Alterable scripting tool and method

• US 6,311,320 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1998
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jibbe, Mahmoud K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US09/206,535
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 717/1, 717/3, 717/4, 717/2, 345/353, 714/38
• US Class Current: 717/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

A scripting tool for executing a script command having at least one parameter includes a display device, a processor, and a memory. The memory has stored therein instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to generate a user input control for a parameter of the script command based upon a definition file, and display the user input control upon the display device. The instructions of the memory when executed by the processor further cause the processor to receive user input via the user input control, and generate a parameter value based upon the user input. Moreover, the instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to set the parameter of the script command equal to the parameter value, and execute the script command based upon the parameter.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing a definition file to define characteristics of at least one parameter of a script command comprising:

displaying for a parameter within a script command, a user input control defined by a definition file, said user input control displaying an identifier for said parameter and a value for said parameter;

receiving user input via said user input control;

generating a parameter value based upon said received user input; and

setting said value of said parameter of said script command equal to said generated parameter value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating said user input control based upon a control type defined by said definition file,

wherein said definition file defines said control type from a group of control types comprising a radio-button control type, a check-box control type, an edit box control type, a list box control type, and a combo box control type.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether said generated parameter value is valid for said parameter based upon an allowable range defined by said definition file,

wherein said setting of said generated parameter value comprises setting said value of said parameter equal to said generated parameter value only if said generated parameter value is determined valid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said displaying of a user input control comprises displaying user input controls corresponding to a plurality of parameter values defined for said script command by said definition file,

said user input reception comprises receiving said user input indicating a selection from said plurality of parameter values, and

said parameter generation comprises setting said parameter value equal to said selection indicated by said user input.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether said definition file has changed since said displaying step;

re-generating said control based upon said changed definition file in response to determining that said definition file has changed; and

re-displaying said control after said re-generating of said control.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said parameter value generation comprises:

setting said parameter value equal to a default value defined by said definition file in response to said user input not indicating a value for said parameter value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

parsing said definition file to obtain a first preprocessed definition file; and

generating said user input control based upon said first preprocessed definition file.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether said definition file has changed since said parsing step;

re-parsing said definition file to obtain a second preprocessed definition file in response to said determination that said definition file has changed;

re-generating said user input control based upon said second preprocessed definition file; and

re-displaying said user input control after said regeneration of said user input control.

9. A scripting tool for executing a script command having at least one parameter, comprising a display device, a processor, and a memory having stored therein a plurality of instructions which when executed by said processor causes said processor to:

generate a user input control for a parameter within a script command based upon a definition file, said user input control including an identifier and a value for said parameter;

display said user input control upon said display device;

receive user input via said user input control;

generate a parameter value based upon said user input;

set said parameter of said script command equal to said generated parameter value; and

execute said script command having said parameter set to said generated parameter value.

10. The scripting tool of claim 9, wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further causes said processor to:

generate said user input control based upon a control type defined by said definition file,

wherein said definition file defines said control type from a group of control types comprising a radio-button control type, a check-box control type, an edit box control type, a list box control type, and a combo box control type.

11. The scripting tool of claim 9, wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further causes said processor to:

determine whether said parameter value is valid for said parameter based upon an allowable range defined by said definition file; and

set said parameter equal to said parameter value only if said parameter value is valid.

12. The scripting tool of claim 9, wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further causes said processor to:

generate a plurality of valid parameter values for said user input control based upon said definition file;

display upon said display device, said user input control including said plurality of valid parameter values;

receive said user input indicating a selection from said plurality of valid parameter values; and

set said parameter value equal to said selection indicated by said user input.

13. The scripting tool of claim 9, wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further causes said processor to:

determine whether said definition file has changed since displaying said user input control upon said display device;

re-generate said user input control based upon said changed definition file in response to determining that said definition file has changed; and

re-displaying said user input control after regenerating said user input control.

14. The scripting tool of claim 9, wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further causes said processor to:

set said parameter value equal to a default value defined by said definition file in response to said user input not indicating a value for said parameter value.

15. The scripting tool of claim 9, wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further causes said processor to:

parse said definition file to obtain a first preprocessed definition file; and

generate said user input control based upon said first preprocessed definition file.

16. The scripting tool of claim 15, wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further cause said processor to:

determine whether said definition file has changed since said first preprocessed definition file was obtained;

re-parse said definition file to obtain a second preprocessed definition file in response to determining that said definition file has changed since said first preprocessed definition file was obtained;

re-generate said user input control based upon said second preprocessed definition file; and

re-display said user input control upon said display device after said re-generating said control.

17. A method executing a script command having at least one parameter, comprising:

generating a user input control for a parameter of a script command based upon a definition file, said user input control having an identifier and a value for said parameter;

receiving user input for said parameter via said user input control;

generating a parameter value based upon said received user input;

setting said parameter equal to said generated parameter value; and

executing said script command having said parameter set to generated parameter value.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether said parameter value is invalid based upon said definition file; and

setting said parameter to a default value defined by said definition file if said parameter value is determined invalid.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether said definition file has changed since said user input control generation; and

in response to said determination that said definition file has changed since said user input control generation,

(a) re-generating said user input control based upon said changed definition file;

(b) determining whether said parameter value is invalid based upon said changed definition file; and

(c) setting said parameter to a default value defined by said changed definition file.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising parsing said definition file to obtain a preprocessed definition file, wherein:

said user input control generation comprises generating said user input control based upon said preprocessed definition file.