Graphical programming system that allows easy handling of data structures and creation of programs by manipulating graphic components

• US 6,154,875 A
• Filed: 12/02/1997
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yuzuru, Nishida, Munechika, Kikuchi, Satoshi, Sakamoto, Koichi, Imataki, Takamoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US08/982,706
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211, 345/346, 345/331, 395/670, 395/500, 395/702, 365/52, 717/2, 717/1
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A graphical programming system (1) allows a user to visually create a program. The system employs and input unit (12) and a display (11). The system includes, for example, a graphic-component memory (3) storing graphic components each corresponding to a program that achieves a task such as an operation task or a database task, and displaying the graphic components on the display (11), a task memory (5) storing the programs corresponding to the graphic components and providing the graphic-component memory (3) with data obtained by executing the programs, and a graphic component generator (6) automatically generating data on the graphic components and storing the data in the graphic-component memory (3).

Claims

1. A graphical programming system, comprising:

means for relating a graphic component to a program, the function of the graphic component being displayed on a screen;

inclusive-relationship specifying means for inclusively relating a child graphic component to a parent graphic component so that the child graphic component transmits data to the parent graphic component or the parent graphic component transmits data to the child graphic component during execution;

data link means for transmitting data between the inclusively related graphic components; and

means for generating a program for a new graphic component, defining a new task, including at least the inclusively-related child and parent graphic components, and displaying the inclusively-related child and parent graphic components as the new graphic component along with the execution result of the program.

2. A graphical programming system letting a user enter instructions through input means to manipulate graphic components displayed on a display, to create a new graphic component and a corresponding new program, comprising:

graphic-component storage means for storing data on graphic components, each corresponding to a program, executing a task such as one of an operation task and a database task, and displaying the graphic components on the display so that the function of the graphic components can be understood by users;

task storage means for storing the programs corresponding to the graphic components and providing the graphic-component storage means with results of execution of the programs;

graphic-component generation means automatically generating data visualizing the graphic components corresponding to the programs stored in the task storage means and storing the generated data in the graphic-component storage means;

inclusive-relationship specifying means for inclusively relating graphic components to one another on the display according to instructions entered through the input means and allowing the graphic components to transmit data to each other during execution, and displaying the inclusively-related new graphic component on the display;

inclusive-relationship management means for storing the inclusive relationships; and

data link means for transmitting data among the graphic components according to the inclusive relationships stored in the inclusive-relationship management means.

3. The graphical programming system according to claim 2, further comprising:

representative-value changing means for selecting, as a representative value of a given graphic component, data that are included in a data structure of the given graphic component and used for data transmission with another graphic component;

wherein

the data structure is in the graphic-component storage means, to temporarily store data to be transmitted to another graphic component and store data from the task.

4. The graphical programming system according to claim 3, further comprising:

process structure conversion means for determining the process structure of a program corresponding to a new graphic component created by inclusively relating original graphic components.

5. The graphical programming system according to claim 2, further comprising:

process structure conversion means for determining the process structure of a program corresponding to a new graphic component created by inclusively relating original graphic components without use of an intermediate language.

6. The graphical programming system according to claim 5, further comprising:

data structure conversion means for determining the data structure of a given graphic component.

7. The graphical programming system according to claim 6, wherein the data link means has an interface transferring any kind of data among graphic components.

8. The graphical programming system according to claim 7, which communicates with other graphical programming systems, further comprising:

event manager means for forming a shared area on the display so that an event occurring in the shared area due to an operation through the input means or due to a change in a displayed image is shared between the graphical programming systems.

9. The graphical programming system according to claim 6, which communicates with other graphical programming systems, further comprising:

event manager means for forming a shared area on the display so that an event occurring in the shared area due to an operation through the input means or due to a change in a displayed image is shared between the graphical programming systems.

10. A graphical programming system, comprising:

a first unit for relating a graphic component to a program, the function of the graphic component being displayed on a screen;

an inclusive-relationship specifying unit inclusively relating a child graphic component to a parent graphic component so that the child graphic component transmits data to the parent graphic component or the parent graphic component transmits data to the child graphic component during execution;

a data link unit transmitting data between the inclusively related graphic components; and

a second unit generating a program for a new graphic component, defining a new task, including at least the inclusively-related child and parent graphic components, and displaying the inclusively-related child and parent graphic components as the new graphic component along with the execution result of the program.

11. A graphical programming system letting a user enter instructions through an input unit to manipulate graphic components displayed on a display, to create a new graphic component and a corresponding new program, comprising:

a graphic-component storage unit storing data on graphic components, each corresponding to a program, executing a task such as one of an operation task and a database task, and displaying the graphic components on the display so that the function of the graphic components can be understood by users;

a task storage unit for storing the programs corresponding to the graphic components and providing the graphic-component storage unit with results of execution of the programs;

a graphic-component generation unit automatically generating data visualizing the graphic components corresponding to the programs stored in the task storage unit and storing the generated data in the graphic-component storage unit;

an inclusive-relationship specifying unit inclusively relating graphic components to one another on the display according to instructions entered through the input unit and allowing the graphic components to transmit data to each other during execution, and displaying the inclusively-related new graphic component on the display;

an inclusive-relationship management unit storing the inclusive relationships; and

a data link unit transmitting data among the graphic components according to the inclusive relationships stored in the inclusive-relationship management unit.