Dynamic object visualization and code generation

• US 6,263,339 B1
• Filed: 08/25/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Informix Software, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirsch, Peter Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Application Number:
  US09/139,807
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 707/102, 707/1-4, 345/356-357, 345/340, 345/341-346, 717/1, 717/11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer operated apparatus for generating a visual information system is disclosed. A virtual world associated with an application is built using building blocks such as scenes, data sources, global parameters, and resources. A scene is a visual display of information much like a presentation slide, except that the information may be linked to data stored in a database or other data storage systems. Within a scene, values resulting from a data source are represented graphically as user-defined data elements. Data sources are built with a block diagraming tool which generates one or more database queries. The queries may be SQL queries. Scenes are created with a drawing editor which transparently binds data sources to the graphical elements of the scenes. When the virtual world is completed, an execution image of the virtual world may be represented as byte code. The byte code representing the virtual world may be executed by a runtime control to provide desired information to users.

Claims

1. A method for executing an application expressed as a scene graph, the scene graph being a hierarchical representation of one or more objects, each object capable of generating code associated with the object, comprising:

traversing the hierarchy of the scene graph;

retrieving byte code associated with each object in the scene graph;

characterizing each object as one of several types, including a shape type object, and for each shape type object generating a create shape statement;

storing the byte code as part of the scene;

generating the byte code execution image for the scene;

providing the byte code image to an execution engine and executing each statement in the byte code;

determining whether each statement is a create shape statement, and if so creating the shape; and

storing the shape in a context hash table using a tokenized shape name.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the statement is a begin property statement, and if so:

searching for the shape in a context hash table; and

executing a begin method associated with the shape.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the statement is a set property statement, and if so:

searching for the shape in a context hash table;

evaluating a property expression associated with the shape; and

assigning a value to the property.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the statement is an end property statement, and if so:

searching for the shape in a context hash table;

executing an end properties method associated with the shape to commit the properties;

initializing the shape; and

adding the shape to a display list.

5. Computer software for executing an application expressed as a scene graph, the scene graph being a hierarchical representation of one or more objects, each object capable of generating code associated with the object, the computer software residing on a computer-readable medium and comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform the following operations:

traverse the hierarchy of the scene graph;

retrieve byte code associated with each object in the scene graph;

characterize each object as one of several types, including a shape type object, and for each shape type object generate a create shape statement;

store the byte code as part of the scene;

generate the byte code execution image for the scene;

provide the byte code image to an execution engine and execute each statement in the byte code;

determine whether each statement is a create shape statement, and if so create the shape; and

store the shape in a context hash table using a tokenized shape name.

6. The computer software of claim 5, further comprising instructions to determine whether the statement is a begin property statement, and if so:

search for the shape in a context hash table; and

execute a begin method associated with the shape.

7. The computer software of claim 5, further comprising instructions to determine whether the statement is a set property statement, and if so:

search for the shape in a context hash table;

evaluate a property expression associated with the shape; and

assign a value to the property.

8. The computer software of claim 5, further comprising instructions to determine whether the statement is an end property statement, and if so:

search for the shape in a context hash table;

execute an end properties method associated with the shape to commit the properties;

initialize the shape; and

add the shape to a display list.