Method and apparatus for implicitly generating and supporting a user interface

• US 6,760,902 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James Alan Ott
• Original Assignee: James Alan Ott
• Inventors: Ott, James Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHRADER, LAWRENCE J
• Application Number:
  US09/652,640
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 717/112-116, 717/121, 717/124-125, 707/101-103, 709/331-332, 715/516, 715/530, 345/619, 345/661, 345/738, 345/762-763
• US Class Current: 717/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A method and apparatus that automatically creates the user interface in an object-oriented software program, without the need for explicit user interface code, is disclosed. The present invention includes a visual object base class with functions that support the creation and management of views, one or more instrumented object classes that are subclasses of the visual object base class and from which instrumented objects are created, and a Visualization Engine. Each instrumented object class defines one or more of the class members to be visual elements that are capable of being represented in the user interface environment. The Visualization Engine interacts with the visual object base class and each instrumented object created from the instrumented object classes, and, using a Global Class Table, a Class Descriptor, a View Descriptor, and an Object Descriptor, creates views of the instrumented objects and maintains synchronicity between the views and the underlying object members by generating the appropriate commands to the operating system.

Claims

1. A method of generating a user interface for an instrumented object within an object-oriented software program wherein said user interface is generated on a computer or other electronic machine having an operating system, said method comprises:

receiving a view creation request from an instrumented object that requests the creation of a specific user interface view by class name, view type, and view name, wherein said specific user interface view further comprises one or more visual element members of the object class from which said instrumented object was created, wherein said visual element members are members of said object class that have been declared to be visual elements;

generating an object Class Descriptor that corresponds to the object class from which said instrumented object was created, said object Class Descriptor further comprises an entry for each visual element member of said object class, each said entry further comprises the name, data type, and access information for each said visual element member;

generating a View Descriptor that corresponds to said class name, view type, and view name requested by said instrumented object, said View Descriptor associates each said visual element member that will be included in the specific user interface view with type, appearance, and placement of a control used to represent each said visual element member;

creating and initializing an Object Descriptor that corresponds to said instrumented object, said Object Descriptor directs the operating system to create the specific user interface view requested; and

maintaining synchronization between each said visual element member represented in the specific user interface view with said visual element members of said instrumented object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a View Editor to generates said view creation request, wherein said View Editor requests a specific user interface view for an instrumented object by class name, view type, and view name, wherein said view name is either an existing view name or a new view name specified to create a new specific user interface view.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said instrumented object further comprises an instrumented object derived from another instrumented object class, and said view creation request further requests the creation of a specific user interface view by view name that is inherited from said instrumented object class.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing said Class Descriptor and said View Descriptor in a View Repository, searching said View Repository for a match to said view creation request, and retrieving said View Descriptor and said Class Descriptor from said View Repository when there is a match.

5. A program storage device readable by a computer that tangibly embodies a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of generating a user interface for an instrumented object within an object-oriented software program wherein said user interface is generated on a computer or other electronic machine having an operating system, said method comprises:

receiving a view creation request from an instrumented object that requests the creation of a specific user interface view by class name, view type, and view name, wherein said specific user interface view further comprises one or more visual element members of the object class from which said instrumented object was created, wherein said visual element members are members of said object class that have been declared to be visual elements;

generating an object Class Descriptor that corresponds to the object class from which said instrumented object was created, said object Class Descriptor further comprises an entry for each visual element member of said object class, each said entry further comprises the name, data type, and access information for each said visual element member;

generating a View Descriptor that corresponds to said class name, view type, and view name requested by said instrumented object, said View Descriptor associates each said visual element member that will be included in the specific user interface view with type, appearance, and placement of a control used to represent each said visual element member;

creating and initializing an Object Descriptor that corresponds to said instrumented object, said Object Descriptor directs the operating system to create the specific user interface view requested; and

maintaining synchronization between each said visual element member represented in the specific user interface view with said visual element members of said instrumented object.

6. The program storage device of claim 5, wherein said method further comprises using a View Editor to generate said view creation request, wherein said View Editor requests a specific user interface view for an instrumented object by class name, view type, and view name, wherein said view name is either an existing view name or a new view name specified to create a new specific user interface view.

7. The program storage device of claim 5, wherein said instrumented object further comprises an instrumented object derived from another instrumented object class, and said view creation request further requests the creation of a specific user interface view by view name that is inherited from said instrumented object class.

8. The program storage device of claim 5, further comprising storing said Class Descriptor and said View Descriptor in a View Repository, searching said View Repository for a match to said view creation request, and retrieving said View Descriptor and said Class Descriptor from said View Repository when there is a match.

9. A user interface generation apparatus that generates a user interface on a computer or other electronic machine having an operating system, comprising:

an instrumented object created from an object class within an object-oriented software program executing on an electronic machine having an operating system, said object class includes one or more visual element members;

one or more view creation requests generated by said instrumented object, said view creation request requests the creation of a specific user interface view by class name, view type, and view name;

a Visualization Engine that generates an object Class Descriptor, a View Descriptor, and an Object Descriptor;

wherein said object Class Descriptor corresponds to said object class, said object Class Descriptor further comprises an entry for each visual element member of said object class, each said entry further comprises the name, data type, and access information for each said visual element member;

wherein said View Descriptor corresponds to said class name, view type, and view name requested by said instrumented object, said View Descriptor associates each said visual element member included in the specific user interface view with type, appearance, and placement of a control used to represent each said visual element member; and

wherein said Object Descriptor corresponds to said instrumented object, and directs the operating system to create the specific user interface view requested and maintains synchronization between each said visual element member represented in the specific user interface view with said visual element members of said instrumented object.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said Visualization Engine further comprises a View Editor that generates said view creation requests, wherein said View Editor requests a specific user interface view for an instrumented object by class name, view type, and view name, wherein said view name is either an existing view name or a new view name specified to create a new specific user interface view.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said instrumented object further comprises an instrumented object derived from another instrumented object class, and said view creation request further requests the creation of a specific user interface view by view name that is inherited from said instrumented object class.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a View Repository that stores said Class Descriptor and said View Descriptor, wherein said Visualization Engine searches said View Repository for a match to said view creation request, and retrieves said View Descriptor and said Class Descriptor from said View Repository when there is a match.

13. A user interface generation system that generates a user interface on a computer or other electronic machine having an operating system, comprising:

an instrumented object created from an object class within an object-oriented software program executing on an electronic machine having an operating system, said object class includes one or more visual element members;

one or more view creation requests generated by said instrumented object, said view creation request requests the creation of a specific user interface view by class name, view type, and view name;

a Visualization Engine that generates an object Class Descriptor, a View Descriptor, and an Object Descriptor;

wherein said object Class Descriptor corresponds to said object class, said object Class Descriptor further comprises an entry for each visual element member of said object class, each said entry further comprises the name, data type, and access information for each said visual element member;

wherein said View Descriptor corresponds to said class name, view type, and view name requested by said instrumented object, said View Descriptor associates each said visual element member included in the specific user interface view with type, appearance, and placement of a control used to represent each said visual element member; and

wherein said Object Descriptor corresponds to said instrumented object, and directs the operating system to create the specific user interface view requested and maintains synchronization between each said visual element member represented in the specific user interface view with said visual element members of said instrumented object.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said Visualization Engine further comprises a View Editor that generates said view creation requests, wherein said View Editor requests a specific user interface view for an instrumented object by class name, view type, and view name, wherein said view name is either an existing view name or a new view name specified to create a new specific user interface view.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said instrumented object further comprises an instrumented object derived from another instrumented object class, and said view creation request further requests the creation of a specific user interface view by view name that is inherited from said instrumented object class.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a View Repository that stores said Class Descriptor and said View Descriptor, wherein said Visualization Engine searches said View Repository for a match to said view creation request, and retrieves said View Descriptor and said Class Descriptor from said View Repository when there is a match.

17. A method that makes a user interface generation apparatus that generates a user interface on a computer or other electronic machine having an operating system, comprising:

providing an instrumented object created from an object class within an object-oriented software program executing on an electronic machine having an operating system, said object class includes one or more visual element members;

providing one or more view creation requests generated by said instrumented object, said view creation request requests the creation of a specific user interface view by class name, view type, and view name; and

providing a Visualization Engine that generates an object Class Descriptor, a View Descriptor, and an Object Descriptor;

wherein said object Class Descriptor corresponds to said object class, said object Class Descriptor further comprises an entry for each visual element member of said object class, each said entry further comprises the name, data type, and access information for each said visual element member;

wherein said View Descriptor corresponds to said class name, view type, and view name requested by said instrumented object, said View Descriptor associates each said visual element member included in the specific user interface view with type, appearance, and placement of a control used to represent each said visual element member; and

wherein said Object Descriptor corresponds to said instrumented object, and directs the operating system to create the specific user interface view requested and maintains synchronization between each said visual element member represented in the specific user interface view with said visual element members of said instrumented object.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said Visualization Engine further comprises a View Editor that generates said view creation requests, wherein said View Editor requests a specific user interface view for an instrumented object by class name, view type, and view name, wherein said view name is either an existing view name or a new view name specified to create a new specific user interface view.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said instrumented object further comprises an instrumented object derived from another instrumented object class, and said view creation request further requests the creation of a specific user interface view by view name that is inherited from said instrumented object class.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a View Repository that stores said Class Descriptor and said View Descriptor, wherein said Visualization Engine searches said View Repository for a match to said view creation request, and retrieves said View Descriptor and said Class Descriptor from said View Repository when there is a match.