Method and apparatus for customizing a software component

• US 5,950,001 A
• Filed: 06/03/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Graham, Cable, Laurence P. G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAM, TUAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/868,293
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 395/701, 395/705, 395/682, 395/683, 395/710, 395/702, 345/326, 345/333, 345/335, 345/339, 345/352-354, 345/433, 707/100, 707/102-104, 707/1, 707/3, 709/303, 709/305
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The present invention provides efficient methods, apparatuses, and products for customizing software components intended for use in application builder tools. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of customizing a component which has at least one associated property involves obtaining the component and then identifying a customizer that is arranged to be associated with the component. Such a customizer is further arranged to guide a user through the configuration of the component.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a component class and a customizer class associated with the component class, a computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance of the customizer class for a component instance of the component class for use with an application builder tool environment, said component having at least one associated property, said computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining a component instance; and

identifying a customizer instance arranged to be associated with said component, said customizer instance being arranged to guide a user through the configuration of said component instance, wherein the customizer instance itself is arranged to be personalized by the user.

2. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 1 further including:

associating said customizer instance with said component instance when said customizer instance is identified, said customizer instance being arranged to identify editable properties associated with the component instance, whereby different instances of said component class may have different editable properties as defined by their associated customizer instances, said customizer instance being further arranged to modify said property associated with said component instance.

3. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 2 further including configuring said component instance using said customizer instance, wherein configuring said component instance involves modifying said property associated with said component instance.

4. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 3 further including modifying each property associated with said component instance.

5. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 3 wherein said customizer instance has a graphical user interface, said graphical user interface being arranged to facilitate modifying said property associated with said component instance.

6. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 3 wherein configuring said component instance using said customizer involves generating customization options associated with said property associated with said component instance.

7. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 3 wherein said customizer instance is associated with a customizer class, and searching for said customizer instance includes searching for said customizer class, and creating said customizer instance from said customizer class when said customizer class is found.

8. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 1 wherein said component instance has an associated component class, and obtaining said component instance includes instantiating said component instance from said component class.

9. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 1 further including creating said customizer instance, wherein creating said customizer instance includes:

identifying said property associated with said component instance;

identifying at least one design choice associated with said property; and

creating an organizational structure which includes said design choice.

10. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 9 further including creating a user interface for said organizational structure, said user interface being arranged to interact with a user.

11. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 1 wherein said component instance is created using the Java™

programming language.

12. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 11 wherein said component instance is a Java™

Bean.

13. In a computer system having a component class and a customizer class associated with the component class, a computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance of the customizer class a component for use with an application builder tool environment, said component having at least one associated property, said computer-implemented method comprising:

generating customization options associated with said property, said customization options being associated with a customizer instance, said customization options being arranged to modify said property, wherein the customizer itself is arranged to be personalized; and

modifying said property using said customization options associated with said customizer instance.

14. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 13 further including generating customization options for each property associated with said component instance.

15. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 13 further including modifying each property using said customization options.

16. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 13, said method further including:

obtaining said customizer instance from said customizer class;

obtaining said component instance from said component class; and

associating said customizer instance with said component instance.

17. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance recited in claim 13 wherein a user interacts with said customizer instance to modify said property.

18. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 17 wherein said customization options are generated through said user interaction with said customizer instance.

19. A computer-implemented method of customizing a customizer instance as recited in claim 13 wherein said customizer instance includes:

an organizational structure which includes at least one design option associated with said property; and

a user interface associated with said organizational structure, wherein said user interface is used in modifying said property.

20. In a computer system having a component class and a customizer class associated with the component class, a user interface for use in customizing a customizer instance of the customizer class for a component instance of a component class that is to be used with an application builder tool on a computer system, said component instance having at least one associated property, said user interface comprising:

a customizer instance, said customizer instance being associated with said component instance, said customizer instance being arranged to enable said property associated with said component instance to be modified, wherein customization options relating to said property associated with said component are generated through interactions with said customizer, wherein the customizer instance itself is arranged to be personalized.

21. A user interface for use in customizing a customizer instance according to claim 20 wherein said customization options relating to said property associated with said component instance are generated through interactions between a user and said customizer instance.

22. A user interface for use in customizing a customizer instance according to claim 21 wherein said customization options are used to guide said user through customizing said component instance.

23. A user interface for use in customizing a customizer instance according to claim 20 wherein said customizer instance includes an organizational structure, said organizational structure arranged to include at least one design option associated with said property, said organizational structure being further arranged to guide a user through customizing said component instance.

24. In a computer system having a component class and a customizer class associated with the component class, a computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to:

run a software program on said computer, said software program being an application builder tool;

obtain an instance of a software component for use with said application builder tool, said instance of software component having at least one associated property; and

identify an instance of a customizer arranged to be associated with said component instance, said customizer instance further being arranged to guide a user through a configuration of said component, wherein the customizer instance itself can be personalized by the user.

25. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code devices as recited in claim 24 further including computer-readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to associate said customizer instance with said software component instance when said customizer instance is identified, said customizer instance being arranged to modify said property associated with said software component instance.

26. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code devices as recited in claim 24 further including computer-readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to modify said property associated with said software component instance to configure said software component instance using said customizer instance.

27. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code devices as recited in claim 26 further including computer-readable program code devices configured to generate customization options associated with said property associated with said software component instance.