Testing and debugging framework for application builders

• US 7,415,698 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Soroker, Danny, Shani, Netta M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Francis; Mark P.
• Application Number:
  US10/314,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20040111696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 717/106, 717/107, 717/124
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

An application builder system and methodology enables a user to create an application using a builder (“builder application”); interactively edit the builder application by adding and removing application objects; interactively edit the properties of the application objects, including a new property called “debug level”; interactively set values of parameters for a code generator, including the value of a new parameter called “debug level”; invoking the code generator to automatically generate application code; and running the resulting generated application.

Claims

1. A method for building a software application utilizing an application building tool, said method comprising the steps of:

a) creating and editing a set of application objects, each application object including application object properties, one of said application object properties including a debug level property capable of being set to indicate participation of said object in a debug version;

b) generating an application capable of being executed from a high-level application constructed out of said application objects;

c) interactively setting one or more code generation parameters including a debug level parameter for determining a debug level of the generated application, and

d) including all the application objects in the generated application if a debug level parameter is set, or, if the debug level parameter is not set, omitting debug objects having debug level property set from the generated application.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further enabling viewing of program information in a display device when a debug level property for an application object is set.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein program information displayed includes values of variables implemented in the built program.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further including enabling display of a debug level button selectable by a user to invoke a test or debug activity when a debug level property for an application object is set.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further including providing a visual indication of the debug level of the application objects on a display device.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the application building tool includes a visual editor, said method including providing a user interface to enable a user to create GUI objects, said objects including one or more of text box inputs or buttons.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the application building tool includes a visual editor, said method including providing a user interface to enable a user to create an application flow graph including nodes and arcs linking application steps.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said editing step includes adding and removing application objects to the builder application.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said editing step includes interactively editing properties of said application objects.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method is performed prior to running an application.