Multi-platform graphical user interface

• US 8,499,276 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kooy, Darrell J., DeFrang, Bruce A., Lee, Patrick R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Junchun
• Application Number:
  US11/617,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,406 Days
• Field of Search: 717/100
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods for developing multi-platform graphical user interface (GUI) for a target software application. In invention includes assessing one or more functional requirements of the target software application and defining a functional specification for the multi-platform GUI using the assessed functional requirements. The functional specification is used to develop source code for the graphical user interface. An abstraction framework that evaluates functions of the GUI source code and provides instruction to perform the functions in each of the plurality of operating environments is then developed and used as an intermediary between the GUI source code and each of the plurality of operating environments.

Claims

1. A method of developing a graphical user interface for a target software application, the method comprising:

developing source code for the graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface is independently operable on a plurality of operating environments including a thick-client operating environment and a thin-client operating environment; and

developing an abstraction framework that mediates interaction between each of the plurality of operating environments and the source code for the graphical user interface by evaluating functions of the source code for the graphical user interface, identifying an operating environment from the plurality of operating environments which is attempting to interact with the graphical user interface or on which the graphical user interface is attempting to run, and providing an instruction necessary to perform the functions in each of the plurality of operating environments, wherein the abstraction framework identifies the operating environment which is attempting to interact with the graphical user interface and wherein said identifying the operating environment which is attempting to interact with the graphical user interface comprises one or more selected from;

detection of parameters to be passed to the target software application, detection of registry settings of the operating environment, recognition of property files, or recognition of initialization files of the operating environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the abstraction framework is written in java code, C++ code, or visual basic code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the abstraction framework is written in java code and wherein the abstraction framework comprises a java class.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the source code for the graphical user interface comprises java code, C++ code, or visual basic code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying the operating environment which is attempting to interact with the graphical user interface comprises the detection of parameters to be passed to the target software application or the recognition of property files.

6. A system for developing a graphical user interface for a target software application, the system comprising:

a processor configured to receive instructions which, when executed, configure the system to implement;

a graphical user interface development engine that produces source code for the graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface is independently operable on a plurality of operating environments including a thick-client operating environment and a thin-client operating environment; and

an abstraction framework that mediates interaction between each of the operating environments and source code for the graphical user interface, wherein the abstraction framework evaluates functions of the source code for the graphical user interface, identifies an operating environment from the plurality of operating environments which is attempting to interact with the graphical user interface or on which the graphical user interface is attempting to run, and provides an instruction necessary to perform the functions in each of the plurality of operating environments, wherein the abstraction framework identifies the operating environment which is attempting to interact with the graphical user interface and wherein, to identify the operating environment which is attempting to interact with the graphical user interface, the abstraction framework performs one or more selected from;

detection of parameters to be passed to the target software application, detection of registry settings of the operating environment, recognition of property files, or recognition of initialization files of the operating environment.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the abstraction framework is written in java code, C++ code, or visual basic code.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the abstraction framework is written in java code and wherein the abstraction framework comprises a java class.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the source code for the graphical user interface comprises java code, C++ code, or visual basic code.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the abstraction framework performs the detection of registry settings of the operating environment or the recognition of initialization files of the operating environment.