Automatic conversion for disparate data types

• US 7,886,264 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Peyton, Eric S., Bumgarner, Tim W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phillip H
• Application Number:
  US10/876,931
• Time in Patent Office: 2,419 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8, 705/9, 719/314, 709/201, 717/115
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and an apparatus for use in a computing programming environment are disclosed. The method includes: receiving a plurality of user inputs, each user input specifying an action in a workflow; identifying a data type incompatibility between two of the specified actions; and generating a script for executing the actions in the workflow responsive to the user inputs, the script including code for performing a action for converting one of the two identified, incompatible data types to the second. The apparatus, in a first aspect, includes a program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computing device, performs the method. In a second aspect, the apparatus includes a computing apparatus programmed to perform the method.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for use in a computing programming environment, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of user inputs, each user input specifying an action in a workflow;

automatically identifying a data type incompatibility between an output of a first one of the specified actions and an input of a second one of the specified actions; and

automatically generating a background script running in the background, wherein the background script is adapted to execute the actions in the workflow responsive to the user inputs, the background script adapted to automatically convert data of at least one of the incompatible data types to a compatible data type, wherein automatically converting the data comprises converting data based at least upon a relevance hierarchy of compatible data types.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user inputs includes receiving the user inputs through a graphical user interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein automatically generating the background script includes automatically generating a background parametric script.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising automatically generating an extensible user interface through which the user inputs are received.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of automatically storing the script, automatically invoking the script, and automatically executing the script.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein automatically executing the script includes automatically determining an execution flow through the script at runtime.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying the data type incompatibility includes automatically comparing type interfaces of two specified actions in the workflow.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein one of the type interfaces is a variant Universal Type Interface.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein one of the type interfaces employs a reverse-Domain Name Service naming convention.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically executing the scripted workflow; and

automatically performing a data conversion between at least two of the actions in the script in the background.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein automatically performing a seamless data conversion includes automatically invoking a data conversion engine.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising automatically contextually filtering a plurality of candidate actions for user input.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising automatically contextually filtering a plurality of candidate actions for user input.

47. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a context and a data requirement for a potential user input, the potential user input including selecting a graphical element specifying an action in a workflow, from a preceding user input;

filtering candidates for the potential user input for relevance in light of the context and the data requirement; and

presenting the filtered candidates to the user ordered by their relevance.

14. A program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method for use in a computing programming environment, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of user inputs, each user input specifying an action in a workflow;

automatically identifying a data type incompatibility between an output of a first one of the specified actions and an input of a second one of the specified actions; and

automatically generating a background script, to run in the background, wherein the background script is adapted to execute the actions in the workflow responsive to the user inputs, the background script adapted to automatically convert data of at least one of the incompatible data types to a compatible data type, wherein automatically converting the data comprises converting data based at least upon a relevance hierarchy of compatible data types.

15. The program storage medium of claim 14, wherein receiving the user inputs in the encoded method includes receiving the user inputs through a graphical user interface.

16. The program storage medium of claim 14, wherein the encoded method further comprises at least one of automatically storing the script, automatically invoking the script, and automatically executing the script.

17. The program storage medium of claim 14, wherein automatically identifying the data type incompatibility in the encoded method includes automatically comparing type interfaces of two specified actions of the workflow.

18. The program storage medium of claim 14, wherein the encoded method further comprises:

automatically executing the script; and

automatically performing a data conversion between at least two of the actions in the script in the background.

19. The program storage medium of claim 14, wherein the encoded method further comprises automatically contextually filtering a plurality of candidate actions for user input.

48. The program storage medium of claim 14, wherein the encoded method further comprises:

determining a context and a data requirement for a potential user input, the potential user input including selecting a graphical element specifying an action in a workflow, from a preceding one of the user inputs;

filtering candidates for the potential user input for relevance in light of the context and the data requirement; and

presenting the filtered candidates to the user ordered by their relevance.

51. The program storage medium of claim 14, wherein the encoded method further comprises receiving a plurality of user inputs defining the workflow, including:

determining a context and a data requirement for a potential user input, the potential user input including selecting a graphical element specifying an action in a workflow, from a preceding one of the user inputs;

filtering candidates for the potential user input for relevance in light of the context and the data requirement; and

presenting the filtered candidates to the user ordered by their relevance.

20. A computing apparatus programmed to perform a method for use in a computing programming environment, the method comprising:

a computing device;

a bus system;

a storage communicating with the computing device over the bus system;

an application residing in the storage that, when invoked, is capable of;

receiving a plurality of user inputs, each user input specifying an action in a workflow;

automatically identifying a data type incompatibility between an output of a first one of the specified actions and an input of a second one of the specified actions; and

automatically generating a background script, to run in the background, wherein the background script is adapted to execute the actions in the workflow responsive to the user inputs, the background script adapted to automatically convert data of at least one of the incompatible data types to a compatible data type, wherein automatically converting the data comprises converting data based at least upon a relevance hierarchy of compatible data types.

21. The computing apparatus of claim 20, wherein receiving the user inputs includes receiving the user inputs through a graphical user interface.

22. The computing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the application is further capable of at least one of automatically storing the script, automatically invoking the script, and automatically executing the script.

23. The computing apparatus of claim 20, wherein automatically identifying the data type incompatibility includes automatically comparing type interfaces of two specified actions.

24. The computing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the application is further capable of:

automatically executing the script; and

automatically performing a data conversion between at least two of the actions in the script in the background.

25. The computing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the application is further capable of automatically contextually filtering a plurality of candidate actions for user input.

49. The computing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the application is further capable of:

determining a context and a data requirement for a potential user input, the potential user input including selecting a graphical element specifying an action in a workflow, from a preceding one of the user inputs;

filtering candidates for the potential user input for relevance in light of the context and the data requirement; and

presenting the filtered candidates to the user ordered by their relevance.

52. The computing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the application is further capable of receiving a plurality of user inputs defining the workflow, including:

determining a context and a data requirement for a potential user input, the potential user input including selecting a graphical element specifying an action in a workflow, from a preceding one of the user inputs;

filtering candidates for the potential user input for relevance in light of the context and the data requirement; and

presenting the filtered candidates to the user ordered by their relevance.

26. A computer-implemented method for use in a computer programming environment, comprising:

automatically generating a background script from a workflow;

automatically detecting a data type incompatibility in the script incompatibility between an output a first action and an input of a second action in the workflow; and

automatically scripting a data type conversion between the first and second actions in the background script, such that the first action output is converted to become compatible with the second action input, wherein the conversion is perform in the background and wherein automatically scripting a data type conversion comprises converting a data type based at least upon a relevance hierarchy of compatible data types.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising receiving user inputs defining the workflow through an extensible user interface.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein automatically generating a background script includes automatically generating a background parametric script.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein automatically detecting the data type incompatibility includes automatically comparing type interfaces of two actions.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, wherein one of the type interfaces is a variant Universal Type Interface.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, wherein one of the type interfaces employs a reverse-Domain Name Service naming convention.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein automatically scripting the data type conversion includes automatically scripting a seamless data conversion.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, wherein automatically scripting the seamless data conversion includes automatically invoking a data conversion engine.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein automatically scripting the data conversion includes automatically invoking a data conversion engine.

50. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising receiving a plurality of user inputs defining the workflow, including:

determining a context and a data requirement for a potential user input, the potential user input including selecting a graphical element specifying an action in a workflow, from a preceding user input;

filtering candidates for the potential user input for relevance in light of the context and the data requirement; and

presenting the filtered candidates to the user ordered by their relevance.

35. A program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method for use in a computer programming environment, the method comprising:

automatically generating a background script from a workflow;

automatically detecting a data type incompatibility in the background script between an output a first action and an input of a second action in the workflow; and

automatically scripting a data type conversion between the first and second actions in the background script, such that the first action output is converted to become compatible with the second action input, wherein the conversion is performed in the background and wherein automatically scripting a data type conversion comprises converting a data type based at least upon a relevance hierarchy of compatible data types.

36. The program storage medium of claim 35, the encoded method further comprises receiving user inputs defining the workflow through an extensible user interface.

37. The program storage medium of claim 35, wherein generating the background script in the encoded method includes generating a background parametric script.

38. The program storage medium of claim 35, wherein automatically detecting the data type incompatibility in the encoded method includes automatically comparing type interfaces of two specified actions.

39. The program storage medium of claim 35, wherein automatically scripting the data type conversion in the encoded method includes automatically scripting a seamless data conversion.

40. The program storage medium of claim 35, wherein automatically scripting the data conversion in the encoded method includes automatically invoking a data conversion engine.

41. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a computing device;

a bus system;

a storage communicating with the computing device over the bus system;

an application residing in the storage that, when invoked, is capable of;

automatically generating a background script from a workflow;

automatically detecting a data type incompatibility in the script incompatibility between an output a first action and an input of a second action in the workflow; and

automatically scripting a data type conversion between the first and second actions in the background script, such that the first action output is converted to become compatible with the second action input, wherein the conversion is performed in the background and wherein automatically scripting a data type conversion comprises converting a data type based at least upon a relevance hierarchy of compatible data types.

42. The computing apparatus of claim 41, wherein the application is further capable of receiving user inputs defining the workflow through an extensible user interface.

43. The computing apparatus of claim 41, wherein automatically generating a background script in the encoded method includes automatically generating a background parametric script.

44. The computing apparatus of claim 41, wherein automatically detecting the data type incompatibility in the encoded method includes automatically comparing type interfaces of two specified actions.

45. The computing apparatus of claim 41, wherein automatically scripting the data type conversion in the encoded method includes automatically scripting a seamless data conversion.

46. The computing apparatus of claim 41, wherein automatically scripting the data conversion in the encoded method includes automatically invoking a data conversion engine.