Method and system for assembling and utilizing components in component object systems

• US 6,230,309 B1
• Filed: 04/25/1997
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sterling Software, Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Hogan, Patrick M., Turner, Stephen J., Gibson, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US08/845,583
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 395/701, 395/702, 395/700, 395/703, 395/707, 395/712, 345/435, 345/335, 345/333, 364/192, 364/490, 364/468.03, 364/146, 707/103, 707/102, 717/1, 717/11
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

A design tool for assembling component objects to form an object-based computer system application includes a declarative user input interface mechanism and a design engine. The declarative user input interface mechanism provides an input structure for the input of user declarations specifying operative interactions between component objects. The design engine automatically generates, in response to input user declarations, an application design definition modelling an application infrastructure for managing component object interactions. An application design definition can reference a number of application view definitions, each having a number of fields, each field having associated therewith an application view field definition. An operation usage definition defines an effect a component object operation has on one or more of the application view definitions in response to user input declarations. An event definition defines an operation usage triggered by an application view definition event in response to input user declarations. The design engine automatically generates, in response to input user declarations, a match between an application view field definition and a parameter of an associated component object operation. A runtime tool includes an application engine which is responsive to an application design definition and is operative at runtime automatically to create application view instances from respective application view definitions for managing runtime component object interactions for the application.

Claims

1. A design tool for assembling executable component objects to form an object-based computer system application, said design tool comprising:

a user input interface mechanism operable to provide an input structure displaying operations of a plurality of executable component objects and for receiving input user declarations specifying a plurality of operative interactions between said executable component objects; and

a design engine operable automatically to generate, based on input user declarations, an application design definition for managing executable component object interactions.

2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said design engine is operable automatically to generate, based on input user declarations, at least one application view definition for managing component object interactions, and to cause said application design definition to reference said at least one application view definition.

3. A tool according to claim 1, wherein an application view definition comprises one or more fields, said design engine being configured automatically to generate, based on input user declarations, at least one application view field definition for detailing a field of said at least one application view definition.

4. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said design engine is configured automatically to generate, based on user input declarations, at least one operation usage definition to specify an effect a component object operation has on one or more of said application view definitions.

5. A tool according to claim 4, wherein said design engine is configured automatically to generate, based on input user declarations, an event definition of an operation usage triggered by an application view definition event.

6. A tool according to claim 4, wherein said design engine is configured automatically to generate, based on input user declarations, a match between said application view field definition and a parameter of an associated component object operation.

7. A runtime tool comprising an application engine responsive to an application design definition for managing executable component object interactions, wherein said application design definition includes a plurality of application view definitions and said application engine is operable at runtime automatically to create application view instances from respective application view definitions for managing runtime executable component object interactions for said application and for runtime management of the effect of an event on an application view and for runtime triggering of an operation associated with said event.

8. A tool according to claim 7, wherein said application engine is operable at runtime to provide automated management of parameter values provided to operations, and values provided by operation parameters when said operations are invoked by an application view instance.

9. A runtime tool comprising an application engine responsive to an application design definition modeling an application infrastructure for managing component object interactions, wherein said application engine is configured to be operable at runtime automatically to create application view instances from respective application view definitions for managing runtime component object interactions for said application, wherein said application engine is configured to be operable at runtime to provide automated management of data values provided to operations, and data values provided by operations when said operations are invoked by an application view instance, and wherein said application engine is configured to reference said application view definitions to provide one or more of the following functions:

(a) automatically to create application views when requested;

(b) automatically to map input parameter values to an operation, for a given operation usage, from one or more application views when a user requests an operation usage to be triggered;

(c) automatically to map output parameter values from an operation to one or more application views for an operation usage, when said operation usage has been completed;

(d) to manage effects of operation usages on application views and trigger any associated application view events;

(e) to manage effects of application view events on application views and trigger any associated operations; and

(f) to determine what operation usage(s) can be run on the basis of input parameter satisfaction.

10. A user interface configuration tool for automatically configuring a user interface based on an application design definition for managing executable component object interactions, said application design definition including a plurality of application view definitions and said tool being operable to cause an application engine to interact with said application design definition for creating application view instances from respective application view definitions and for managing application data, said tool also being configured to be operable to display a plurality of actual values held in said application view instances and to permit operations to be invoked using said actual values.

11. A method of assembling executable component objects to form an object-based computer system application in a computer system, said method comprising:

i) generating a user input interface mechanism providing an input structure displaying operations of a plurality of executable component objects and for receiving input user declarations specifying a plurality of operative interactions between said executable component objects; and

ii) automatically generating, based on input user declarations, an application design definition for managing executable component object interactions.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein step (ii) comprises:

automatically generating, based on input user declarations, at least one application view definition for managing executable component object interactions, and causing said application design definition to reference said at least one application view definition.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein an application view definition comprises one or more fields and step (ii) additionally comprises:

automatically generating, based on input user declarations, at least one application field definition for detailing a field of said at least one application view definition.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein step (ii) additionally comprises:

automatically generating, based on input user declarations, at least one operation usage definition of an effect a component object operation has on one or more of said application view definitions according to said user input declarations.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein step (ii) additionally comprises:

automatically generating, based on input user declarations, an event definition of an operation usage triggered by an application view definition event.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein step (ii) additionally comprises:

automatically generating, based on input user declarations, a match between said application field definition to a parameter of an associated executable component object operation.

17. A method of automated management of executable component object interactions in a computer system, comprising:

responding at runtime to an application design definition, wherein said application design definition includes a plurality of application view definitions, for managing executable component object interactions, automatically to create application view instances from respective application view definitions for managing runtime executable component object interactions for said application and for runtime management of the effect of an event on an application view and for runtime triggering of an operation associated with the event.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said method comprises:

at runtime, providing automated management of parameter values provided to operations, and values provided by operation parameters when said operations are invoked by an application view instance.

19. A method of automated management of object interactions in a computer system, comprising:

responding at runtime to an application design definition, which models an application infrastructure for managing component object interactions, automatically to create application view instances from respective application view definitions for managing runtime component object interactions for said application,

at runtime, providing automated management of data values provided to operations, and data values provided by operations when said operations are invoked by an application view instance,

and including one or more of the following steps;

(a) automatically creating application views when requested;

(b) automatically mapping input parameter values to an operation, for a given operation usage, from one or more application views when a user requests an operation usage to be triggered;

(c) automatically mapping output parameter values from an operation to one or more application views for an operation usage, when said operation usage has been completed;

(d) managing effects of operation usages on application views and trigger any associated application view events;

(e) managing effects of application view events on application views and trigger any associated operations; and

(f) determining what operation usage(s) can be run on the basis of input parameter satisfaction.

20. A method of automatically configuring a user interface based on an application design definition, wherein said application design definition includes a plurality of application view definitions, for managing executable component object interactions, said method comprising:

causing an application engine to create application view instances from respective application view definitions of said application design definition;

displaying actual values held in said application view instances; and

permitting operations to be invoked upon the actual values.

21. A design tool program on a data storage medium, said design tool program being for assembling executable component objects to form an object-based computer system application and comprising:

a user input interface mechanism operable to provide an input structure displaying operations of a plurality of executable component objects and for receiving input user declarations specifying a plurality of operative interactions between said executable component objects; and

a design engine operable automatically to generate, based on input user declarations, an application design definition for managing executable component object interactions.

22. A runtime tool program on a data storage medium, said runtime tool program comprising an application engine responsive to an application design definition for managing executable component object interactions, wherein said application design definition includes a plurality of application view definitions, said application engine is operable at runtime automatically to create application view instances from respective application view definitions for managing runtime executable component object interactions for said application and for runtime management of the effect of an event on an application view and for runtime triggering of an operation associated with said event.

23. An object-based computer system comprising a design tool program, said design tool program being for assembling executable component objects to form an object-based computer system application and comprising:

a user input interface mechanism operable to provide an input structure displaying operations of a plurality of executable component objects and for receiving input user declarations specifying a plurality of operative interactions between said executable component objects; and

a design engine operable automatically to generate, based on input user declarations, an application design definition for managing executable component object interactions.

24. An object-based computer system comprising:

an object-based computer system application;

an application design definition, said application design definition including a plurality of application view definitions, for managing executable component object interactions, the information held in said application design definition having been generated by a design engine based on input user declarations; and

an application engine responsive to said application design definition and operable at runtime automatically to create application view instances from respective application view definitions for managing runtime executable component object interactions for said application and for runtime management of the effect of an event on an application view and for runtime triggering of an operation associated with said event.