Dynamic generation of user interface components

• US 7,240,070 B1
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Levin, Issac Stephen, Ju, Wei-De, Man Cheng, Kit
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US11/298,094
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 707/6, 707/7, 707/10, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/104.1, 707/200, 709/217, 715/517, 715/866, 719/316, 719/318
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for enabling the dynamic generation of user interface components. The dynamically-generated user interface components are based on templates and mappings that can be predefined through interaction with a user interface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing a mapping stored in a data repository in response to a user activating a link displayed on a screen of a computer system, wherein the mapping comprises an identity of a logical entity that associates columns from one or more tables into a single structure, wherein the mapping maps the logical entity to a user interface template;

retrieving data from the one or more columns associated by the logical entity identified in the mapping;

rendering a user interface on the screen, wherein the user interface corresponds to the user interface template;

displaying the retrieved data in one or more fields of the rendered user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said user interface template includes a plurality of placeholder fields.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is rendered in accordance with said user interface template and said mapping.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said user interface is an applet.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said mapping identifies a business object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said mapping identifies a field of the logical entity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said mapping identifies a plurality of fields of said the logical entity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said mapping identifies a display sequence of said plurality of fields of said the logical entity.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said mapping identifies a caption for a display field in said rendered user interface.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein said mapping identifies a button control and a method associated with said button control.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a location in the database which is mapped to one field in the user interface template by a second mapping that has been stored in the repository.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising rendering the user interface component in accordance with said second mapping.

13. A computer program product comprising:

computer-readable program code for;

accessing a mapping stored in a repository in response to a user activating a link displayed on a screen of a computer system, wherein the mapping comprises an identity of a logical entity that associates columns from one or more tables into a single structure, wherein the mapping maps the logical entity to a user interface template;

retrieving data from the one or more columns associated by the logical entity identified in the mapping;

rendering a user interface on the screen, wherein the user interface corresponds to the user interface template;

displaying the retrieved data in one or more fields of the rendered user interface; and

a computer-usable medium configured to store the computer-readable program code.