Conversion of an application program

• US 8,140,305 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ohsaki, Hiroyasu, Tsuda, Kazuyuki, Enomoto, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Thangavelu, Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US11/873,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20080103752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 703/2, 703/1, 703/13, 703/6, 703/22, 715/203, 715/762, 725/37, 707/2, 717/126, 717/106, 717/113, 717/104, 717/108, 340/511, 709/218, 705/7, 700/94, 700/83, 719/318, 434/365
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

A model for an application program is displayed. The model includes an input interface, an output interface, and a plurality of variables. Addition of a new variable and placement of an annotation on the display unit for the new variable is detected. The annotation identifies the new variable as an individually definable object or an identification key. The identification key identifies an individual situation and the individually definable object copes with the individual situation. A new model with a new input interface and a new output interface is generated based, at least in part, on the annotation identifying the new variable as an individually definable object or an identification key.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display a model for an application program, wherein the model includes an input interface, an output interface, and a plurality of variables;

a detection unit configured to detect the addition of a new variable and placement of an annotation on the display unit for the new variable, wherein the annotation identifies the new variable as an individually definable object or an identification key, wherein the identification key identifies an individual situation and the individually definable object copes with the individual situation, and

a generation unit configured to generate a new model with a new input interface and a new output interface based, at least in part, on the annotation identifying the new variable as an individually definable object or an identification key.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the model for the application program further comprises an assignment expression, a conditional expression, and a controlling expression.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection unit is further configured to detect the addition of the new variable and the placement of the annotation on the display unit in response to an operation performed on the model.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the detection unit is further configured to detect the operation on the display unit by recognizing the location of the new variable and placement of the annotation on the display unit for the new variable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the generation unit comprises an interface management table, a variable management table, and a connection management table, wherein each table includes rows and columns for managing data for generating the new input interface and the new output interface.

6. A method comprising:

displaying a model for an application program, wherein the model includes an input interface, an output interface, and a plurality of variables;

detecting the addition of a new variable and placement of an annotation on the display unit for the new variable, wherein the annotation identifies the new variable as an individually definable object or an identification key, wherein the identification key identifies an individual situation and the individually definable object copes with the individual situation, and

generating a new model with a new input interface and a new output interface based, at least in part, on the annotation identifying the new variable as an individually definable object or an identification key.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the model for the application program further comprises an assignment expression, a conditional expression, and a controlling expression.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising detecting the addition of the new variable and the placement of the annotation on the display unit in response to an operation performed on the model.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising detecting the operation on the display unit by recognizing the location of the new variable and placement of the annotation on the display unit for the new variable.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the generating of the new input interface and the new output interface comprises:

reading an interface management table, a variable management table, and a connection management table of the model,

wherein the interface management table describes the input interface and the output interface for the model,

wherein the variable management table indicates the plurality of variables and indicates if any of the plurality of variables are key variables,

wherein the connection management table indicates flow of data between interfaces and the plurality of variables; and

generating a new interface management table, a new variable management table, and a new connection management table for the new model.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the model is used as a template for the generating of the new model.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions, which when executed by a set of one or more processors, causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

displaying a model for an application program, wherein the model includes an input interface, an output interface, and a plurality of variables;

detecting the addition of a new variable and placement of an annotation on the display unit for the new variable, wherein the annotation identifies the new variable as an individually definable object or an identification key, wherein the identification key identifies an individual situation and the individually definable object copes with the individual situation, and

generating a new model with a new input interface and a new output interface based, at least in part, on the annotation identifying the new variable as an individually definable object or an identification key.

13. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein the model for the application program further comprises an assignment expression, a conditional expression, and a controlling expression.

14. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise detecting the addition of the new variable and the placement of the annotation on the display unit in response to an operation performed on the model.

15. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

reading an interface management table, a variable management table, and a connection management table of the model,

wherein the interface management table describes the input interface and the output interface for the model,

wherein the variable management table indicates the plurality of variables and indicates if any of the plurality of variables are key variables,

wherein the connection management table indicates flow of data between interfaces and the plurality of variables; and

generating a new interface management table, a new variable management table, and a new connection management table for the new model.

16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise using the model as a template to generate the new model for converting the application program for the individual situation.