Method and apparatus for binding user interface objects to application objects

• US 6,429,880 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2001
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Herzer, Stefanie, Marcos, Paul, Tevanian, Avie, Willrich, Rebecca Eades, Weber, Arnaud, Federighi, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US09/844,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20010045963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 345/744, 345/760, 345/762-764, 345/769, 345/781, 345/804, 345/805, 345/810, 345/967, 345/968, 707/104.1, 707/513, 709/217-219, 709/315, 709/328, 709/331-332
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) and accompanying functionality for binding Web page definitional elements to a back-end state (e.g., client- or server-side back-end state) and custom logic is provided. In one embodiment, a template containing definitional elements, custom logic, and bindings are generated that define all or a portion of a Web page based on input received and functionality provided by the invention.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface (GUI) object connection generation system comprising:

a computer having a central processing unit, storage, and display;

at least one back-end state item;

at least one Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) definitional element with a plurality of attributes and behaviors for generating HTML;

a first GUI element capable of displaying on said display an object browser containing a graphical representation of said at least one back-end state item;

a second GUI element capable of displaying on said display an element palette containing a graphical representation of said at least one HTML definitional element;

in said processing unit using said storage a means for creating a dynamic binding between said at least one back-end state item and said at least one HTML definitional element; and

in said processing unit using said storage a means for displaying said graphical representation of said binding on said display.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one back-end state item is a variable, a constant or a method.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a means for determining a default value for said dynamic binding, wherein said default value is based on the object class of said back-end state item.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said back-end state item is capable of maintaining state between HTML transactions.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said second GUI element displays said plurality of attributes of said at least one HTML definitional element for binding to said at least one back-end state item.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said second GUI element displays the fundamental attribute of said plurality of attributes of said at least one HTML definitional element.

7. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable memory medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code configured to generate a dynamic binding between a back-end state item and an abstract dynamic definitional element comprising;

a means for creating, editing and viewing components in at least one window, said window comprising an element section and an object browser section;

a means for selecting from said element section at least one abstract dynamic definitional user interface element with a plurality of attributes and behaviors for generating a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML);

a means for selecting from said object browser section at least one back-end state item having an associated object class;

a means for dynamically selecting a default binding to bind said at least one back-end state item to said user interface element; and

a means for dynamically binding said at least one back-end state item to said user interface element using said default binding.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said at least one back-end state item is a variable, a constant or a method.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said back-end state item is capable of maintaining state between HTML transactions.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said means for selecting said default binding considers the object class of said back-end state item.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said means for selecting said default binding considers the fundamental attribute of said plurality of attributes of said user interface element.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising a means for graphically displaying said binding.

13. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising a means for binding multiple attributes of said plurality of attributes of said user interface element.

14. A computer program product configured to dynamically bind a back-end state item to an abstract dynamic definitional element comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor;

a graphical display interface running in said memory;

at least one abstract dynamic definitional element with a plurality of attributes and behaviors for generating a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) definition for an HTML user interface element stored in said memory displayed on said graphical display;

at least one back-end state item displayed on said graphical display;

a graphical application program executable by said processor in said memory which provides a means for a user to bind said at least one back-end state item to said at least one abstract dynamic definitional element using said graphical display.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said at least one back-end item is a variable, a constant or a method,

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said back-end state item is capable of maintaining state between HTML transactions.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said user binding is graphically depicting on said graphical display.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said means for binding presents said user with a default binding.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein said default binding is based on the object class of said back-end state item.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein said default binding is based on the fundamental attribute of said plurality of attributes of said at least one abstract dynamic definitional element.