Triggered event handler addition

• US 8,863,076 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axure Software Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Axure Software Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsu, Victor, Smith, Martin, Fraser, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Cuong V
• Application Number:
  US13/833,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an intuitive method for the specification of a design as follows. A widget is added to the design at the direction of a user. The widget has an event and an event handler. A second widget is added to the design. The design is exported from a design program and an instantiation of the design is created that is capable of being rendered by an external player. Executing the event handler adds a second event handler to a second widget in the instantiation of the design.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

adding a first widget to a design in a design program using a processing system and at the direction of a user, said first widget having an event and an event handler, and said event and said event handler comprising user defined properties;

adding a second widget to said design; and

exporting said design comprising said first widget and said second widget from said design program, said exporting step creating an instantiation of said design that is capable of being rendered by an external player;

wherein executing said event handler adds a second event handler to said second widget in said instantiation upon an occurrence defined by said event;

wherein said design is configured to add said second event handler to said second widget when said instantiation of said design is being rendered by said external player; and

wherein said design program defines interaction data for said design, said interaction data capable of being rendered by a web browser only after it has been exported from said design program.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said design program is a prototyping tool.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said second widget is added to said instantiation of said design dynamically while said instantiation of said design is rendered by said external player.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein:

said event associated with said first widget is an on-click event;

said second widget is an overlay; and

said second event handler is a hide-widget event handler.

5. A computer-instantiated design tool stored in a memory capable of executing a method, said method comprising:

providing a design environment for a user of said design tool via a computer system, said design environment allowing said user of said design tool to create a design;

adding a first event handler to said design using a processing system, said first event handler being defined by said user of said design tool, and said first event handler being associated with an event;

adding a first object to said design using said processing system, said event and said first event handler comprising user defined properties of said first object;

adding a second object to said design; and

exporting said design, said exporting step creating an instantiation of said design that is capable of being rendered by an external player;

wherein executing said first event handler adds a second event handler to said instantiation of said design;

wherein said design is configured to add said second event handler to said second object when said instantiation of said design is rendered by the external player; and

wherein said design tool defines interaction data for said design, said interaction data capable of being rendered by a web browser only after it has been exported from said design tool.

6. The computer-instantiated design tool of claim 5, wherein said second object is added to said instantiation of said design dynamically while said instantiation of said design is rendered by said external player.

7. The computer-instantiated design tool of claim 5, wherein:

the external player is a browser, wherein the browser has an object model; and

said second object is said document object in said object model of said browser.

8. The computer-instantiated design tool of claim 5, wherein said design tool is a prototyping tool.

9. The computer-instantiated design tool of claim 5, wherein a visual representation of said first object is rectangular.

10. The computer-instantiated design tool of claim 5, wherein said first object is used to display an image to an end user of said design.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a design space to a user of a design tool, via a computer system, said design space allowing said user of said design tool to specify a design;

providing a specification interface for said user, via said computer system, said specification interface allowing said user of said design tool to define specifications for said design;

accepting a first specification from said user via said specification interface, said first specification defining a first action for said design to execute upon a first occurrence, said first specification comprising a first unitary design element, and said first action involving addition of a second specification to said design;

accepting a third specification from said user via said specification interface, said third specification specifying a second unitary design element; and

exporting said design using a processor, said exporting step producing an exported design;

wherein said first and second unitary design elements comprise widgets;

wherein said first action is executed upon said first occurrence in said exported design; and

wherein said first action involves addition said second specification to said third specification in said exported design, said second specification defining a second action for said exported design to execute upon a second occurrence.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein said design tool is a prototyping tool.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein said second action modifies said second unitary design element when executed.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein said second unitary design element is used to display an image to an end user of said design.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein said second unitary design element is added to said exported design dynamically while said exported design is rendered by an external player.