Enhanced display of properties for a program object

• US 8,751,946 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fahmy, Hesham E., Green, John H., Zaremski, Miroslaw W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US11/398,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,988 Days
• Field of Search: 715/744, 715/762, 717/109
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A solution for managing a program object that generates an enhanced user interface for displaying properties of the program object is provided. A set of properties for the program object are obtained from the program object and/or deployment data for the program object. A property object that corresponds to the program object is also obtained. The property object defines a set of user interface attributes for the program object. The user interface then is generated based on the set of properties and the property object. As a result, a user interface that includes one or more features that makes it more user-friendly for a user can be generated.

Claims

1. A method of managing a program object, the method comprising:

obtaining a set of configurable properties for the program object wherein the program object includes at least one of;

a Java Bean, an applet, or a Java applet, the program object storing executable code;

obtaining a set of values corresponding to the set of configurable properties;

obtaining a property object for the program object, the property object defining a set of user interface attributes for the program object;

modifying the executable code in the program object using the set of values; and

generating a user interface based on the set of configurable properties, the set of values written to the program object and the property object.

2. The method of claim 1, the obtaining a set of configurable properties including introspecting the program object.

3. The method of claim 1, the obtaining a set of configurable properties including obtaining at least one of the set of properties from a deployment description file for the program object.

4. The method of claim 1, the obtaining a property object including obtaining linking data for the program object, the linking data identifying the property object.

5. The method of claim 4, the linking data comprising a linking entry in a configuration table.

6. the method of claim 1, further comprising matching a displayed property name and corresponding value with a property in the program object based on the property object.

7. The method of claim 1, the generating including at least one of:

using a display name for at least one of the set of configurable properties;

assigning a default value for at least one of the set of configurable properties;

grouping a plurality of the set of configurable properties; and

displaying a subset of the set of configurable properties.

8. A system for managing a program object, the system comprising:

a processor device and memory device;

a system for obtaining a set of configurable properties for the program object wherein the program object includes at least one of;

a Java Bean, an applet, or a Java applet, the program object storing executable code;

a system for obtaining a set of values corresponding to the set of configurable properties;

a system for obtaining a property object for the program object, the property object defining a set of user interface attributes for the program object;

a system for modifying the executable code in the program object using the set of values; and

a system for generating a user interface based on the set of configurable properties, the set of values written to the program object and the property object.

9. The system of claim 8, the system for obtaining a set of configurable properties including a system for obtaining at least one of the set of properties from a deployment description file for the program object.

10. The system of claim 8, the system for obtaining a property object including a system for obtaining linking data for the program object, the linking data identifying the property object.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a system for matching a displayed property name and corresponding value with a property in the program object based on the property object.

12. The system of claim 8, the system for generating including at least one of:

a system for using a display name for at least one of the set of configurable properties;

a system for assigning a default value for at least one of the set of configurable properties;

a system for grouping a plurality of the set of configurable properties; and

a system for displaying a subset of the set of configurable properties.

13. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, which when executed, enables a computer infrastructure to manage a program object, the program product comprising computer program code for enabling the computer infrastructure to:

obtain a set of configurable properties for the program object wherein the program object includes at least one of;

a Java Bean, an applet, or a Java applet, the program object storing executable code;

obtain a set of values corresponding to the set of configurable properties;

obtain a property object for the program object, the property object defining a set of user interface attributes for the program object;

modify the executable code in the program object using the set of values; and

generate a user interface based on the set of configurable properties, the set of values written to the program object and the property object.

14. The program product of claim 13, the computer program code for enabling the computer infrastructure to obtain a property object including computer program code for enabling the computer infrastructure to obtain linking data for the program object, the linking data identifying the property object.

15. The program product of claim 13, further comprising computer program code for enabling the computer infrastructure to match a displayed property name and corresponding value with a property in the program object based on the property object.

16. The program product of claim 13, the computer program code for enabling the computer infrastructure to generate including computer program code for enabling the computer infrastructure to perform at least one of:

use a display name for at least one of the set of configurable properties;

assign a default value for at least one of the set of configurable properties;

group a plurality of the set of configurable properties; and

display a subset of the set of configurable properties.

17. A method of generating a system for managing a program object, the method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

obtain a set of configurable properties for the program object wherein the program object includes at least one of;

a Java Bean, an applet, or a Java applet, the program object storing executable code;

obtain a set of values corresponding to the set of configurable properties;

obtain a property object for the program object, the property object defining a set of user interface attributes for the program object;

modify the executable code in the program object using the set of values; and

generate a user interface based on the set of configurable properties, the set of values written to the program object and the property object.