Mechanism for cross channel multi-server multi-protocol multi-data model thin clients

• US 6,779,177 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1999
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bahrs, Peter C., Feigenbaum, Barry Alan, Sundberg, Sean Michael, Modh, Manish Mahesh, Chancey, Raphael Poole, Woolfrey, John Allen Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAVIS, JOHN Q
• Application Number:
  US09/429,212
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 717/169, 717/170, 717/173, 717/136, 345/340
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/543 Local
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a data processing system for refreshing data in an application. A call is received to update data in the application, wherein the data is destined for a component in the application. A data type is identified for the data. Responsive to the data type being a handled data type, the data is formatted and a refresh is called on the component.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for refreshing data in an application, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

providing a parent application mediator, said parent application mediator creating a plurality of view controllers and a plurality of nested application mediators for completing an application function associated with said parent application mediator, each one of said plurality of view controllers for receiving user input into a graphical user interface and sending said user input for processing to an application mediator associated with said one of said plurality of view controllers, each one of said plurality of nested application mediators having an associated view controller that each one of said plurality of nested application mediators controls, said parent application mediator for mediating events generated by said plurality of view controllers and said plurality of nested application mediators;

receiving a change in data at said parent application mediator, wherein the parent application mediator handles said plurality of view controllers and said plurality of nested application mediators;

sending a call from said parent application mediator to each nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators to refresh data in objects associated with the plurality of nested application mediators;

sending a call from said parent application mediator to each view controller within the plurality of view controllers to refresh data in objects associated with the plurality of view controllers;

responsive to receiving a call at a nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators, updating the data in an object associated with the nested application mediator, wherein a call is made from said nested application mediator to a view controller that is controlled by the nested application mediator to refresh the data; and

responsive to receiving a call at a view controller within the plurality of view controllers, updating the data in an object associated with the view controller, wherein a display of containers presented by the view controller is updated.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, prior to updating the data, whether the data is a type recognized and handled by the view controller;

responsive to a determination that the data is an unrecognized type and handled, formatting the data into at least one recognized types by the view controller; and

responsive to a determination that the data is an unrecognized type and unhanded, ignoring the data or yielding an error.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data causes a change in a configuration of components displayed in the container.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data contains a change in permissions resulting in a change in components accessible though a user input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of view controllers handles presentation of a container.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein only a single view controller presents a container at a time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the container is a component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the container is a bean.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is an object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is an object containing multiple objects.

11. A method in a data processing system for refreshing data in an application, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

providing a parent application mediator, said parent application mediator creating a plurality of view controllers and a plurality of nested application mediators for completing an application function associated with said parent application mediator, each one of said plurality of view controllers for receiving user input into a graphical user interface and sending said user input for processing to an application mediator associated with said one of said plurality of view controllers, wherein the parent application mediator handles said plurality of view controllers and said plurality of nested application mediators, each one of said plurality of nested application mediators having an associated view controller that each one of said plurality of nested application mediators controls;

receiving a call within said parent application mediator to update data in the application;

identifying a data type for the data;

responsive to the data type being a handled data type, formatting the data and sending a call from said parent application mediator to each nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators to refresh the data in objects associated with the plurality of nested application mediators;

sending a call from said parent application mediator to each view controller within the plurality of view controllers to refresh the data in objects associated with the plurality of view controllers;

responsive to receiving a call at a nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators, updating the data in an object associated with the nested application mediator, wherein a call is made from said nested application mediator to a view controller that is controlled by the nested application mediator to refresh the data; and

responsive to receiving a call at a view controller within the plurality of view controllers, updating the data in an object associated with the view controller, wherein a display of containers presented by the view controller is updated.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein handled data type is a singleton.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the handled data type is an aggregate.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

responsive to the data type being an unhanded data type, determining whether the data contains multiple object;

responsive to the data containing a set of objects, formatting each object within the set of objects into a recognized format; and

calling a refresh on the component.

15. A data processing system for refreshing data in an application, the data processing system comprising:

a parent application mediator, said parent application mediator creating a plurality of view controllers and a plurality of nested application mediators for completing an application function associated with said parent application mediator, each one of said plurality of view controllers for receiving user input into a graphical user interface and sending said user input for processing to an application mediator associated with said one of said plurality of view controllers, each one of said plurality of nested application mediators having an associated view controller that each one of said plurality of nested application mediators controls;

receiving means for receiving a change in data at said parent application mediator, wherein the parent application mediator handles said plurality of view controllers and said plurality of nested application mediators;

sending means for sending a call from said parent application mediator to each nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators to refresh data in objects associated with the plurality of nested application mediators;

sending means for sending a call from said parent application mediator to each view controller within the plurality of view controllers to refresh data in objects associated with the plurality of view controllers;

updating means, responsive to receiving a call at a nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators, for updating the data in an object associated with the nested application mediator, wherein a call is made from said nested application mediator to a view controller that is controlled by the nested application mediator to refresh the data; and

updating means, responsive to receiving a call at a view controller within the plurality of view controllers, for updating the data in an object associated with the view controller, wherein a display of containers presented by the view controller is updated.

16. The data processing system of claim 15 further comprising:

determining means for determining, prior to updating the data, whether the data is a type recognized and handled by the view controller;

formatting means, responsive to a determination that the data is an unrecognized type and handled, for formatting the data into at least one recognized types by the view controller; and

ignoring means, responsive to a determination that the data is an unrecognized type and unhanded, for ignoring the data or yielding an error.

17. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the data causes a change in a configuration of components displayed in the container.

18. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the data contains a change in permissions resulting in a change in components accessible though a user input.

19. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of view controllers handles presentation of a container.

20. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein only a single view controller presents a container at a time.

21. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the container is a component.

22. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the container is a bean.

23. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the data is an object.

24. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the data is an object containing multiple objects.

25. A data processing system for refreshing data in an application, the data processing system comprises:

a parent application mediator, said parent application mediator creating a plurality of view controllers and a plurality of nested application mediators for completing an application function associated with said parent application mediator, each one of said plurality of view controllers for receiving user input into a graphical user interface and sending said user input for processing to an application mediator associated with said one of said plurality of view controllers, each one of said plurality of nested application mediators having an associated view controller that each one of said plurality of nested application mediators controls;

receiving means for receiving a call within said parent application mediator to update in the application, wherein the parent application mediator handles said plurality of view controllers and said plurality of nested application mediators;

identifying means for identifying a data type for the data;

formatting means, responsive to the data type being a handled data type, for formatting the data and sending a call from said parent application mediator to each nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators to refresh the data in objects associated with the plurality of nested application mediators;

sending a call from said parent application mediator to each view controller within the plurality of view controllers to refresh the data in objects associated with the plurality of view controllers;

responsive to receiving a call at a nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators, updating the data in an object associated with the nested application mediator, wherein a call is made from said nested application mediator to a view controller that is controlled by the nested application mediator to refresh the data; and

responsive to receiving a call at a view controller within the plurality of view controllers, updating the data in an object associated with the view controller, wherein a display of containers presented by the view controller is updated.

26. The data processing system of claim 25, wherein handled data type is a singleton.

27. The data processing system of claim 25, wherein the handled data type is an aggregate.

28. The data processing system of claim 25 further comprising:

determining means, responsive to the data type being an in handled data type, for determining whether the data contains multiple object; and

formatting means, responsive to the data containing a set of objects, for formatting each object within the set of objects into a recognized format.

29. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for refreshing data in an application, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for providing a parent application mediator, said parent application mediator creating a plurality of view controllers and a plurality of nested application mediators for completing an application function associated with said parent application mediator, each one of said plurality of view controllers for receiving user input into a graphical user interface and sending said user input for processing to an application mediator associated with said one of said plurality of view controllers, each one of said plurality of nested application mediators having an associated view controller that each one of said plurality of nested application mediators controls;

instructions for receiving a change in data at said parent application mediator, wherein the parent application mediator handles said plurality of view controllers and said plurality of nested application mediators;

instructions for sending a call from said parent application mediator to each nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators to refresh data in objects associated with the plurality of nested application mediators;

instructions for sending a call from said parent application mediator to each view controller within the plurality of view controllers to refresh data in objects associated with the plurality of view controllers;

instructions, responsive to receiving a call at a nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators, of updating the data in an object associated with the nested application mediator, wherein a call is made from said nested application mediator to a view controller that is controlled by the nested application mediator to refresh the data is also made; and

instructions, responsive to receiving a call at a view controller within the plurality of view controllers, updating the data in an object associated with the view controller, wherein a display of containers presented by the view controller is updated.

30. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for refreshing data in an application, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for providing a parent application mediator, said parent application mediator creating a plurality of view controllers and a plurality of nested application mediators for completing an application function associated with said parent application mediator, each one of said plurality of view controllers for receiving user input into a graphical user interface and sending said user input for processing to an application mediator associated with said one of said plurality of view controllers, each one of said plurality of nested application mediators having an associated view controller that each one of said plurality of nested application mediators controls;

instructions for receiving a call within said parent application mediator to update data in the application;

instructions for identifying a data type for the data;

instructions, responsive to the data type being a handled data type, for formatting the data sending a call from said parent application mediators to each nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediator to refresh the data in objects associated with the plurality of nested application mediator;

sending a call from said parent application mediator to each view controller within the plurality of view controllers to refresh the data in objects associated with the plurality of view controllers;

responsive to receiving a call at a nested application mediator within the plurality of nested application mediators, updating the data in an object associated with the nested application mediator, wherein a call is made from said nested application mediator to a view controller that is controlled by the nested application mediator to refresh the data; and

responsive to receiving a call at a view controller within the plurality of view controllers, updating the data in an object associated with the view controller, wherein a display of containers presented by the view controller is updated.