Configuring and extending a user interface

• US 7,853,899 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Vogt, Thomas, Damaschke, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): KE, PENG
• Application Number:
  US10/335,145
• Time in Patent Office: 2,906 Days
• Field of Search: 715/841, 715/866, 715/762, 715/513, 715/840, 715/839
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for changing a user interface. A method for changing a user interface layout includes presenting a user with one or more exits points into which user instructions for changes to a user interface can be inserted. The method includes receiving user instructions to change a user interface. The method includes receiving a selection of an exit point. The method includes adding the user instructions to instructions for presenting the user interface at the exit point selected.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

presenting to a user, through a user interface, views of one or more objects in a product structure associated with a tangible product;

presenting a user with one or more exit points in existing computer code, the existing computer code defining an appearance of the user interface, and including textual instructions that define an existing layout of the user interface, the exit points comprising locations in the textual instructions into which user instructions for changes to the user interface can be inserted;

receiving a user selection of an exit point;

receiving a textual user-defined coding, the textual user-defined coding including lines of code defined by and entered by the user, the lines of code comprising instructions to implement a change to at least a portion of the existing layout of the user interface;

providing an ability to, in response to the textual user-defined coding, suppress one or more sections of a standard layout of the user interface; and

adding the textual user-defined coding to the textual instructions of the existing computer code at the exit point selected, wherein adding modifies the existing layout of the user interface in accordance with the instructions for implementing the change.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing one of a field label, text, hyperlink, and MIME object of the user interface in response to adding the textual user-defined coding.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

suppressing one or more sections of a standard layout of the user interface, in response to adding the textual user-defined coding, when presenting the user interface to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting one or more sections to the user interface layout in response to adding the textual user-defined coding.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing one or more of an icon and information regarding the icon in a tree display of the user interface in response to adding the textual user-defined coding.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the textual user-defined coding comprises adding the textual user-defined coding at the beginning of a user interface page fragment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the textual user-defined coding includes adding the textual user-defined coding at the end of a user interface page fragment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the textual user-defined coding includes receiving instructions in markup language.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving instructions in markup language includes receiving instructions compatible with one of Java Server Pages, Active Server Pages, and Business Server Pages.

10. The method of claim 1 in which presenting to a user, through a user interface, views of one or more objects in a product structure associated with a product includes presenting to the user a views area for listing available views for the product structure.

11. The method of claim 1 in which presenting to a user, through a user interface, views of one or more objects in a product structure associated with a product includes presenting to the user a workspace area for displaying a current component and a current view on which the user is working.

12. A computing system comprising:

a data store storing existing computer code including textual instructions for displaying a first user interface, and for presenting, within the first user interface, views of one or more objects in a product structure associated with a tangible product, and instructions for displaying a second user interface for presenting available options for changing a layout of the first user interface; and

one or more processing devices for displaying the second user interface to a user, the one or more processing devices configured to;

receive a textual user-defined coding, the textual user-defined coding including lines of code defined by and entered by the user, the lines of code comprising instructions to implement a change to at least a portion of an existing layout of the first user interface;

provide an ability to, in response to the textual user-defined coding, suppress one or more sections of a standard layout of the first user interface;

add the textual user-defined coding to the textual instructions for presenting the first user interface, the user-defined coding being added to the textual instructions of the existing computer code at a user-selected location; and

display the first user interface to reflect the change implemented by the textual user-defined coding to the existing layout of the first user interface.

13. A computer-program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, the product comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processing devices to:

present a user interface showing views of one or more objects in a product structure associated with a tangible product,

identify one or more exit points in a set of textual instructions that define an existing layout of the user interface, the set of textual instructions belonging to an existing coding that defines an appearance of the user interface, the exit points comprising locations in the set of textual instructions into which user instructions for changes to the user interface can be inserted;

present a user with one or more of the exit points;

receive a user selection of an exit point;

receive a textual user-defined coding, the textual user-defined coding including lines of code defined by and entered by the user, the lines of code comprising user instructions to change at least a portion of the existing layout of the user interface;

provide an ability to, in response to the textual user-defined coding, suppress one or more sections of a standard layout of the user interface; and

add, at the exit point selected, the textual user-defined coding to the set of textual instructions, wherein adding modifies the existing layout of the user interface in accordance with the user instructions.

14. The product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

change one of a field label, text, hyperlink, and MIME object of the user interface in response to adding the textual user-defined coding.

15. The product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

suppress one or more sections of a standard layout of the user interface, in response to adding the textual user-defined coding, when presenting the user interface to a user.

16. The product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

insert one or more sections to the user interface layout in response to adding the textual user-defined coding.

17. The product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

change one or more of an icon and information regarding the icon in a tree display of the user interface in response to adding the textual user-defined coding.

18. The product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

acid the textual user-defined coding at the beginning of a user interface page fragment.

19. The product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

add the textual user-defined coding at the end of a user interface page fragment.

20. The product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

receive instructions in a markup language.

21. The product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

receive instructions compatible with one of JavaServer Pages, Active Server Pages, and Business Server Pages.