier, the control means then setting the value of the resource in working memory the new resource value.

2. The subsystem as claimed in claim 1 wherein after the control means retrieves a user interface from the display object store said control means converts the user interface from display object store format to a hierarchical format in working memory.

3. The subsystem as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first application issues a display command from the first command set, the display command contains a user interface identifier, the user interface server receives the display command through the first command interface means, in response to receiving the display command the control means locates the user interface specified by the user interface identifier in working memory, the user interface server then formulates one or more commands from a second set of commands and sends the formulated commands to the window management system, in response to the formulated commands the window management system causes the user interface specified by the user interface identifier to be rendered on the display means.

4. The subsystem as claimed in claim 3 wherein the first application issues an attach command from the command set wherein the attach command contains a user interface identifier, a hierarchy identifier that identifies a hierarchy, and a user interface component identifier,

the user interface server receives the attach command through the first command interface means, in response to receiving the attach command the control means retrieves the user interface specified by the user interface identifier from the display object store through the third interface means, the control means then extracts the hierarchy identified by the hierarchy identifier from the user interface, the control means then converts the hierarchy and attaches the hierarchy to the user interface component in working memory identified by the user interface component identifier.

5. In a data processing system, a subsystem for the dynamic sharing of user interface displays among a plurality of applications, said subsystem comprising:

a display object store, said display object store containing a plurality of user interfaces, wherein each user interface includes a plurality of user interface components and each of said user interface being identified by a user interface display identifier;

window management means for rendering user interface on a display;

a user interface server, the user interface server comprising;

means for receiving a load command and associated data from an application, said load command including a user interface identifier;

means for formulating and sending rendering commands to the window management means in response to a received load command;

means for retrieving a user interface from the display object store in response to a received load command;

means for receiving from an application a modify command, said modify command specifying a user interface component identifier identifying a user interface component in a retrieved user interface, and said modify command specifying a new resource value for said user interface component identified by said user interface component identifier; and

,

means for setting the value of the user interface component identified by said user interface component identifier to the new resource value specified by said modify command.

6. In a data processing system, a method for the dynamic sharing of user interface displays among a plurality of applications, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

storing in said data processing system a display object store, said display object store containing a plurality of user interface, wherein each user interface includes a plurality of user interface components and each of said user interfaces being identified by a user interface identifier;

storing, in said data processing system, window management means for rendering user interfaces on a display;

receiving a load command and associated data from an application, said load command including a user interface identifier;

formulating and sending rendering commands to the window management means in response to a received load command;

retrieving a user interface from the display object store in response to a received load command;

receiving from an application a modify command, said modify command specifying a user interface component identifier identifying a user interface component in a retrieved user interface, and said modify command specifying a new resource value for said user interface component identified by said user interface component identifier; and

,

setting the value of the user interface component identified by said user interface component identifier to the new resource value specified by said modify command.