Web application generator

• US 8,397,223 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gutenberg Printing LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chiang, Hiang-Swee
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOORAY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US09/810,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,379 Days
• Field of Search: 717136-140, 717145-148, 717/104, 717/118, 717/113, 345/762
• US Class Current: 717/145
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for providing a web application generator to generate the basis for a complete web application source code. Based on graphical user interface input files provided by graphic designers, the web application generator generates application framework code, an event handler skeleton and business logic foundation code. Web developers then prepare additional source code using an object-oriented programming language based on the event handler skeleton and business logic foundation code to create web application business logic objects and event handler methods. Ultimately the graphical user interface input files prepared by the graphic designers and web application source code prepared by the web developers are dynamically bound at runtime.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving input files comprising markup language text for a graphical user interface;

obtaining an application framework code;

receiving web application business logic objects;

organizing the application framework code and the web application business logic objects into web application source code; and

binding the web application source code with the input files, the binding including compiling the input files;

wherein the application framework code is configured to, at runtime, detect any change to web application screens and to re-compile the input files in response to detecting the any change.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a business logic foundation code.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a business logic foundation code.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the web application source code is generated in an object-oriented programming language.

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

determining whether an application framework is available for the web application;

retrieving the application framework code in response to determining that the application framework is available for the web application; and

generating the application framework code in response to determining that the application framework is not available for the web application.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a graphical user interface code.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein generating the graphical user interface code is based on the input files.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating an event handler code, the generating comprising:

parsing the markup language text;

identifying an input tag in the markup language text;

identifying, in the markup language text, an attribute within the identified input tag;

identifying, in the markup language text, a value corresponding to the identified attribute; and

using the identified input tag, the identified attribute, and the identified value to identify a rule; and

using the identified rule, the identified input tag, the identified attribute, and the identified value to create the event handler code.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising compiling the web application source code.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising interpreting the web application source code.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the input files are in XML format.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the input files are in HTML format.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the input files are in cHTML format.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the input files are in WML format.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving modified input files.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising compiling the modified input files at runtime.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising binding the web application source code with the compiled modified input files at runtime.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising interpreting the modified input files at runtime.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, further comprising binding the web application source code with the interpreted modified input files at runtime.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the application framework code comprises an application object and a servlet web application framework object.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the application framework code is configured to control an operating system of a web application server by sending instructions to the operating system.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the application framework code is configured to operate as a conduit between web browser requests addressed to a web application server and the graphical user interface.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein the application framework code is configured to dispatch the web browser requests to an appropriate event handler associated with an event handler skeleton.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the application framework code is configured to manage database connections for the web application.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a first input corresponding to a first input format;

generating an application framework for a particular web application in response to receiving the first input corresponding to the first input format;

receiving a second input corresponding to a second different input format; and

in response to receiving the second input, retrieving the previously generated application framework;

wherein application framework generation is bypassed for the second input of the second different input format.

25. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving input files associated with a graphical user interface code and web application business logic objects associated with a business logic foundation code;

obtaining an application framework code;

organizing the application framework code and the web application business logic objects into web application source code; and

binding the web application source code with the input files, the binding including compiling the input files;

wherein the application framework code is configured to, at runtime, detect any change to web application screens and to re-compile the input files in response to detecting the any change.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the web application source code is generated in an object-oriented programming language.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise generating the graphical user interface code.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise generating an event handler skeleton based on the input files.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving input files associated with a graphical user interface code;

means for generating an application framework code;

means for receiving web application business logic objects;

means for organizing the application framework code and the web application business logic objects into web application source code;

means for binding the web application source code with the input files; and

means for compiling the input files;

wherein the application framework code is configured to, at runtime, detect any change to web application screens to re-compile the input files in response to detecting a change.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the input files are in XML, HTML, cHTML, or WML format.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the application framework code includes a Java servlet web application framework object.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the application framework code comprises an application object and a servlet web application framework object.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the application framework code includes a Java servlet web application framework object.

35. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing device including a processor configured to;

receive input files associated with a graphical user interface code and web application business logic objects associated with a business logic foundation code;

obtain an application framework code;

organize the application framework code and the web application business logic objects into web application source code; and

bind the web application source code with the input files, the binding including compiling the input files;

wherein the application framework code is configured to, at runtime, detect any change to web application screens and to re-compile the input files in response to detecting the any change.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the processing device is configured to:

receive a first input corresponding to a first input format;

generate an application framework for a particular web application in response to receiving the first input corresponding to the first input format;

receive a second input corresponding to a second different input format; and

in response to receiving the second input, retrieve the previously generated application framework;

wherein application framework generation is bypassed for the second input of the second different input format.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the web application source code is generated in an object-oriented programming language.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the processing device is configured to generate the graphical user interface code.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the processing device is configured to generate event handler code based on the input files.