System for configuration programming

• US 6,925,632 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Martin Shiu
• Original Assignee: Martin Shiu
• Inventors: Shiu, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US10/003,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20020129330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 717100-104, 717/101, 717106-108, 717/109, 717/116, 717/121, 718/107, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y, 707/2
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

In a development platform, a classifier for a given application defines a data model of an application model as a pattern (an object model) from a finite number of patterns (object models) that represent the possible permutations of data models. In addition, the development platform has a finite number of service objects that perform various functions/services on the object model from which the application model adopts one or more service objects. The object models and the service objects are generic to the development platform and usually a set of finite number of object models and a set of finite number of service objects can interface the application model with the various third party resources and tools.

Claims

1. A method for creating application software comprising the steps of:

storing a first set of object models representing data of an application, each object model corresponding to a set of elements, wherein the elements are selected from a finite set of basic object types;

selecting a subset of service objects from a stored set of service objects, wherein the service objects are independent of the object models and wherein each of the service objects includes functionality to parse at least one object model to determine elements and basic object types in the at least one object model and functionality to perform a function with respect to elements of each of the basic object types; and

defining a flow process representing an order for operation of the selected subset of service objects and data of the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the basic object types include:

a primitive,

a class, and

an object array.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the class object type includes a plurality of attributes, each of which is a basic object type.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the object array object type includes a plurality of elements, each of the plurality of elements being of a single basic object type.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the service objects provides functions with respect to an identified device driver for a resource.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of creating and storing a set of service objects.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the creating and storing step includes creating at least one service object which performs different functions depending upon a basic data type of at least one of the object models.

8. A system for creating application software comprising:

means for storing a first set of object models representing data of an application, each object model corresponding to a set of elements, wherein the elements are selected from a finite set of basic object types;

a stored set of service objects wherein the service objects are independent of the object models and wherein each of the service objects includes functionality to parse at least one object model to determine elements and basic object types in the at least one object model and functionality to perform a function with respect to elements of each of the basic object types; and

means for selecting a subset of the stored set of service objects; and

means for defining a flow process representing an order for operation of the subset of service objects and data of the application.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the means for storing includes:

means for receiving an application model representing data in the application software;

means for classifying each data element in the application model as an object model; and

means for storing each object model from the classifying means.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the service objects can provide an interface function with at least one resource.