Method, system, and program for generating a graphical user interface window for an application program

• US 6,801,224 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2000
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lewallen, Stephen Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BASOM, BLAINE T
• Application Number:
  US09/661,610
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 345/749, 345/744, 345/738, 345/788, 345/799, 345/800, 345/804, 345/746, 345/733, 709/328, 709/329
• US Class Current: 715/746
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Described is a method, system, and program for generating an application graphical user interface (GUI) window used by an executing application program. The application program uses an operating system handle addressing the application GUI window to generate content into the application GUI window. A frame element, including GUI components of the application GUI window is added to a user interface object including GUI components used by a user interface program. Application program interfaces (APIs), generated by the application program, are executed to call the handle to generate content into the application GUI window. Standard APIs that are members of a set of standard API interfaces are received to manipulate the GUI components in the frame element to modify a display of the application GUI window. The standard APIs are converted to user interface APIs. The converted user interface APIs call the frame element to render the application GUI window according to the modifications specified in the standard APIs.

Claims

1. A method for generating an application graphical user interface (GUI) window used by an executing application program, wherein the application program uses an operating system handle addressing the application GUI window to generate content into the application GUI window, comprising:

creating a frame element when receiving an application API to create the application GUI window, wherein a pointer to the frame element is used to manipulate GUI components in the frame element;

adding tie frame element, including GUI components of the application GUI window, into a user interface object including GUI components used by a user interface program;

creating a standard frame object for the frame element;

instantiating a native object and class that links the standard frame object with the frame element added into the user interface object and with tie handle addressing the application GUI window;

executing application program interfaces (APIs), generated by the application program, to call the handle to generate content into the application GUI window;

receiving standard APIs that are members of a set of standard API interfaces to manipulate the GUI components in the frame element to modify a display of the application GUI window;

conveting the standard APIs to user interface APIs; and

calling, with the converted user interface APIs, the frame element to render the application GUI window according to the modifications specified in the standard APIs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface program comprises a web browser program and the application program comprises a plug-in module that provides services and features to the web browser program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the application GUI window is generated as embedded in a user interface GUI window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of standard API interfaces are part of the W3C Document Object Mode (DOM) specification and the user interface program implements the W3C DOM.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user interface object comprises a DOM tree and wherein the frame element comprises an IFRAME element in the user interface DOM tree.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing the handle addressing the application GUI window to the application API to use to generate content into the application GUI window.

7. A method for generating an application graphical user interface (GUI) window used by an executing application program, wherein the application program uses an operating system handle addressing the application GUI window to generate content into the application GUI window, comprising:

creating a frame element in a user interface object when receiving an application API to create the application GUI window;

instantiating a native object and class;

maintaining a pointer to the frame element with the native object and class, wherein the pointer is used with standard API calls to manipulate the GUI components in the frame element;

maintaining a pointer to a handle to the created application GUI window with the native object and class, wherein the pointer is used with application APIs to generate content into the application GUI window;

adding the frame element, including GUI components of the application GUI window, into a user interface object including GUI components used by a user interface program;

executing application program interfaces (APIs), generated by the application program, to call the handle to generate content into the application GUI window;

receiving standard APIs that are members of a set of standard API interfaces to manipulate the GUI components in the frame element to modify a display of the application GUI window;

converting the standard APIs to user interface APIs; and

calling, with the converted user interface APIs, the frame element to render the application GUI window according to the modifications specified in the standard APIs.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising creating a standard frame object implementing the frame element that is called by the standard APIs manipulating the frame element, wherein the standard frame object is used to determine the frame element included in the user interface object when converting the standard API to the user interface API.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising instantiating a native object and class that links the standard frame object with the frame element included in the user interface object.

10. A system for generating an application graphical user interface (GUI) window, comprising:

a computer;

a display monitor controlled by the computer, wherein the computer controls the display of the application GUI window on the display monitor; and

program logic executed by the computer, wherein the program logic includes code capable of causing the computer to perform;

executing an executing application program, wherein the application program uses an operating system handle addressing the application GUI window to generate content into the application GUI window;

creating a frame element when receiving an application API to create the application GUI window, wherein a pointer to the frame element is used to manipulate GUI components in the frame element;

adding the frame element, including GUI components of the application GUI window, into a user interface object including GUI components used by a user interface program;

creating a standard frame object for the frame element;

instantiating a native object and class that links the standard frame object with the frame element added into the user interface object and with the handle addressing the application GUI window;

executing application program interfaces (APIs), generated by the application program, to call the handle to generate content into the application GUI window;

receiving standard APIs that are members of a set of standard API interfaces to manipulate the GUI components in the frame element to modify a display of the application GUI window;

converting the standard APIs to user interface APIs; and

calling, with the converted user interface APIs, the frame element to render the application GUI window according to the modifications specified in the standard APIs.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the user interface program comprises a web browser program and the application program comprises a plug-in module that provides services and features to the web browser program.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the application GUI window is generated as embedded in a user interface GUI window.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of standard API interfaces are part of the W3C Document Object Model (DOM) specification and the user interface program implements the W3C DOM.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface object comprises a DOM tree and wherein the frame clement comprises an IFRAME element in the user interface DOM tree.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the program logic is further capable of causing the computer to perform:

passing the handle addressing the application GUI window to the application API to use to generate content into the application GUI window.

16. A system for generating an application graphical user interface (GUI) window, comprising:

a computer;

a display monitor controlled by the computer, wherein the computer controls the display of the application GUI window on the display monitor;

program logic executed by the computer, wherein the program logic includes code capable of causing the computer to perform;

creating a frame element in the user interface object when receiving an application API to create the application GUI window;

instantiating a native object and class;

maintaining a pointer to the frame element with the native object and class, wherein the pointer is used with standard API calls to manipulate the GUI components in the frame element;

maintaining a pointer to the handle to the created application GUI window with the native object and class, wherein the pointer is used with application APIs to generate content into the application GUI window;

executing an executing application program, wherein the application program uses an operating system handle addressing the application GUI window to generate content into the application GUI window;

adding a frame element, including GUI components of the application GUI window, into a user interface object including GUI components used by a user interface program;

executing application program interfaces (APIs), generated by the application program, to call the handle to generate content into the application GUI window;

receiving standard APIs that are members of a set of standard API interfaces to manipulate the GUI components in the frame element to modify a display of the application GUI window; and

converting the standard APIs to user interface APIs; and

calling, with the converted user interface APIs, the frame element to tender the application GUI window according to the modifications specified in the standard APIs.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the program logic is further capable of causing the computer to perform creating a standard frame object implementing the frame element that is called by the standard APIs manipulating the frame element, wherein the standard frame object is used to determine the frame element included in the user interface object when converting the standard API to the user interface API.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the program logic is further capable of causing the computer to perform instantiating a native object and class that links the standard frame object with the frame element included in the user interface object.

19. A program for generating an application graphical user interface (GUI) window used by an executing application program, wherein die application program uses an operating system handle addressing the application GUI window to generate content into the application GUI window, and wherein the program is embedded in a computer readable medium and includes code capable of causing the a computer to perform:

creating a frame element when receiving as application API to create the application GUI window, wherein a pointer to the frame element is used to manipulate GUI components in the frame element;

adding the frame element, including GUI components of the application GUI window, into a user interface object including GUI components used by a user interface program;

creating a standard frame object for the frame element;

instantiating a native object and class that in the standard frame object with the frame element added into the user interface object and with the handle addressing the application GUI window;

executing application program interfaces (APIs), generated by the application program, to call the handle to generate content into the application GUI window;

receiving standard APIs that are members of a set of standard API interfaces to manipulate the GUI components in the frame element to modify a display of the application GUI window;

converting the standard APIs to user interface APIs; and

calling, with the converted user interface APIs, the frame element to render the application GUI window according to the modifications specified in the standard APIs.

20. The program of claim 19, wherein the user interface program comprises a web browser program and the application program comprises a plug-in module that provides services and features to the web browser program.

21. The program of claim 20, wherein the application GUI window is generated as embedded in a user interface GUI window.

22. The program of claim 19, wherein the set of standard API interfaces are part of the W3C Document Object Model (DOM) specification and the user interface program implements the W3C DOM.

23. The program of claim 22, wherein the user interface object comprises a DOM tree and wherein the frame element comprises an IFRAME element in the user interface DOM tree.

24. The program of claim 19, wherein the program code is further capable of causing the computer to perform:

passing the handle addressing the application GUI window to the application API to use to generate content into the application GUI window.

25. A program for generating an application graphical user interface (GUI) window used by an executing application program, wherein the application program uses an operating system handle addressing the application GUI window to generate content into the application GUI window, and wherein the program is embedded in a computer readable medium and includes code capable of causing the a computer to perform:

creating a frame element in the user interface object when receiving an application API to create the application GUI window;

instantiating a native object and class;

maintaining a pointer to the frame element with the native object and class, wherein the pointer is used with standard API calls to manipulate the GUI components in the frame element;

maintaining a pointer to the handle to the created application GUI window with the native object and class, wherein the pointer is used with application APIs to generate content into the application GUI window;

adding a frame element, including GUI components of the application GUI window, into a user interface object including GUI components used by a user interface program;

executing application program interfaces (APIs), generated by the application program to call the handle to generate content into the application GUI window;

receiving standard APIs that are members of a set of standard API interfaces to manipulate the GUI components in the frame element to modify a display of the application GUI window; and

converting the standard APIs to user interface APIs; and

calling, with the converted user interface APIs, the frame element to render the application GUI window according to the modifications specified in the standard APIs.

26. The program of claim 25, wherein the program code is further capable of causing the computer to perform creating a standard frame object implementing the frame element that is called by the standard APIs manipulating the frame element wherein the standard frame object is used to determine the frame element included in the user interface object when converting the standard API to the user interface API.

27. The program of claim 26, wherein the program code is further capable of causing the computer to perform instantiating a native object and class that lines the standard fame object with the frame element included in the user interface object.