Method and apparatus for synchronizing a user interface element displayed on a client and a software application component executing on a web server

• US 6,766,333 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2000
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: van der Linden, Rob, Halls, David, Wu, Zhixue
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOFIZ, APU M
• Application Number:
  US09/708,327
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/103.R, 707/104.1, 707/201, 707/500.1, 700/97, 709/203, 709/225, 709/226, 709/231, 717/107, 717/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A system and method for synchronizing a user interface element displayed on a client and a software application component executing on a web server are described. The synchronizing of a user interface element and a software application component includes representing a user interface element as a user interface element component having a characteristic and providing a wiring descriptor relating the characteristic of the user interface element component with a characteristic of a software application component. The wiring descriptor associates the user interface element component with the software application component and synchronizes the characteristic of the user interface element component with the characteristic of the software application component.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing a user interface element displayed on a client and a software application component executing on a web server, said method comprising:

(a) representing a user interface element as a user interface element component having a characteristic;

(b) providing a wiring descriptor relating said characteristic of said user interface element component with a characteristic of a software application component;

(c) executing said wiring descriptor to associate said user interface element component with said software application component; and

(d) synchronizing said characteristic of said user interface element component with said characteristic of said software application component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein synchronizing said characteristic comprises updating said user interface element using said synchronized characteristic of said user interface element component.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising using Document Object Model to update said user interface element displayed on said client.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a wiring descriptor further comprises providing a description file.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a wiring descriptor further comprises identifying said characteristic of said user interface element component.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a wiring descriptor further comprises identifying a fragment of a web page.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a wiring descriptor further comprises identifying said characteristic of said software application component.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a wiring descriptor further comprises identifying an event to synchronize said characteristic of said user interface element component and said characteristic of said software application component.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising registering an interest in said event.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising synchronizing said characteristic of said user interface element component with said characteristic of said software application object when said event occurs.

11. A method for synchronizing a user interface element displayed on a client and a software application component executing on a web server, said method comprising:

(a) representing, by a web server, a user interface element displayed on a client as a user interface element component on said web server, said user interface element component having a characteristic;

(b) providing, to said web server, a description file having a user interface property module, a logic property module, and an event property module;

(c) using, by said web server, a user interface name attribute of said user interface property module to identify said user interface element component;

(d) using, by said web server, a user interface property name attribute of said user interface property module to identify said characteristic of said user interface element component;

(e) using, by said web server, a logic name attribute of said logic property module to identify a software application component;

(f) using, by said web server, a logic property name attribute of said logic property module to identify a characteristic of said software application component;

(g) using, by said web server, said event property module to identify an event to trigger synchronization between said characteristic of said user interface element component and said characteristic of said software application component;

(h) associating, by said web server, said user interface name attribute with said logic name attribute and said user interface property name attribute with said logic property name attribute;

(i) synchronizing, by said web server in response to the occurrence of said event, said characteristic of said user interface element component and said characteristic of said software application component; and

(j) providing, by said web server to said client for display by said client, a representation of said synchronized characteristic of said user interface element component.

12. An apparatus for synchronizing a user interface element displayed on a client and a software application component executing on a web server, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a user interface property module identifying a characteristic of a user interface element component;

(b) a logic property module identifying a characteristic of a software application component; and

(c) an event module identifying an event to synchronize said characteristic of said user interface element component and said characteristic of said software application component when said event occurs.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a database server that stores and manages data.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a middleware server in communication with said web server and said database server.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said middleware server consolidates requests and responses between said web server and said database server.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said middleware server hosts and supports components of said software application.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said software application is a Java Bean written in Java programming language.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said user interface element component is an HTML component.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a software design station providing said user interface element.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said web server represents said user interface element as a user interface element component having said characteristic.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising an application development system providing said software application component.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said web server further comprises a Document Object Model (DOM) proxy to update said user interface element displayed on said client.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said client further comprises a DOM Access Module to accept said update from said DOM proxy and to transmit a change in said user interface element.

24. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a description file describes at least one of said user interface property module, said logic property module, and said event module.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said description file is in XML format.

26. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein at least one of said user interface property module, said logic property module, and said event module further comprises type information to automate type transformations.

27. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said event module further comprises an input-output attribute to specify a direction of said synchronizing.

28. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a connection module that specifies a dynamic user interface.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said dynamic user interface is an HTML fragment.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said connection module further comprises a value attribute, said value attribute made equivalent to said characteristic of said a software application component.

31. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said connection module further comprises a fragment attribute, said fragment attribute identifying said HTML fragment.

32. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said connection module further comprises a wiring attribute, said wiring attribute identifying at least one of a different user interface property module, a different logic property module, and a different event module.