System and method for applying workflow of generic services to component based applications for devices

• US 7,814,404 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Shenfield, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, CONG LAC T
• Application Number:
  US11/069,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,049 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715/234
• US Class Current: 715/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

A system and method for representing a workflow for a plurality of components (data, message and presentation components) of a component-based application configured from a page-based application for messaging over a network between a device and a schema-defined service of a data source. The respective data, message and presentation components, selected from a series of presentation pages of the page-based application, have data, message and presentation descriptors in a structured data language representing respective elements embedded in the presentation pages. At least two of the components are operatively coupled to one another. Dependency links associated with events corresponding to the embedded elements are selected to describe the workflow of the components for operation when executed on the device. A set of instructions based on the dependency links are generated for a workflow component of the component based application to coordinate the operation of the other components.

Claims

1. A method for representing a workflow for a plurality of components transformed from a pre-existing page-based application, the plurality of components for configuring as a component based application to assist with messaging over a network between a device and a schema-defined service of a data source, the page-based application configured as a series of presentation pages including embedded data, messaging and presentation elements for interaction with a user interface, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting the plurality of components transformed from the page-based application, the plurality of components comprising a data component having data descriptors representing the data elements and a message component having message descriptors representing the message elements and a presentation component having presentation descriptors representing the presentation elements, at least two of the plurality of components being operatively coupled to one another, the descriptors expressed in a structured definition language;

selecting a plurality of dependency links associated with events corresponding to the embedded elements, the dependency links for describing the workflow of the plurality of components in respect to operation of the component based application when executed on the device;

generating in an instructional language a set of instructions based on the dependency links, the set of instructions for coordinating the operation of the plurality of components; and

inserting the set of instructions in a workflow component;

wherein the plurality of components and the workflow component are subsequently packaged as the component based application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the events are selected from the group comprising user events and system events.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the events are selected from the group comprising screen navigation between screens of the component based application, data persistence on the device, incoming and outgoing messages with respect to the device, and data transfer between screens of the component based application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the messages are selected from the group comprising synchronous messages and asynchronous messages.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional dependency link is associated with a user navigation event between the sub-pages.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of selecting a dependency link in addition to the plurality of dependency links associated with the events corresponding to the embedded elements, the additional dependency link accounting for interaction of sub-pages of the component based application, the sub-pages representing the splitting of a page of the page-based application according to presentation capabilities of the device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the events define interaction between the component based application and non-component based device functionality.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of optimizing the plurality of components.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the optimization modifies the content of the plurality of the dependency links.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of optimizing includes validation for component duplication.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of optimizing further includes component modification selected from the group comprising:

incorporating direct screen transfer links;

configuring mappings between selected pairings of the presentation and data components; and

configuring mappings between selected pairings of the message and data components.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the mappings represent a stated relationship between definitions in the pairs of the components.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the structured definition language is XML.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the instructional language is Java Script.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of instructions includes built in operators.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the embedded elements are selected from the group comprising:

HTML;

JSP; and

ASP page-based applications.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of dependency links are obtained from a document containing the dependency links, the document contents are described in the structured definition language.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the data component descriptors represent the data element associated with presentation content of the page-based application.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the message component descriptors represent the message element associated communication between the device and the data source.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation component descriptors represent the presentation element associated with presentation content of the page-based application.

21. A system for representing a workflow for a plurality of components transformed from a pre-existing page-based application, the plurality of components for configuring as a component based application to assist with messaging over a network between a device and a schema-defined service of a data source, the page-based application configured as a series of presentation pages including embedded data, messaging and presentation elements for interaction with a user interface, the system comprising:

a processor and a memory coupled thereto, said memory storing computer readable code for configuring the processor for execution, said code comprising;

a component storage module for providing the plurality of components transformed from the page-based application, the plurality of components comprising a data component having data descriptors representing the data elements and a message component having message descriptors representing the message elements and a presentation component having presentation descriptors representing the presentation elements, at least two of the plurality of components being operatively coupled to one another, the descriptors expressed in a structured definition language, and for providing a plurality of dependency links associated with events corresponding to the embedded elements, the dependency links for describing the workflow of the plurality of components in respect to operation of the component based application when executed on the device; and

a workflow module generating in an instructional language a set of instructions based on the dependency links, the set of instructions for coordinating the operation of the plurality of components and for inserting the set of instructions in a workflow component;

wherein the plurality of components and the workflow component are subsequently packaged as the component based application.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the events are selected from the group comprising user events and system events.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the events are selected from the group comprising screen navigation between screens of the component based application, data persistence on the device, incoming and outgoing messages with respect to the device, and data transfer between screens of the component based application.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the messages are selected from the group comprising synchronous messages and asynchronous messages.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the additional dependency link is associated with a user navigation event between the sub-pages.

26. The system of claim 22 further comprising a dependency link in addition to the plurality of dependency links associated with the events corresponding to the embedded elements, the additional dependency link accounting for interaction of sub-pages of the component based application, the sub-pages representing the splitting of a page of the page-based application according to presentation capabilities of the device.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the events define interaction between the component based application and non-component based device functionality.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein the code further comprising a component analyzer module for optimizing the plurality of components.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the component analyzer module modifies the content of the plurality of the dependency links.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the component analyzer module validates for component duplication.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the component analyzer module further performs component modification selected from the group comprising:

incorporating direct screen transfer links;

configuring mappings between selected pairings of the presentation and data components; and

configuring mappings between selected pairings of the message and data components.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the mappings represent a stated relationship between definitions in the pairs of the components.

33. The system of claim 22, wherein the structured definition language is XML.

34. The system of claim 22, wherein the instructional language is Java Script.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the set of instructions includes built in operators.

36. The system of claim 22, wherein the embedded elements are selected from the group comprising:

HTML;

JSP; and

ASP page-based applications.

37. The system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of dependency links are obtained from a document containing the dependency links, the document contents are described in the structured definition language.

38. The system of claim 22, wherein the data component descriptors represent the data element associated with presentation content of the page-based application.

39. The system of claim 22, wherein the message component descriptors represent the message element associated communication between the device and the data source.

40. The system of claim 22, wherein the presentation component descriptors represent the presentation element associated with presentation content of the page-based application.

41. A computer program product for representing a workflow for a plurality of components transformed from a pre-existing page-based application, the plurality of components for configuring as a component based application to assist with messaging over a network between a device and a schema-defined service of a data source, the page-based application configured as a series of presentation pages including embedded data, messaging and presentation elements for interaction with a user interface, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a component storage module stored on the computer readable medium for providing the plurality of components transformed from the page-based application, the plurality of components comprising a data component having data descriptors representing the data elements and a message component having message descriptors representing the message elements and a presentation component having presentation descriptors representing the presentation elements, at least two of the plurality of components being operatively coupled to one another, the descriptors expressed in a structured definition language, and for providing a plurality of dependency links associated with events corresponding to the embedded elements, the dependency links for describing the workflow of the plurality of components in respect to operation of the component based application when executed on the device; and

a workflow module coupled to the storage module for generating in an instructional language a set of instructions based on the dependency links, the set of instructions for coordinating the operation of the plurality of components and for inserting the set of instructions in a workflow component;

wherein the plurality of components and the workflow component are subsequently packaged as the component based application.