Method and apparatus for binding user interface objects to application objects

• US 7,194,692 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Federighi, Craig, Herzer, Stefanie, Marcos, Paul, Tevanian, Avie, Willrich, Rebecca Eades, Weber, Arnaud
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US10/184,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20030035003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 345/744, 345/760, 345762-764, 345/769, 345/781, 345/804, 345/805, 345/810, 345/967, 345/968, 345/513, 707/104.1, 709217-219, 715/513, 715/744, 715/760, 715762-764, 715/769, 715/781, 715/804, 715/805, 715/810, 715/967, 715/968, 719/315, 719/328, 719/331, 719/332
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) and accompanying functionality for binding Web page definitional elements to a back-end state (e.g., client- or server-side back-end state) and custom logic is provided. In one embodiment, a template containing definitional elements, custom logic, and bindings are generated that define all or a portion of a Web page based on input received and functionality provided by the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating binding statements of a web page template comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) executing on a computer;

at least one back-end state item graphically depicted in said GUI by a first graphical element;

at least one definitional element graphically depicted in said GUI by a second graphical element; and

wherein said GUI is configured to provide a dynamic binding between said at least one definitional element and said at least one back-end state item in response to graphical manipulation by a user of said first graphical element and said second graphical element; and

wherein said GUI is configured to generate a statement text representing logic for executing said dynamic binding.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said GUI further comprises at least one Hypertext Markup language (HTML) window for displaying HTML text associated with said at least one definitional element.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said GUI further comprises at least one HTML viewing window for displaying a view generated from said HTML text.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said GUI further comprises at least one component window for displaying program code associated with said at least one back-end state item.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a binding file storing said statement text.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said GUI is further configured to graphically represent said dynamic binding on a display.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one back-end state item comprises a program code executed on a remote server.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one back-end state item comprises a program code executed on a client machine.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one back-end state item comprises a program code capable of generating Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) text.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one back-end state item comprises an object oriented class.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one definitional element comprises a plurality of definitional elements.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said GUI further comprises a window for displaying a plurality of graphical elements corresponding to a plurality of definitional elements.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one definitional element comprises an attribute that defines at least one Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) field.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said attribute provides a static definition of said at least one HTML field.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said attribute provides a dynamic definition of said at least one HTML field.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said attribute defines a variable associated with said at least one HTML field.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said logic is configured to map said at least one definitional element to said at least one back-end state item.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said GUI is configured to obtain a description of an attribute of said at least one back-end state item.

19. An apparatus for generating object connections using a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising:

a GUI executing in a computer, said GUI comprising a first GUI element and a second GUI element;

at least one back-end state item;

at least one Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) definitional element with a plurality of attributes and behaviors for generating HTML;

said first GUI element capable of displaying an object browser containing a graphical representation of said at least one back-end state item;

said second GUI element capable of displaying an element palette containing a graphical representation of said at least one HTML definitional element;

wherein said GUI is configured to provide a dynamic binding between said at least one back-end state item and said at least one HTML definitional element, and present a graphical representation of said dynamic binding to a user.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said at least one back-end state item comprises one or more members of the set comprising a variable, a constant and a method.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said GUI is further configured to determine a default value for said dynamic binding, wherein said default value is based on an object class of said back-end state item.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said back-end state item is capable of maintaining state between HTML transactions.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said second GUI element is capable of displaying said plurality of attributes of said at least one HTML definitional element for binding to said at least one back-end state item.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said second GUI element is capable of displaying a fundamental attribute of said plurality of attributes of said at least one HTML definitional element.