Extensible user interface framework for a componentized application environment

• US 7,765,485 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baker, Bruce R., Madapusi, Bhadrinarayanan O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US11/342,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 715/762, 707/600, 717/174
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to extending the user interface of an application, and provide a method, system and computer program product for extending the user interface of an application in a componentized application environment. In one embodiment of the invention, a user interface extension method for a componentized application environment can include specifying in markup a set of user interface controls and further specifying in markup an extension to a user interface control in the set. The markup for the user interface control can be substituted with the markup for the extension. Thereafter, the markup for the extension and the set of user interface controls can be provided to a set of corresponding control factories, absent the substituted user interface control, for generation into user interface control instances defining a user interface for the componentized application environment.

Claims

1. A user interface extension method for a componentized application environment, the method comprising:

specifying in markup a set of user interface controls;

identifying within a manifest markup for a set of extensions to corresponding ones of the user interface controls in the set of user interface controls;

substituting markup for each of the corresponding ones of the user interface controls specified in the markup with markup for an associated one of the extensions identified within the manifest; and

,

providing markup for each of the extensions and the corresponding ones of the user interface controls in the set to corresponding control factories without also providing a substituted user interface control for each of the corresponding ones of the user interface controls to the corresponding control factories, the markup being provided for generation into user interface control instances in a data processing system including a componentized application environment supporting one or more plug-ins to the environment, the user interface control instances defining a user interface for the componentized application environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying in markup a set of user interface controls, comprises:

defining a type for each of the user interface controls, the type corresponding to a user interface control factory enabled to produce instances of user interface controls having the defined type; and

,

further defining a manager type for each of the user interface controls, the manager type corresponding to a widget manager enabled to manage behaviors for instance of user interface controls having the further defined manager type.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein substituting markup for each of the corresponding ones of the user interface controls specified in the markup with markup for an associated one of the extensions identified within the manifest, comprises:

specifying a user interface control extension point to the environment for each extension to a corresponding one of the user interface controls;

further specifying a user interface control definition for the extension;

associating the extension point with a user interface control definition for the extension; and

,

identifying the extension as a substitute for the corresponding one of the user interface controls to be substituted with the extension when assembling a user interface for the environment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

declaring in markup a composition of a set of user interface controls;

further declaring in markup an extension to the composition;

substituting the markup for composition with the markup for the extension to the composition; and

,

providing the markup for the extension to the composition to a control factory for generation into an instance of a composition of instances of user interface controls defining a user interface for the componentized application environment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein declaring in markup a composition of a set of user interface controls, comprises declaring in markup a grid layout composition of a set of user interface controls.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein declaring in markup a composition of a set of user interface controls, comprises declaring in markup a form layout composition of a set of user interface controls.

7. A computer program product for extending a user interface for a componentized application environment, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code for specifying in markup a set of user interface controls;

computer readable program code for identifying within a manifest markup for a set of extensions to corresponding ones of the user interface controls in the set of user interface controls;

computer readable program code for substituting markup for each of the corresponding ones of the user interface controls specified in the markup with markup for an associated one of the extensions identified within the manifest; and

,

computer readable program code for providing markup for each of the extensions and the corresponding ones of the user interface controls in the set to corresponding control factories without also providing a substituted user interface control for each of the corresponding ones of the user interface controls to the corresponding control factories, the markup being provided for generation into user interface control instances in a data processing system including a componentized application environment supporting one or more plug-ins to the environment, the user interface control instances defining a user interface for the componentized application environment.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer readable program code for specifying in markup a set of user interface controls, comprises:

computer readable program code for defining a type for each of the user interface controls, the type corresponding to a user interface control factory enabled to produce instances of user interface controls having the defined type; and

,

computer readable program code for further defining a manager type for each of the user interface controls, the manager type corresponding to a widget manager enabled to manage behaviors for instance of user interface controls having the further defined manager type.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program code for substituting markup for each of the corresponding ones of the user interface controls specified in the markup with markup for an associated one of the extensions identified within the manifest, comprises:

computer readable product code for specifying a user interface control extension point to the environment for each—

extension to a corresponding one of the user interface controls;

computer readable product code for further specifying a user interface control definition for the extension;

computer readable product code for associating the extension point with a user interface control definition for the extension; and

,

computer readable product code for identifying the extension as a substitute for the corresponding one of the user interface controls to be substituted with the extension when assembling a user interface for the environment.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

computer readable program code for declaring in markup a composition of a set of user interface controls;

computer readable program code for further declaring in markup an extension to the composition;

computer readable program code for substituting the markup for composition with the markup for the extension to the composition; and

,

computer readable program code for providing the markup for the extension to the composition to a control factory for generation into an instance of a composition of instances of user interface controls defining a user interface for the componentized application environment.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code for declaring in markup a composition of a set of user interface controls, comprises computer readable program code for declaring in markup a grid layout composition of a set of user interface controls.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code for declaring in markup a composition of a set of user interface controls, comprises computer readable program code for declaring in markup a form layout composition of a set of user interface controls.

13. A data processing system for extending a user interface for a componentized application environment, the system comprising:

a computer with at least one processor and memory; and

,

a configurator extension point executing in the memory of the computer, the configurator;

specifying in markup a set of user interface controls;

identifying within a manifest markup for a set of extensions to corresponding ones of the user interface controls in the set of user interface controls;

substituting markup for each of the corresponding ones of the user interface controls specified in the markup with markup for an associated one of the extensions identified within the manifest; and

,

providing markup for each of the extensions and the corresponding ones of the user interface controls in the set to corresponding control factories without also providing a substituted user interface control for each of the corresponding ones of the user interface controls to the corresponding control factories, the markup being provided for generation into user interface control instances in a data processing system including a componentized application environment supporting one or more plug-ins to the environment, the user interface control instances defining a user interface for the componentized application environment.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the configurator extension point:

further defines a type for each of the user interface controls, the type corresponding to a user interface control factory enabled to produce instances of user interface controls having the defined type; and

,

further defines a manager type for each of the user interface controls, the manager type corresponding to a widget manager enabled to manage behaviors for instance of user interface controls having the further defined manager type.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein substituting the markup for user interface control with the markup for the extension, comprises:

specifying a user interface control extension point to the environment for each—

extension to a corresponding one of the user interface controls;

further specifying a user interface control definition for the extension;

associating the extension point with a user interface control definition for the extension; and

,

identifying the extension as a substitute for the corresponding one of the user interface controls to be substituted with the extension when assembling a user interface for the environment.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the configurator further:

declares in markup a composition of a set of user interface controls and an extension to the composition;

substitutes the markup for composition with the markup for the extension to the composition; and

,

provides the markup for the extension to the composition to a control factory for generation into an instance of a composition of instances of user interface controls defining a user interface for the componentized application environment.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the system in declaring in markup a composition of a set of user interface controls, declares in markup a grid layout composition of a set of user interface controls.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the configurator in declaring in markup a composition of a set of user interface controls, declares in markup a form layout composition of a set of user interface controls.