GUI application development support device, GUI display device, and method, and computer program

• US 7,823,075 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Naoya, Moriwaki, Kenichi, Suzuki, Hironori
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali; Omar
• Application Number:
  US10/494,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,615 Days
• Field of Search: 715/762, 715/764, 715/763
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

An application development supporting apparatus and method that make it possible to easily set and execute various animation representations according to a state of a GUI component are provided. A GUI component is generated based on a logical part and a graphics representation part, and the graphics representation part is made to have an animation execution function based on image files according to the state of the component. By reading and displaying pre-set image data from an image file in accordance with methods that is carried out by a class of a graphics representation component, it becomes possible to carry out various animations with an image that is set according to the state of the component.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface (GUI) application development supporting apparatus for supporting the development of a GUI application including components, the apparatus comprising:

a central processing unit;

a component storage section having a logical component storage section defining the processing functions of components, and a graphics representation component storage section separately defining graphical representation of components, the graphics representation component storage section containing a first executable program for performing simple graphics representation of components, and a second executable program for performing rich graphics representation of components;

an image storage section that stores a plurality of images, the plurality of images having images corresponding to a simple inactive state, images corresponding to a simple active state, images corresponding to a rich inactive state, and images corresponding to a rich active state; and

an edit processing section that;

associates the images corresponding to the simple inactive state and the simple active state with the first executable program;

associates the images corresponding to the rich inactive state and the rich active state with the second executable program; and

executes, based on a device executing the GUI application, the first executable program to generate a component based on a simple graphical representation or the second executable program to generate a component based on a rich graphical representation, the first or second executable program executing an animation index method, the animation index method extracting, from the stored plurality of images, images required by the animation index which are associated with the executed first or second program.

2. A graphical user interface (GUI) application development supporting method for supporting the development of a GUI application including components, the method comprising:

storing logical component data defining processing functions of components, and further storing, separately from the logical component data, a first executable program for performing simple graphics representation of components, and a second executable program for performing a rich graphics representation of components;

storing a plurality of images in an image storage section, the plurality of images having images corresponding to a simple inactive state, a simple active state, a rich inactive state, and a rich active state;

associating the images corresponding to the simple inactive state and the simple active state with the first executable program;

associating the images corresponding to the rich inactive state and the rich active state with the second executable program; and

executing, based on a device executing the GUI application, the first executable program to generate a component based on a simple graphical representation or the second executable program to generate a component based on a rich graphical representation, the first or second executable program executing an animation index method, the animation index method extracting, from the stored plurality of images, images required by the animation index which are associated with the executed first or second program.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

storing logical components related to functions of the components in a logical component storage section;

selecting a logical component from the logical component storage section; and

generating the component by combining the selected logical component and the selected graphics representation component.

4. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, performs a method for supporting the development of a GUI application including components, the method comprising:

storing logical component data defining processing functions of components, and further storing, separately from the logical component data, a first executable program for performing simple graphics representation of components, and a second executable program for performing a rich graphics representation of components;

storing a plurality of images in an image storage section, the plurality of images having images corresponding to a simple inactive state, a simple active state, a rich inactive state, and a rich active state;

associating the images corresponding to the simple inactive state and the simple active state with the first executable program;

associating the images corresponding to the rich inactive state and the rich active state with the second executable program; and

executing, based on a device executing the GUI application, the first executable program to generate a component based on a simple graphical representation or the second executable program to generate a component based on a rich graphical representation, the first or second executable program executing an animation index method, the animation index method extracting, from the stored plurality of images, images required by the animation index which are associated with the executed first or second program.

5. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

storing logical components related to functions of the components in a logical component storage section;

selecting a logical component from the logical component storage section;

and generating the component by combining the selected logical component and the selected graphics representation component.