Web service-enabled portlet wizard

• US 7,725,560 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Beecroft, Troy, Patadia, Jalpesh, Musson, Scott, Bales, Christopher E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin; Yemane
• Application Number:
  US10/377,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,643 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/218, 715/234, 715/742, 715/760, 715/762, 715/763, 715/765
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A web service user interface can be automatically generated, thus simplifying development of web applications. Web service configuration data can be received and proxies to access the web service can be automatically generated. Communication code can also be automatically generated to facilitate communicate with said web service using the proxies. Display code can be automatically generated to display content provided by a web service. In one example, the web service user interface is a portlet.

Claims

1. A method for automatically generating a web service display, comprising:

providing a wizard that uses either a form-based interaction with a portlet to request a web service where configuration data is entered into the wizard to request the web service, or a web services selection screen that allows for selection of the web service, wherein the configuration data includes information that allows access to the web service, and wherein the web service is implemented as a software component to provide services through the portlet;

wherein at least one screen is presented to a user requesting selection of at least one of the following;

a name for said portlet, a portal with which to associate said portlet, a description of said portlet, a portlet component to include in said portlet, a content type for said portlet, and a location in which to store resource files of said portlet;

wherein at least one of said name for said portlet, said portal with which to associate said portlet, said description of said portlet, said portlet component to include in said portlet, said content type for said portlet, and said location in which to store resource files of said portlet is received;

requesting the web service through the wizard;

automatically generating a proxy that creates a communication code to access said web service based upon said configuration data when the request for the web service is made, wherein the proxy is generated as part of the portlet;

transmitting the communication code to the web service by the proxy, wherein the step of transmitting the communication code includes

converting communication code to XML format,

communicating said converted communication code to said web service,

receiving XML web service response data from said web service,

converting said response data from XML format to a format used at the portlet, and

generating a display code for said content of said web service and displaying the code within the portlet;

accessing said web service based on the display code received at the portlet.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring a WSDL file for said web service, wherein said proxies are generated using said WSDL file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving step comprises:

providing a wizard user interface; and

receiving said configuration data from user input to said wizard user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said web service display permits client interaction with said web service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said web service display is a portlet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a summary screen is presented to a user, said summary screen including a list of files created and modified during said generation of said portlet.

7. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for automatically generating a web service display, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

providing a wizard that uses either a form-based interaction with a portlet to request a web service where configuration data is entered into the wizard to request the web service, or a web services selection screen that allows for selection of the web service, wherein the configuration data includes information that allows access to the web service, and wherein the web service is implemented as a software component to provide services through the portlet;

wherein at least one screen is presented to a user requesting selection of at least one of the following;

a name for said portlet, a portal with which to associate said portlet, a description of said portlet, a portlet component to include in said portlet, a content type for said portlet, and a location in which to store resource files of said portlet;

wherein at least one of said name for said portlet, said portal with which to associate said portlet, said description of said portlet, said portlet component to include in said portlet, said content type for said portlet, and said location in which to store resource files of said portlet is received;

requesting the web service through the wizard;

automatically generating a proxy that creates a communication code to access said web service based upon said configuration data when the request for the web service is made, wherein the proxy is generated as part of the portlet;

transmitting the communication code to the web service by the proxy, wherein the step of transmitting the communication code includes

converting communication code to XML format,

communicating said converted communication code to said web service,

receiving XML web service response data from said web service,

converting said response data from XML format to a format used at the portlet, and

generating a display code for said content of said web service and displaying the code within the portlet;

accessing said web service based on the display code received at the portlet.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, further capable of performing the steps:

acquiring a WSDL file for said web service, wherein said proxies are generated using said WSDL file.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein receiving configuration data for a web service comprises:

providing a wizard user interface; and

receiving said configuration data from user input to said wizard user interface.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein:

said display of content of said web service permits client interaction with said web service.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein:

said display of content of said web service is a portlet.

12. A computer readable storage medium containing computer software, comprising:

means for providing a wizard that uses either a form-based interaction with a portlet to request a web service where configuration data is entered into the wizard to request the web service, or a web services selection screen that allows for selection of the web service, wherein the configuration data includes information that allows access to the web service, and wherein the web service is implemented as a software component to provide services through the portlet;

wherein at least one screen is presented to a user requesting selection of at least one of the following;

a name for said portlet, a portal with which to associate said portlet, a description of said portlet, a portlet component to include in said portlet, a content type for said portlet, and a location in which to store resource files of said portlet;

wherein at least one of said name for said portlet, said portal with which to associate said portlet, said description of said portlet, said portlet component to include in said portlet, said content type for said portlet, and said location in which to store resource files of said portlet is received;

means for requesting the web service through the wizard;

means for automatically generating a proxy that creates a communication code to access said web service based upon said configuration data when the request for the web service is made, wherein the proxy is generated as part of the portlet;

means for transmitting the communication code to the web service by the proxy, wherein the step of transmitting the communication code includes

converting communication code to XML format,

communicating said converted communication code to said web service,

receiving XML web service response data from said web service,

converting said response data from XML format to a format used at the portlet, and

generating a display code for said content of said web service and displaying the code within the portlet;

means for accessing said web service based on the display code received at the portlet.

13. A system for automatically generating a web service display, comprising:

a server, including one or more processors, which receives configuration data from a web service, wherein said web service is implemented as a software component to provide services through a portlet; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

providing a wizard that uses either a form-based interaction with a portlet to request a web service where configuration data is entered into the wizard to request the web service, or a web services selection screen that allows for selection of the web service, wherein the configuration data includes information that allows access to the web service, and wherein the web service is implemented as a software component to provide services through the portlet;

wherein at least one screen is presented to a user requesting selection of at least one of the following;

a name for said portlet, a portal with which to associate said portlet, a description of said portlet, a portlet component to include in said portlet, a content type for said portlet, and a location in which to store resource files of said portlet;

wherein at least one of said name for said portlet, said portal with which to associate said portlet, said description of said portlet, said portlet component to include in said portlet, said content type for said portlet, and said location in which to store resource files of said portlet is received;

requesting the web service through the wizard;

automatically generating a proxy that creates a communication code to access said web service based upon said configuration data when the request for the web service is made, wherein the proxy is generated as part of the portlet;

transmitting the communication code to the web service by the proxy, wherein the step of transmitting the communication code includes

converting communication code to XML format,

communicating said converted communication code to said web service,

receiving XML web service response data from said web service,

converting said response data from XML format to a format used at the portlet, and

generating a display code for said content of said web service and displaying the code within the portlet;

accessing said web service based on the display code received at the portlet.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

acquiring a WSDL file for said web service, wherein said proxies are generated using said WSDL file.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said receiving step comprises:

providing a wizard user interface; and

receiving said configuration data from user input to said wizard user interface.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein:

said web service display permits client interaction with said web service.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein:

said web service display is a portlet.