Method and system for capturing user interface structure in a model based software system

• US 8,819,619 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ramco Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Ramco Systems Limited
• Inventors: Sundararajan, Parthasarathy, Ramaswamy, Srinivasan, Sethuraman, Rajagopalan, Devalla, Raghuram
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Qing
• Application Number:
  US13/364,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 717/104, 717/105, 715/866
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Method and system for capturing device-independent user interface structure in a model based software system are disclosed. In one embodiment, at least one entry point is received from a user by a business system. Further, a user interface corresponding to the at least one entry point is provided. Furthermore, user interface meta-data associated with the user interface is captured. Also, at least one event associated with user interface elements is identified as a response to user actions based on the captured user interface meta-data. In addition, a pattern signature is identified in the model based software system for reuse in one or more model based software systems based on an expected behavior of the user interface when the identified at least one event occurs. Then, the identified at least one event is mapped to the identified pattern signature.

Claims

1. A method of capturing device-independent user interface structure in a model based software system comprising:

receiving at least one entry point by a business system using a processor;

displaying a user interface corresponding to the at least one entry point by the processor;

capturing user interface meta-data associated with the user interface by the processor;

identifying at least one event associated with user interface elements as a response to user actions based on the captured user interface meta-data by the processor;

identifying, by the processor, a pattern signature in the model based software system for reuse in one or more model based software systems based on an expected behavior of the user interface when the identified at least one event occurs;

mapping the identified at least one event to the identified pattern signature by the processor, thereby obtaining the device-independent user interface structure in the model based software system; and

identifying other user interface elements corresponding to the pattern signature based on the mapping to achieve the expected behavior of the user interface by the processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one event associated with user interface elements as a response to user actions comprises:

specifying a type of each user action;

specifying user interface elements that are involved in each user action; and

identifying the at least one event associated with user interface elements.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the model based software system to generate service interfaces and method interfaces; and

using the model based software system to generate a sequence of method calls.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one entry point comprises at least one of a menu item, a hyperlink, and/or an option from an application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface meta-data comprises specification data associated with the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one event comprises one or more actions linked to behavior of the user interface elements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface elements are selected from the group consisting of edit controls, check boxes, text areas, combo boxes, list controls, tabular data, display only controls, hyperlinks, command buttons, charts, and graphs.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering the device-independent user interface structure on different types of devices including desktops, mobiles, tablets, and/or other hand held devices.

9. A system for capturing device-independent user interface structure in a model based software system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes a user interface structure capturing module configured to;

receive at least one entry point by a business system;

display a user interface corresponding to the at least one entry;

capture user interface meta-data associated with the user interface;

identify at least one event associated with user interface elements as a response to user actions based on the captured user interface meta-data;

identify a pattern signature in the model based software system for reuse in one or more model based software systems based on an expected behavior of the user interface when the identified at least one event occurs;

map the identified at least one event to the identified pattern signature, thereby obtaining the device-independent user interface structure in the model based software system; and

identify other user interface elements corresponding to the pattern signature based on the mapping to achieve the expected behavior of the user interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface structure capturing module is further configured to:

specify user interface elements that are involved in each user action; and

identify the at least one event associated with user interface elements.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the model based software system is used to generate service interfaces, method interfaces, and a sequence of method calls.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one entry point comprises at least one of a menu item, a hyperlink, and/or an option from an application, and wherein the user interface comprises specification data associated with the user interface.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one event comprises one or more actions linked to behavior of the user interface elements, and wherein the user interface elements are selected from the group consisting of edit controls, check boxes, text areas, combo boxes, list controls, tabular data, display only controls, hyperlinks, command buttons, charts, and graphs.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the device-independent user interface structure is rendered on different types of devices including desktops, mobiles, tablets, and/or other hand held devices.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for capturing device-independent user interface structure in a model based software system storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving at least one entry point by a business system;

displaying a user interface corresponding to the at least one entry point;

capturing user interface meta-data associated with the user interface;

identifying at least one event associated with user interface elements as a response to user actions based on the captured user interface meta-data;

identifying a pattern signature in the model based software system for reuse in one or more model based software systems based on an expected behavior of the user interface when the identified at least one event occurs;

mapping the identified at least one event to the identified pattern signature, thereby obtaining the device-independent user interface structure in the model based software system; and

identifying other user interface elements corresponding to the pattern signature based on the mapping to achieve the expected behavior of the user interface.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein identifying the at least one event associated with user interface elements as a response to user actions comprises:

specifying a type of each user action;

specifying user interface elements that are involved in each user action; and

identifying the at least one event associated with user interface elements.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising rendering the device-independent user interface structure on different types of devices including desktops, mobiles, tablets, and/or other hand held devices.