Web-based workflow service visualization and navigation

• US 8,862,975 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Liao, Min, Xue, Minmin, Xue, Zaiyue, Fan, Xiaofeng
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, CONG LAC T
• Application Number:
  US13/235,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200
• US Class Current: 715/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Web workflow service information may include implementations, contracts, addresses, bindings, and other information that is sprinkled throughout source files, configuration files, and other locations. A service explorer extracts service information, and visualizes service information in a form that supports navigation, thereby helping developers understand and use workflow service information. A workflow service structure underlying the visualization is constructed with the extracted service information. A hierarchical node visualization of the service structure is displayed in a service explorer GUI. A developer navigates by expanding/contracting nodes, searching nodes, selecting nodes, and running tools with node-specific information, e.g., for testing, tracing, publication, workflow design, and so on. The visualization is automatically updated after service configuration changes. Node-specific source code is displayed for contract and implementation classes, and pertinent sections of configuration files are displayed for bindings and addresses. Derivation of endpoints, bindings, and addresses are displayed for implicitly set endpoints.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium configured with data and with instructions that when executed by at least one processor causes the processor(s) to perform a process for transforming web application workflow information, the process comprising the steps of:

obtaining a plurality of web application project files which belong to at least two different projects of an integrated development environment, the integrated development environment providing a set of coordinated software development tools which includes at least a textual editor, a compiler, and a debugger, the obtained web application project files including (i) at least one workflow implementation source file which has corresponding contract source code and (ii) at least one workflow configuration file which includes an address section that is syntactically delimited from a binding section of the workflow configuration file;

extracting workflow service information from the web application project files, namely, extracting at least three of the following pieces of workflow service information;

service class name, service contract name, service operation contract name, service endpoint address, service endpoint binding type, service implementation class name, the extracting step performing extraction of workflow service information from web application project files which match at least one of the following usage patterns;

(a) a service contract resides in a first integrated development environment project, whereas service implementation, hosting, and configuration files reside in one or more other integrated development environment projects, or (b) a service contract resides in a first integrated development environment project, a service implementation file resides in a second integrated development environment project, and hosting and configuration files reside in a third integrated development environment project; and

constructing a workflow service structure containing the at least three pieces of extracted workflow service information that were extracted from the at least two different projects of the integrated development environment.

2. The configured medium of claim 1, wherein the extracting step extracts workflow service information from web application project files which match usage pattern (b).

3. The configured medium of claim 1, wherein the constructing step constructs a workflow service structure including workflow service information for at least one of the following:

a service contract for a service that is defined implicitly using Receive activities;

a service contract for a web API service in which binding information is optional.

4. The configured medium of claim 1, wherein the constructing step comprises:

calculating a code-based candidate service tree from a code model;

calculating a config-based candidate service tree from a configuration file; and

merging the code-based candidate service tree and the config-based candidate service tree.

5. The configured medium of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises displaying a visualization of the workflow service structure in a graphical user interface of the integrated development environment.

6. The configured medium of claim 5, wherein the displayed visualization shows a hierarchy in which at least one of the following conditions occurs:

a service endpoint binding node is subordinate to a service class node;

a service endpoint address node is subordinate to a service endpoint binding node;

after a user selects a service contract node within a first area of the graphical user interface, operation contract node(s) associated with the selected service contract node are shown in a second area of the graphical user interface which is visually separated from the first area;

a service contracts root node and a service endpoints root node are at the same level in the hierarchy.

7. The configured medium of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises receiving through a graphical user interface of the integrated development environment a navigational gesture which selects a node of the workflow service structure, and in response opening at least one web application project file which contains service information used in constructing the node in the workflow service structure.

8. A process for facilitating a developer'"'"'s use of web application workflow information, the process comprising the steps of the developer:

running a service explorer tool in an integrated development environment;

viewing, in a graphical user interface of the service explorer tool, a visualization of a hierarchical workflow service structure containing workflow service information extracted from at least two different integrated development environment projects which match at least one of the following usage patterns;

(a) a service contract resides in a first integrated development environment project, whereas service implementation, hosting, and configuration files reside in one or more other integrated development environment projects, or (b) a service contract resides in a first integrated development environment project, a service implementation file resides in a second integrated development environment project, and hosting and configuration files reside in a third integrated development environment project; and

performing at least one of the following using at least one project file of a project of the integrated development environment;

making a change in a configuration file and then viewing an automatically updated visualization which reflects the change;

selecting a node of the visualization through the graphical user interface and then viewing an automatically opened web application project file which contains service information for the selected node;

selecting a node of the visualization through the graphical user interface and then viewing a web application project tool which has automatically received service information for the selected node;

selecting a node of the visualization through the graphical user interface and then editing configuration settings through a service configuration editor which is run for the selected node.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the web application project tool viewed by the developer includes at least one of the following:

a tracing tool, a configuration tool, a client testing tool, a unit testing tool, a hosting option tool, a publishing tool.

10. The process of claim 8, wherein the visualization has nodes representing at least one of the following service types:

a WCF Core Service, a WCF Workflow Service, a WCF Web API Service, a WCF RIA Service, a WCF Data Service, a WCF Workflow Component Service.

11. The process of claim 8, wherein the developer performs at least one of the following:

selecting a node of the visualization through a view-contract item of the graphical user interface and then viewing an automatically opened web application project file which contains contract class source code service information for the selected node;

selecting a node of the visualization through a view-implementation item of the graphical user interface and then viewing an automatically opened web application project file which contains implementation class source code service information for the selected node;

selecting a node of the visualization through a view-configuration item of the graphical user interface and then viewing an automatically opened web application project file which contains configuration service information for the selected node.

12. The process of claim 8, wherein the developer selects a node at least in part by searching for at least one of the following pieces of service information:

a service name, a service contract name, an operation name.

13. The process of claim 8, wherein the viewing step comprises viewing a visualization of a workflow service structure for which at least one of the following occurs:

an endpoint node representing an endpoint is selected, the endpoint was set implicitly, and the developer views automatically displayed service information which clarifies a derivation of the endpoint;

an address node representing an address is selected, an endpoint associated with the address was set implicitly, and the developer views automatically displayed service information which clarifies a derivation of the address;

a binding node representing a binding is selected, an endpoint associated with the binding was set implicitly, and the developer views automatically displayed service information which clarifies a derivation of the binding.

14. The process of claim 8, wherein the viewing step comprises viewing a visualization of a workflow service structure in which at least two of the following are expanded by default:

a project node;

a service node;

an endpoint node that has at least one of the following subordinate nodes;

address, binding, service contract.

15. A computer system comprising:

a logical processor;

a memory in operable communication with the logical processor;

a hierarchical workflow service structure residing in the memory and having at least of each of the following nodes;

a service node, an endpoint node, an endpoint address node, an endpoint binding node, an endpoint service contract node, the hierarchical workflow service structure containing workflow service information extracted from at least two different integrated development environment projects which match at least one of the following usage patterns;

(a) a service contract resides in a first integrated development environment project, whereas service implementation, hosting, and configuration files reside in one or more other integrated development environment projects, or (b) a service contract resides in a first integrated development environment project, a service implementation file resides in a second integrated development environment project, and hosting and configuration files reside in a third integrated development environment project; and

a service explorer software development tool of an integrated development environment, the service explorer including instructions which upon execution by a processor will result in a display at least one of the following to a user;

an automatically updated visualization of the hierarchical workflow service structure reflecting a change to a configuration file that is associated with a node of the structure;

an automatically opened file which contains textual information for a user-selected node of the hierarchical workflow service structure;

a software development tool of the integrated development environment, other than the service explorer, which has automatically received information for a user-selected node of the hierarchical workflow service structure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the service explorer further comprises instructions which upon execution will extract workflow service information from web application project files and construct the hierarchical workflow service structure based at least in part on the extracted workflow service information.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a display configured by a visualization of the hierarchical workflow service structure in which at least one of the following conditions occurs:

an operation contract node associated with a selected service contract node is shown in an area of the graphical user interface which is visually separated by a line from the selected service contract node;

a service contracts root node and a service endpoints root node are at the same level in the hierarchy;

a service contract node which has at least one subordinate operation contract node is unexpanded by default.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the service explorer further comprises instructions which upon execution will perform at least two of the following:

accept a visualization node selection through a view-contract item of the graphical user interface and then automatically display a file which contains contract class source code service information for the selected node;

accept a visualization node selection through a view-implementation item of the graphical user interface and then automatically display a file which contains implementation class source code service information for the selected node;

accept a visualization node selection through a view-configuration item of the graphical user interface and then automatically display a file which contains configuration service information for the selected node.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory is further configured by containing at least one of the following software development tools which can be run by a user directly from within the service explorer:

a tracing tool, a configuration tool, a client testing tool, a unit testing tool, a hosting option tool, a publishing tool.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the service explorer further comprises instructions which upon execution will perform at least four of the following:

accept selection of an endpoint node which represents an implicitly set endpoint, and then automatically display service information which clarifies a derivation of the endpoint;

accept selection of an endpoint node which represents an explicitly set endpoint, and then automatically display an endpoint section of a configuration file for the endpoint;

accept selection of an address node which represents an address that has an associated implicitly set endpoint, and then automatically display service information which clarifies a derivation of the address;

accept selection of an address node which represents an address that has an associated explicitly set endpoint, and then automatically display an address section of a configuration file for the endpoint;

accept selection of a binding node which represents a binding that has an associated implicitly set endpoint, and then automatically display service information which clarifies a derivation of the binding;

accept selection of a binding node which represents a binding that has an associated explicitly set endpoint, and then automatically display a binding section of a configuration file for the endpoint.