Method and apparatus for generating a graphical user interface
First Claim
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1. A method of creating a graphical user interface (GUI) for an application for use on a computer system comprising:
- obtaining a model, said model having data for an application and definitions of one or more structural components for generating a GUI for said application, wherein said GUI comprises said application'"'"'s look and feel to a user;
initiating on said computer system a first program module that uses said definitions of said one or more structural components to implement a first portion of said GUI from components in a first GUI library, said GUI displaying said data for said application;
accepting, by a controller, change inputs to said definitions of said one or more structural components, said controller sending said change inputs to said model;
sending a change notification from said model to said GUI if said model acknowledges said change inputs; and
initiating by said GUI on said computer system a second program module to implement a second portion of said GUI from a second GUI library upon receipt of said change notification by said model;
creating a factory with one or more additional program modules;
identifying a characteristic of one of said one or more structural components to use in selecting one of said one or more additional program modules.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention are used to customize a graphical user interface (GUI) that represents the view in a Model/View/Controller architecture. The model contains an application'"'"'s data and one or more structural components that are used to identify the GUI components of the view. A factory builds the GUI using characteristics of the structural components to identify a set of GUI components to create the view.
101 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of creating a graphical user interface (GUI) for an application for use on a computer system comprising:
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obtaining a model, said model having data for an application and definitions of one or more structural components for generating a GUI for said application, wherein said GUI comprises said application'"'"'s look and feel to a user;
initiating on said computer system a first program module that uses said definitions of said one or more structural components to implement a first portion of said GUI from components in a first GUI library, said GUI displaying said data for said application;
accepting, by a controller, change inputs to said definitions of said one or more structural components, said controller sending said change inputs to said model;
sending a change notification from said model to said GUI if said model acknowledges said change inputs; and
initiating by said GUI on said computer system a second program module to implement a second portion of said GUI from a second GUI library upon receipt of said change notification by said model;
creating a factory with one or more additional program modules;
identifying a characteristic of one of said one or more structural components to use in selecting one of said one or more additional program modules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
examining said characteristic to identify said one of said one or more additional program modules.
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3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
sending a creation request to said factory that identifies said one of said one or more structural components.
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4. The method of claim 1 wherein said model is defined in an Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document, said one of said one or more structural components is an HTML element and said characteristic is an attribute of said HTML element.
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5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
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said application making a modification to said model;
said first program module determining whether a structural change should be made to said GUI as a result of said modification to said model.
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6. The method of claim 5 wherein said structural change comprises initiating a third program module to implement a third portion of said GUI and wherein said third portion of said GUI uses a third member of said one or more structural components and wherein said first member, said second member, and said third member are different structural components which access different GUI libraries.
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7. An article of manufacturing comprising:
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a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to create a graphical user interface (GUI) for an application for use on a computer system comprising;
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain a model having data for an application and definitions of one or more structural components for generating a GUI for said application, wherein said GUI comprises said application'"'"'s look and feel to a user;
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to initiate on said computer system a first program module that uses said definitions of said one or more structural components to implement a first portion of said GUI from components in a first GUI library, said GUI;
computer readable program code configured to cause a controller in said computer to accept change inputs to said definitions of said one or more structural components, said controller sending said change inputs to said model;
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to send a change notification from said model to said GUI if said model acknowledges said change inputs; and
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to initiate by said GUI on said computer system a second program module to implement a second portion of said GUI from a second GUI library upon receipt of said change notification by said model;
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to create a factory with one or more additional program modules;
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to identify a characteristic one of said one or more structural components to use in selecting one of said one or more additional program modules. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to examine said characteristic to identify said one of said one or more additional program modules.
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9. The article of manufacturing of claim 7 further comprising:
computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to send a creation request to said factory that identifies said one of said one or more structural components.
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10. The article of manufacturing of claim 7 further comprising:
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computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to make a modification to said one of said one or more structural components;
computer readable program code configured to cause said first program module to determine whether a structural change should be made to said GUI as a result of said modification to said one of said one or more structural components.
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11. The article of manufacturing of claim 7 wherein said structural change comprises initiating a third program module to implement a third portion of said GUI and wherein said third portion of said GUI uses a third member of said one or more structural components and wherein said first member, said second member, and said third member are different structural components which access different libraries.
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12. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to create a graphical user interface (GUI) for an application by performing by:
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obtaining a model, said model having data for an application and definitions of one or more structural components for generating a GUI for said application, wherein said GCI comprises said application'"'"'s look and feel to a user;
initiating on said computer system a first program module that uses said definitions of said one or more structural components to implement a first portion of said GUI from components in a first GUI library, said GUI displaying said data for said application;
accepting, by a controller, change inputs to said definitions of said one or more structural components, said controller sending said change inputs to said model;
sending a change notification from said model to said GUI if said model acknowledges said change inputs; and
initiating by said GUI on said computer system a second program module to implement a second portion of said GUI from a second GUI library upon receipt of said change notification by said model;
obtaining a factory with one or more additional program modules;
identifying a characteristic of one of said one or more structural components to use in selecting one of said one or more additional program modules. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
examining said characteristic to identify said one of said one or more additional program modules.
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14. The computer data signal of claim 12, wherein said sequences of instructions, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to perform the further steps of;
sending a creation request to said factory that identifies said one of said one or more structural components.
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15. The computer data signal of claim 12 wherein said model is defined in an Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document, said one of said one or more structural components is an HTML element and said characteristic is an attribute of said HTML element.
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16. The computer data signal of claim 12 wherein said sequences of instructions, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to perform the further steps of:
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said application making a modification to said model;
said first program module determining whether a structural change should be made to said GUI as a result of said modification to said model.
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17. The computer data signal of claim 12 wherein said structural change comprises initiating a third program module to implement a third portion of said GUI and wherein said third portion of said GUI uses a third member of said one or more structural components and wherein said first member, said second member, and said third member are different structural components which access different libraries.
Specification