Databinding workflow data to a user interface layer

• US 7,606,824 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Harder, Michael J., Sanabria, Andres Mauricio, Kothari, Nikhil
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo; Truong V
• Application Number:
  US11/273,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

In a workflow system data is exchanged using databinding constructs between the workflow and user interface layer. During an execution of a workflow a user interface instance is activated in anticipation of a user input event. The workflow is suspended and data for populating the user interface instance is provided to the user interface layer using a databinding construct from the workflow. Upon receiving user input, another instance of the workflow is loaded and data associated with the user input provided from the user interface to the workflow employing a databinding construct such that the other instance of the workflow is executed with the data associated with the user input.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for exchanging data between a pregenerated workflow process and a user interface, comprising:

activating a user interface sequence associated with a pregenerated workflow process;

executing an instance of the workflow process associated with the user interface, wherein the instance of the workflow process is a sequential instance for causing the execution of a portion of the workflow process;

suspending the workflow process to receive user input;

setting properties pulled from the user interface into the instance of the workflow;

resuming the workflow if the received user input results in no data being provided to the workflow from the user interface;

providing data from the workflow to the user interface, wherein the data is provided by employing a one-directional databinding construct for transferring the data from the workflow process to the user interface and cause execution of the workflow process, wherein the one-directional databinding construct includes a databinding identifier that indicates one-directional data binding and a data identifier that identifies the data as being bound by the one-directional databinding construct to cause the execution of the workflow process;

upon receiving user input loading another instance of the workflow;

retrieving data associated with the user input from the user interface; and

providing the data associated with the user input from the user interface to the workflow process, wherein the data is provided by employing a two-directional databinding construct for transferring the data between the user interface and the workflow process in both directions to cause execution of the workflow process, wherein the two-directional databinding construct includes a databinding identifier that indicates two-directional data binding and a data identifier that identifies the data as being bound by the two-directional databinding construct to cause the execution of the workflow process.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein activating the user interface sequence includes at least one of:

loading, initiating, and resuming the user interface sequence.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one-directional databinding construct defines a specific portion of data between two end points of the workflow process.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes one of:

a web page, a console application, a desktop application, a form, and a presentation.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing additional data associated with the user input from a data store to the workflow process.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising sharing context information between instances of the workflow process corresponding to different user interface instances.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one-directional databinding construct is bound to a field of an email template to cause the execution of the email template according to the one-directional databinding construct.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the two-directional databinding construct is bound to an input field of an email template to cause data input into the input filed to be bound by the two-directional databinding construct and cause execution of the workflow process in accordance with the data input bound by the two-directional databinding construct.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the two-directional databinding construct is bound to an input field of the email template to cause data input into the input field to be bound by the two-directional databinding construct and cause execution of the workflow process in accordance with the data input bound by the two-directional construct.

9. A computer storage media having computer instructions encoded thereon for facilitating data exchange between a pregenerated workflow process and a user interface layer using databinding constructs, the instructions comprising:

activating a user interface instance by at least one from a set of;

loading, initiating, and resuming an instance of the user interface;

executing an instance of the workflow process associated with the user interface, wherein the instance of the workflow process is a sequential instance for causing the execution of a portion of the workflow process;

suspending the workflow to receive user input;

setting properties pulled from the user interface into the instance of the workflow;

resuming the workflow if the received user input results in no data being provided to the workflow from the user interface;

providing data from the workflow to the user interface, wherein the data is provided by employing a one-directional databinding construct for transferring the data from the workflow process to the user interface and cause execution of the workflow process, wherein the one-directional databinding construct includes a databinding identifier that indicates one-directional data binding and a data identifier that identifies the data as being bound by the one-directional databinding construct to cause the execution of the workflow process;

upon receiving user input loading another instance of the workflow;

retrieving data associated with the user input from the user interface; and

providing the data associated with the user input from the user interface to the workflow process, wherein the data is provided by employing a two-directional databinding construct for transferring the data between the user interface and the workflow process in both directions to cause execution of the workflow process, wherein the two-directional databinding construct includes a databinding identifier that indicates two-directional data binding and a data identifier that identifies the data as being bound by the two-directional databinding construct to cause the execution of the workflow process.

11. The computer storage media of claim 9, wherein the one-directional databinding construct is bound to a field of an email template to cause the execution of the email template according to the one-directional databinding construct.

12. The computer storage media of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise determining whether the user input is associated with data to be provided to the workflow process, and resuming the other workflow instance if the user input is not associated with data to be provided to the workflow process.

13. The computer storage media of claim 11, wherein the one-directional databinding construct is an “

EVAL”

databinding construct for transferring data from the workflow process to the user interface and the two-directional databinding construct is a “

BIND”

databinding construct for transferring data between the workflow process and the user interface in both directions.

14. The computer storage media of claim 11, wherein the instructions further include executing instances of the workflow process such that an ordered sequence of the workflow instances comprise a process involving ordered sequential user interaction with the user interface instances associated with the corresponding workflow instances.

15. A system for facilitating data exchange between a pregenerated workflow process and a user interface using databinding constructs, the system comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute an application, wherein the application includes;

a workflow engine configured to perform actions including;

loading an instance of the workflow process;

executing the instance of the workflow process;

upon encountering a user input event, suspending the workflow process;

providing data from the workflow to the user interface, wherein the data is provided by employing a one-directional databinding construct for transferring the data from the workflow process to the user interface and cause execution of the workflow process, wherein the one-directional databinding construct includes a databinding identifier that indicates one-directional data binding and a data identifier that identifies the data as being bound by the one-directional databinding construct to cause the execution of the workflow process;

upon receiving data associated with the user input setting properties pulled from the user interface into the instance of the workflow process and continuing execution of the workflow process;

if user input received from the user interface results in no data being provided to the workflow process from the user interface, still resuming the workflow process; and

a user interface layer configured to perform actions including;

upon detecting the suspension of the workflow process instantiating the user interface;

receiving data associated with the workflow process such that the user interface is populated with the data associated with the workflow process; and

upon receiving the user input, providing the data associated with the user input from the user interface to the workflow process, wherein the data is provided by employing a two-directional databinding construct for transferring the data between the user interface and the workflow process in both directions to cause execution of the workflow process, wherein the two-directional databinding construct includes a databinding identifier that indicates two-directional data binding and a data identifier that identifies the data as being bound by the two-directional databinding construct to cause the execution of the workflow process.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a data store configured to store additional data associated with the workflow process and the user interface.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the workflow engine is further configured to receive data from a data store associated with the user input upon receiving the data associated with the user input from the user interface.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the workflow engine is further configured to share context information between instances of the workflow process corresponding to different user interface instances.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the workflow engine is further configured to one of terminate and continue to execute the workflow process after a predetermined time-out.