Cooperating widgets

• US 8,117,555 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Samson, Frederic, Beringer, Joerg, Wood, Eric R. B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US11/867,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20080141153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 715/762, 715/769, 715/764
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses enable interaction with an end-user application to perform functional operations with selected elements of the end-user application or an operating environment of the end-user application. An application runtime receives an indication of a selection of an item of the end-user application, and a command to have the selected item interact with a target. The interaction of the item with the target initiates an action that is based on functionality associated with the selected item and a type of the target. The target type may be a widget, a folder, the desktop, etc. The interaction may result in creation of a standalone widget, execution of the functionality, creation of a relationship, etc. An item from the desktop may also be selected and caused to interact with the end-user application to provide additional functionality to the end-user application.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving an indication of a selection of an item of an end-user application executing on a desktop, the selected item associated with a functionality provided by coded logic of the end-user application, wherein the selected item represents a modularization of a functional component of a service oriented architecture of an enterprise system, where the selected item provides a service of the enterprise system, and further wherein the functionality of the functional component is provided via a runtime engine that provides an execution platform for functional enterprise service components;

identifying a target selected on the desktop;

receiving an interaction command to have the selected item interact with the identified target during runtime of the selected item and the identified target; and

initiating an action in response to receiving the interaction command, the action based on the functionality associated with the selected item, and a type of the target, where different actions are initiated for different combinations of functionality and type of the target, including storing relationship metadata at the runtime engine to indicate a relationship between the selected item and the target based on the action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of selection of the item of the end-user application comprises:

receiving an indication that a data object of the end-user application is selected, the data object associated with a function that the end-user application provides.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of selection of the item of the end-user application comprises:

receiving an indication that a data field of the end-user application is selected, the data field associated with a function that the end-user application provides.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of the selection of the item of the end-user application comprises:

receiving the indication of the selection of a self-contained functional component of a widget.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the interaction command to have the selected item interact with the target comprises:

receiving an indication of a drag and drop of the selected item onto the target.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the interaction command to have the selected item interact with the target comprises:

receiving an indication of a copy and paste of the selected item onto the target.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the interaction command to have the selected item interact with the target comprises:

receiving a command to have a selected item from the end-user application interact with the desktop; and

wherein initiating the action comprises;

creating a widget that exists independently of the end-user application, the widget having the selected item, which provides functionality in the widget.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the interaction command to have the selected item from the end-user application interact with the desktop comprises:

receiving a command to have the selected item from a parent widget interact with the desktop; and

wherein initiating the action comprises;

creating a child widget that exists independently of the parent widget, the child widget having the selected item, which provides functionality in the child widget.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein creating the widget that exists independently of the end-user application, the widget having the selected item to provide the functionality in the widget further comprises:

removing the item and the associated functionality from the end-user application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the command to have the selected item interact with the target comprises:

receiving a command to have a selected item from the end-user application interact with a widget; and

wherein initiating the action comprises;

creating a relationship between the end-user application and the widget, the relationship based on the functionality of the selected item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the interaction command to have the selected item interact with the target comprises:

receiving a command to have a selected item interact with a project folder on the desktop; and

wherein initiating the action comprises;

creating a relationship between the selected item and a project associated with the project folder.

12. An article of manufacture comprising a machine readable storage medium having content stored thereon to provide instructions which when executed cause a computing device to perform operations including:

receiving an indication of a selection of an item of a widget executing on a desktop, the selected item associated with a functionality provided by coded logic of the widget, where the widget is a limited functionality application that executes in conjunction with an underlying runtime engine that provides rendering functionality for the widget on the desktop, wherein the selected item represents a modularization of a functional component of a service oriented architecture of an enterprise system, where the selected item provides a service of the enterprise system, and further wherein the functionality of the functional component is provided via the runtime engine that provides an execution platform for functional enterprise service components;

identifying a target selected on the desktop;

receiving an interaction command to have the selected item interact with the identified target during runtime of the selected item and the identified target; and

initiating an action in response to receiving the interaction command, the action based on the functionality associated with the selected item, and a type of the target, where different actions are initiated for different combinations of functionality and type of the target, including incorporating the functionality into the target for certain combinations of functionality and type of target storing relationship metadata at the runtime engine to indicate a relationship between the selected item and the target based on the action.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the content to provide instructions for receiving the interaction command to have the selected item interact with the target comprises content to provide instructions for

receiving a command to have a selected item from a parent widget interact with the desktop;

and

wherein the content to provide instructions for initiating the action comprises content to provide instructions for

creating a child widget that exists independently of the parent widget, the child widget having the selected item, which provides functionality in the child widget.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the content to provide instructions for receiving the interaction command to have the selected item interact with the target comprises content to provide instructions for

receiving a command to have a selected item from a first widget interact with a second widget;

and

wherein the content to provide instructions for initiating the action comprises content to provide instructions for

creating a relationship between the first widget and the second widget, the relationship based on the functionality of the selected item.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the content to provide instructions for receiving the interaction command to have the selected item interact with the target comprises content to provide instructions for

receiving a command to have a selected item interact with a project folder on the desktop;

and

wherein the content to provide instructions for initiating the action comprises content to provide instructions for

creating a relationship between the selected item and a project associated with the project folder.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the content to provide instructions for initiating the action further comprises content to provide instructions for

looking up an action to perform responsive to the interaction command to have the selected item interact with the identified target, with the selected item and identified target as keys to determine the action to perform.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the content to provide instructions for looking up the action further comprises content to provide instructions for

looking up the action with a work context as a key to determine the action to perform.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an indication of a selection of an item associated with functional logic on a desktop, wherein the selected item represents a modularization of a functional component of a service oriented architecture of an enterprise system, where the selected item provides a service of the enterprise system, and further wherein the functionality of the functional component is provided via the runtime engine that provides an execution platform for functional enterprise service components;

identifying an end-user application selected on the desktop;

receiving a command to have the selected item interact with the end-user application; and

incorporating the selected item into the end-user application to include functionality of the end-user application by generating a functionality in the end-user application according to the enterprise service, the functionality associated with the functional logic of the incorporated item.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the indication of the selection of the item comprises:

receiving an indication of the selection of one of a functional item of another end-user application, an object, a link to an object or service, or a desktop icon.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving the indication of the selection of the item comprises:

receiving an indication of selection of a link; and

further comprising;

accessing a target of the link to obtain functionality to incorporate into the end-user application.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein identifying the end-user application selected on the desktop comprises:

identifying a widget of the desktop.

22. An article of manufacture comprising a machine readable storage medium having content stored thereon to provide instructions which when executed cause a computing device to perform operations including:

receiving an indication of a selection of an item associated with functional logic on a desktop, wherein the selected item represents a modularization of a functional component of a service oriented architecture of an enterprise system, where the selected item provides a service of the enterprise system, and further wherein the functionality of the functional component is provided via the runtime engine that provides an execution platform for functional enterprise service components;

identifying a widget selected on the desktop, where the widget is a limited functionality application that executes in conjunction with an underlying runtime engine that provides rendering functionality for the widget on the desktop;

receiving a command to have the selected item interact with the widget; and

incorporating the selected item into the widget to include functionality of the widget by generating a functionality in the widget according to the enterprise service, the functionality associated with the functional logic of the incorporated item.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the content to provide instructions for receiving the indication of the selection of the item comprises content to provide instructions for

receiving an indication of the selection of one of a functional item of another end-user application, an object, a link to an object or service, or a desktop icon.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the content to provide instructions for receiving the indication of the selection of the item comprises content to provide instructions for

receiving an indication of selection of a link;

and

further comprising content to provide instructions for

accessing a target of the link to obtain functionality to incorporate into the widget.

25. A system comprising:

a memory to store code associated with an end-user application;

a processor coupled to the memory to execute the end-user application;

a runtime interaction module coupled to the memory to receive an indication of a selection of an item associated with functional logic of on a desktop executed by the processor, wherein the selected item represents a modularization of a functional component of a service oriented architecture of an enterprise system, where the selected item provides a service of the enterprise system, and further wherein the functionality of the functional component is provided via the runtime engine that provides an execution platform for functional enterprise service components, receive an interaction command to have the selected item interact with the end-user application, and dynamically modify the end-user application by the interaction, wherein modifying the end-user application includes dynamically modifying the functionality of the end-user application based on the interaction by generating in the end-user application functionality associated with the functional logic of the item.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a lookup table coupled to the runtime interaction module to provide relationship metadata to enable the runtime interaction module to determine how to modify the functionality of the end-user application based on the interaction.

27. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a service mediator coupled to the memory and the runtime interaction module, the service mediator to access a service from a backend enterprise server, wherein modifying the functionality of the end-user application includes enabling the end-user application to provide the accessed backend service.

28. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving an indication of a selection of an item associated with functional logic on a desktop, wherein the selected item represents a modularization of a functional component of a service oriented architecture of an enterprise system, where the selected item provides a service of the enterprise system, and further wherein the functionality of the functional component is provided via the runtime engine that provides an execution platform for functional enterprise service components;

receiving an interaction command to have the selected item interact with another component of the desktop; and

dynamically modifying an end-user application by the interaction, wherein modifying the end-user application includes dynamically modifying the functionality of the end-user application based on the interaction by generating in the end-user application functionality associated with the functional logic of the item.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein receiving the indication of the selection of the item comprises:

receiving an indication of the selection of one of a functional item of another end-user application, an object, a link to an object or service, or a desktop icon.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein dynamically modifying the functionality of the end-user application based on the interaction comprises:

modifying existing functionality of the end-user application.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein dynamically modifying the functionality of the end-user application based on the interaction comprises:

adding functionality to the end-user application.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein dynamically modifying the functionality of the end-user application based on the interaction comprises:

removing functionality from the end-user application.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

persisting the modification of the functionality of the end-user application.