System and method for generating a web control in a Windows development environment

• US 7,849,412 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: French, Jeffrey K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): NUNEZ, JORDANY
• Application Number:
  US10/851,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 715/967, 715/762, 715/763
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

This disclosure provides a system and method for generating a .NET web control in a Windows development environment. In one embodiment, an example method for generating a .NET web control in a Windows development environment includes initializing a design engine for Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI) forms, with the design engine operable to present a plurality of Windows controls to a user and one of the plurality of Windows controls comprising a web control host. A web control host object is instantiated based on the web control host at least partially in response to a request by the user. The web control host object is operable to present a plurality of web controls through the design engine. At least partially in response to a selection by the user of one of the web controls, a web control object is created via the web control host object. A Windows-based GUI form is generated using the design engine, with the GUI form comprising at least the web control object.

Claims

1. A method for generating an operating system (OS)-specific graphical user interface (GUI) form, the method comprising:

loading, by one or more processors of a design engine of the OS, a plurality of OS controls;

identifying, by the one or more processors of the design engine, at least one web control host that provides a plurality of web controls;

importing, by the one or more processors of the design engine, the at least one web control host;

associating the imported at least one web control host with at least one of the plurality of OS controls;

initializing a GUI form template;

displaying, by the one or more processors of the design engine, the plurality of OS controls, the plurality of OS controls including at least one OS-specific control and at least one OS control associated with the at least one web control host;

receiving, at the one or more processors of the design engine, a selection of one of the plurality of OS controls;

determining, by the one or more processors of the design engine, if the selected OS control is associated with the at least one web control host;

retrieving, by the one or more processors of the design engine, a list of the plurality of web controls associated with one of the at least one web control host when it is determined that the selected OS control is associated with the at least one web control host, wherein the list identifies the plurality of web controls stored in a library file;

displaying, by the one or more processors of the design engine, the plurality of web controls of the list;

receiving, at the one or more processors of the design engine, a selection of one of the plurality of displayed web controls for insertion into the GUI form template;

instantiating, by the one or more processors of the design engine, the selected web control;

rendering the selected web control in the GUI form template; and

generating, by the one or more processors of the design engine, the OS-specific GUI form based on the GUI form template having at least one instantiated web control and at least one OS-specific control.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of web control comprises third party web controls.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors of the design engine, a change request to modify one or more properties of the selected web control; and

generating, by the one or more processors of the design engine, a property grid that includes a selectable list of the one or more properties that are to be modified.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a modification of the one or more properties; and

rendering the selected web control based on the modification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of web controls are based on controls distributed under the trademark .NET.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the web control host is configured to instantiate a toolbox that provides a list of the third party web controls, and wherein the toolbox enables the addition and removal of third party web controls to and from the list.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the toolbox is based on a framework distributed under the trademark .NET WINDOWS.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the design engine is based on a library distributed under the trademark MICROSOFT FOUNDATION CLASS.

3. A system for generating an operating system (OS)-specific graphical user interface (GUI) form, the system comprising:

one or more processing devices configured to;

load a plurality of OS controls;

identify at least one web control host that provides a plurality of web controls;

import the at least one web control host;

associate the imported at least one web control host with at least one of the plurality of OS controls;

initialize a GUI form template;

display a GUI form template that includes a plurality of OS controls, the plurality of OS controls including at least one standard OS-specific control and at least one OS control associated with the at least one web control host;

receive a selection of one of the plurality of OS controls;

determine if the selected OS control is associated with the at least one web control host;

retrieve a list of the plurality of web controls associated with one of the at least one web control host when it is determined that the selected GUI is associated with the at least one web control host, wherein the list identifies the plurality of web controls stored in a library file;

display the plurality of web controls of the list;

receive a selection of one of the plurality of displayed web controls for insertion into the GUI form template;

instantiate the selected web control;

render the selected web control in the GUI form template; and

generate the OS-specific GUI form based on the GUI form template having at least one instantiated web control and at least one OS-specific control.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of web control comprises third party web controls.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processing devices are further configured to:

receive a change request to modify one or more properties of the selected web control; and

generate a property grid that includes a selectable list of the one or more properties that are to be modified.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processing devices are further configured to:

receive a modification of the one or more properties; and

render the selected web control based on the modification.

15. The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of web controls are based on controls distributed under the trademark .NET.

16. The system of claim 4, wherein the web control host is configured to instantiate a toolbox that provides a list of the third party web controls, and wherein the toolbox enables the addition and removal of third party web controls to and from the list.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the toolbox is based on a framework distributed under the trademark .NET WINDOWS.

5. A computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for generating an operating system (OS)-specific graphical user interface (GUI) form, the instructions when executed on one or more processors configuring the one or more processors to:

load a plurality of OS controls;

identify at least one web control host that provides a plurality of web controls;

import the at least one web control host;

associate the imported at least one web control host with at least one of the plurality of OS controls;

initialize a GUI form template;

display a GUI form template that includes the plurality of OS controls, the plurality of OS controls including at least one OS-specific control and at least one OS control associated with the at least one web control host;

receive a selection of one of the plurality of OS controls;

determine if the selected OS control is associated with the at least one web control host;

retrieve a list of the plurality of web controls associated with one of the at least one web control host when it is determined that the selected OS control is associated with the at least one web control host wherein the list identifies the plurality of web controls stored in a library file;

display the plurality of web controls of the list;

receive a selection of one of the plurality of displayed web controls for insertion into the GUI form template;

instantiate the selected web control;

render the selected web control in the GUI form template; and

generate the OS-specific GUI form based on the GUI form template having at least one instantiated web control and at least one OS-specific control.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the plurality of web control comprises third party web controls.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a change request to modify one or more properties of the selected web control; and

generate a property grid that includes a selectable list of the one or more properties that are to be modified.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a modification of the one or more properties; and

render the selected web control based on the modification.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the plurality of web controls are based on controls distributed under the trademark .NET.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the web control host is configured to instantiate a toolbox that provides a list of the third party web controls, and wherein the toolbox enables the addition and removal of third party web controls to and from the list.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the toolbox is based on a framework distributed under the trademark .NET WINDOWS.