Generating small footprint applications for mobile devices

• US 6,654,762 B2
• Filed: 08/16/1999
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pham, Thanh Tan, Shen, HongHai, Wang, I-Shin Andy, Cheng, Josephine Miu, Chow, Jyh-Herng
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US09/374,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 717/10-11, 707/3-6, 709/106, 345/336, 345/329, 345/349, 345/124, 345/351, 370/401, 713/200
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for generating a database application. In accordance with the present invention, a features list is built for the database application. The features list contains user-selected functions. The database application is dynamically configured based on the built features list.

Claims

1. A method of generating a customized application in a computer, said method comprising:

building a features list for the application in the computer, wherein the features list contains one or more user-selected features for downloading from the computer into an other device;

dynamically configuring the application in the computer based on the built features list, wherein the step of dynamically configuring the application further comprises;

determining, for each feature, whether the feature is available; and

initializing a reference to the feature based on the determination; and

downloading the dynamically configured application from the computer to the other device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dynamically configuring further comprises dynamically configuring the application at runtime.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is a footprint database application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initializing further comprises initializing the reference to a memory address when the feature is available.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initializing further comprises initializing the reference to null when the feature is unavailable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of building further comprises:

receiving one or more features from a user; and

building the features list that contains the received feature.

7. An apparatus for generating a customized application, comprising:

a computer; and

means, performed by the computer, for building a features list for the application in the computer, wherein the features list contains one or more user-selected features for downloading from the computer into an other device;

means, performed by the computer, for dynamically configuring the database application in the computer based on the built features list, wherein the means for dynamically configuring further comprises;

means for determining, for each feature, whether the feature is available; and

means for initializing a reference to the feature based on the determination; and

means, performed by the computer, for downloading the dynamically configured application from the computer to the other device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the means for dynamically configuring further comprises dynamically configuring the application at runtime.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the application is a footprint database application.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the means for initializing further comprises means, performed by the computer, for initializing the reference to a memory address when the feature is available.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the means for initializing further comprises means, performed by the computer, for initializing the reference to null when the feature is unavailable.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the means for dynamically configuring further comprises means, performed by the computer, for receiving one or more features from a user, and for building the features list that contains the received features.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform the method steps of generating a customized application, said method comprising:

building a features list for the application in the computer, wherein the features list contains one or more user-selected features for downloading from the computer into an other device;

dynamically configuring the application in the computer based on the built features list, wherein the step of dynamically configuring the application further comprises;

determining, for each feature, whether the feature is available; and

initializing a reference to the feature based on the determination; and

downloading the dynamically configured application form the computer to the other device.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the step of dynamically configuring further comprises dynamically configuring the application at runtime.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the application is a footprint database application.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the step of initializing further comprises initializing the reference to a memory address when the feature is available.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the step of initializing further comprises initializing the reference to null when the feature is unavailable.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the step of building further comprises:

receiving one or more features from a user; and

building the features list that contains the received features.