Deploy anywhere framework for heterogeneous mobile application development

• US 8,769,553 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Nigam, Samir
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEYE, ABDOU K
• Application Number:
  US12/335,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318
• US Class Current: 719/329
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for developing a portable software application. The method includes the steps of defining a project, adding a screen to the project, the screen being defined as a generic screen or a platform-specific screen, adding a component to the screen, the component being defined as a generic component or a platform-specific component, redefining the screen as a platform-specific screen when it is defined as a generic screen and one or more platform-specific components have been added to the screen, and defining an application flow from the screen to one or more additional screens.

Claims

1. A method for developing a portable software application, comprising:

defining a software development project configured to be executed on a plurality of client platforms during application development;

adding a screen to the project during the application development, wherein the screen is defined as one of a generic screen and a platform-specific screen;

adding a component to the screen during the application development, wherein the component is defined as one of a generic component and a platform-specific component;

redefining the screen as a platform-specific screen during the application development when the screen is defined as a generic screen and one or more platform-specific components have been added to the screen;

defining an application flow from the screen to one or more additional screens during the application development,

wherein a first device profile comprises capabilities of a first target deployment platform associated with the platform-specific component,

wherein a second device profile comprises capabilities of a second target deployment platform;

analyzing the application for deployment to the second target deployment platform based on the second device profile; and

presenting a portability analysis to a user based on the analyzing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the project defining includes setting a development language for the project.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the screen is added to the project by selecting a pre-existing screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the screen is created using a template.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the component is added to the screen by selecting the component from a palette.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting properties for one or more controls associated with the component.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining if the controls are platform specific.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the project defining includes defining a sequence of screens presented to a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing includes performing a portability check.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the portability check comprises:

comparing the first device profile to the second device profile to determine one or more differences between the first device and the second device;

determining whether the portable software application relies on any capabilities in the first device that are absent or otherwise different in the second device; and

identifying usage of the one or more platform specific components.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing functionality to the component by identifying platforms supported by the component.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the portability analysis comprises an indication of differences between capabilities of the first target deployment platform and the second target deployment platform.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the indication of differences includes an indication that the platform-specific component is associated with the first target deployment platform.

14. A non-transitory computer usable medium having control logic stored thereon, that when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations to develop a portable software application, the operations comprising:

defining a software development project configured to be executed on a plurality of client platforms during application development;

adding a screen to the project during the application development, wherein the screen is defined as one of a generic screen and a platform-specific screen;

adding a component to the screen during the application development, wherein the component is defined as one of a generic component and a platform-specific component;

redefining the screen as a platform-specific screen during the application development when the screen is defined as a generic screen and one or more platform-specific components have been added to the screen; and

defining an application flow from the screen to one or more additional screens during the application development,

wherein a first device profile comprises capabilities of a first target deployment platform associated with the platform-specific component,

wherein a second device profile comprises capabilities of a second target deployment platform;

analyzing the application for deployment to the second target deployment platform based on the second device profile; and

presenting a portability analysis to a user based on the analyzing.

15. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

performing a portability check.

16. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein the portability check comprises:

comparing the first device profile to the second device profile to determine one or more differences between the first device and the second device;

determining whether the portable software application relies on any of capabilities in the first device that are absent or otherwise different in the second device; and

identifying usage of the one or more platform specific components.

17. A system for developing a portable software application, comprising:

one or more processors;

a project defining module configured to define, using the one or more processors, a software development project configured to be executed on a plurality of client platforms during application development;

a screen adding module configured to add, using the one or more processors, a screen to the project during the application development, wherein the screen is defined as one of a generic screen and a platform-specific screen;

a component adding module configured to add, using the one or more processors, a component to the screen during the application development, wherein the component is defined as one of a generic component and a platform-specific component;

a redefining module configured to redefine, using the one or more processors, the screen as a platform-specific screen during the application development when the screen is defined as a generic screen and one or more platform-specific components have been added to the screen; and

an application flow defining module configured to define, using the one or more processors, an application flow from the screen to one or more additional screens during the application development,

wherein a first device profile comprises capabilities of a first target deployment platform associated with the platform-specific component,

wherein a second device profile comprises capabilities of a second target deployment platform; and

a portability module configured to analyze the application for deployment to the second target deployment platform based on the second device profile, and

present a portability analysis to a user based on the analyzing.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the project defining module is configured to set a development language for the project.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the screen adding module is configured to add the screen to the project by selecting a pre-existing screen.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the component adding module is configured to add the component to the screen by selecting the component from a palette.