Method and system for cross-screen component communication in dynamically created composite applications

• US 7,908,560 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Imperato, Charles P., Balfe, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Application Number:
  US11/739,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 715/848, 715/209, 715/210, 715/762, 717/104, 717/105, 717/107, 717/108, 717/110, 717/120, 709/227, 709/230
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method and system for cross-screen component communication in dynamically created composite applications. Meta-data in the mark-up for a source component (e.g. eXtensible Markup Language—XML information) in a dynamically created composite application includes indications of which screens target components are located on. These indications are contained in definitions of logical connections established between components referred to as “cross-page wire” definitions. Executable objects, referred to as “cross-page wire” executable objects, are generated based on the cross-page wire definitions in the source component mark-up. The cross-page wire executable objects are executed by a run-time entity, such as a “property broker” or the like, in response to a change in a property value for which the cross-page wire has been defined, in order to deliver a new value of that property to one or more target components located on screens different from the screen on which the source component is located.

Claims

1. A method for cross-screen component communication in a dynamically created composite application, comprising:

receiving mark-up for a source component on a source screen in a composite application, wherein said source component includes meta-data indicates a target component located on a target screen;

generating an executable object based on said meta-data in said mark-up for said source component, wherein said executable object is associated with a property in said source component, wherein said executable object includes an identifier of said target screen on which said target component is located;

determining, at run time for said composite application, that a current value of said property in said source component has changed; and

executing, responsive to said determination that said current value of said property in said source component has changed, said executable object, wherein said executing of said executable object includes determining said identifier of said target screen on which said target component is located, changing a current perspective associated with said composite application from displaying said source screen with said source component to displaying said target screen with said target component, and conveying said changed current value of said property to said target component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein said target component processes said changed current value of said property by changing a current display of said target component in said target screen to reflect said changed current value of said property.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, after deployment of said source component and said target component, a cross-page connection definition user interface display object, wherein said cross-page connection definition user interface display object enables a user to indicate identifiers for said source component, said source screen, said target component, and said target screen; and

generating, responsive to said user indicated identifiers for said source component, said source screen, said target component, and said target screen, said mark-up for said source component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said mark-up for said source component comprises extensible mark-up language (XML) mark-up.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said source screen and said target screen comprise different Web pages.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said source screen and said target screen comprise different tab display objects within a tabbed user interface provided by said composite application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said source component and said target component comprise different portlets.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said source component and said target component comprise different documents currently opened within said composite application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said property in said source component has the same declared data type as a corresponding property in said target component into which said new current value is stored in response to said determination that said current value of said property in said source component has changed.

10. A computer system including a computer readable storage medium, said computer readable storage medium having computer program code stored thereon for cross-screen component communication in a dynamically created composite application, wherein said program code, when executed, causes said computer system to:

receive mark-up for a source component on a source screen in a composite application, wherein said source component includes meta-data indicates a target component located on a target screen;

generate an executable object based on said meta-data in said mark-up for said source component, wherein said executable object is associated with a property in said source component, wherein said executable object includes an identifier of said target screen on which said target component is located;

determine, at run time for said composite application, that a current value of said property in said source component has changed; and

execute, responsive to said determination that said current value of said property in said source component has changed, said executable object, wherein execution of said executable object includes determining said identifier of said target screen on which said target component is located, changing a current perspective associated with said composite application from displaying said source screen with said source component to displaying said target screen with said target component, and conveying said changed current value of said property to said target component.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

wherein said target component processes said changed current value of said property by changing a current display of said target component in said target screen to reflect said changed current value of said property.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said program code, when executed, further causes said computer system to:

provide, after deployment of said source component and said target component, a cross-page connection definition user interface display object, wherein said cross-page connection definition user interface display object enables a user to indicate identifiers for said source component, said source screen, said target component, and said target screen; and

generate, responsive to said user indicated identifiers for said source component, said source screen, said target component, and said target screen, said mark-up for said source component.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said mark-up for said source component comprises extensible mark-up language (XML) mark-up.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said source screen and said target screen comprise different Web pages.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said source screen and said target screen comprise different tab display objects within a tabbed user interface provided by said composite application.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said source component and said target component comprise different portlets.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said source component and said target component comprise different documents currently opened within said composite application.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein said property in said source component has the same declared data type as a corresponding property in said target component into which said new current value is stored in response to said determination that said current value of said property in said source component has changed.

19. A computer program product including a computer readable storage medium, said computer readable storage medium having computer program code stored thereon for cross-screen component communication in a dynamically created composite application, wherein said program code, when executed, causes a computer system to:

receive mark-up for a source component on a source screen in a composite application, wherein said source component includes meta-data indicates a target component located on a target screen;

generate an executable object based on said meta-data in said mark-up for said source component, wherein said executable object is associated with a property in said source component, wherein said executable object includes an identifier of said target screen on which said target component is located;

determine, at run time for said composite application, that a current value of said property in said source component has changed; and

execute, responsive to said determination that said current value of said property in said source component has changed, said executable object, wherein said executing of said executable object includes determining said identifier of said target screen on which said target component is located, changing a current perspective associated with said composite application from displaying said source screen with said source component to displaying said target screen with said target component, and conveying said changed current value of said property to said target component.