Column layout

• US 8,887,087 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Hilgers, Peer, Jensen-Pistorius, Leif
• Primary Examiner(s): Nunez, Jordany
• Application Number:
  US11/692,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,785 Days
• Field of Search: 715/238, 715/788, 715/762, 715/799
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method is illustrated as including displaying an editing window, the editing window being a Graphical User Interface (GUI) used to design an application interface, associating a User Interface (UI) element with a layout element, and generating metadata, the metadata containing data illustrating the association between the UI element and the layout element. Further, another embodiment is illustrated as including receiving a service request relating to an application, the service request including a first set of rendering data illustrating a display area within which a first GUI relating to the application will be displayed, retrieving metadata, the metadata illustrating layout elements and associated UI elements relating to the first GUI, retrieving display logic associated with the metadata, retrieving business logic associated with the metadata, and generating the first GUI, wherein the first GUI is generated using the metadata, display logic and business logic.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

configuring a layout into discrete regions defined by layout elements, the layout to form a part of a first Graphical User Interface (GUI) relating to an application;

associating a first layout element from the layout elements with at least one User Interface (UI) element from UI elements;

receiving, from a client system, over a network, a service request relating to the application, the service request including a first set of rendering data illustrating a display area within which the first GUI is to be displayed;

responsive to the service request, at a server system, retrieving metadata illustrating the layout elements and the UI elements;

generating the first GUI, using the metadata, at the server system in response to receiving, at the server system, data regarding expansion or reduction of the display area of the client system;

determining a change in dimensions of the first layout element from the layout elements, comprising determining that at least one UI element from the UI elements occupies less than a minimum percentage or more than a maximum percentage of the total area of an associated layout element, and

generating a second GUI by automatically repositioning the at least one UI element from the UI elements to a further layout element from the layout elements in response to the determining, the at least one UI element having a functionality facilitating user interaction with the application; and

providing the second GUI to the client system over the network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising optimizing the first-GUI by automatically eliminating an empty column, the empty column being empty as a result of a change to a display area size of the display area.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second set of rendering data, the second set of rendering data to resize the display area within which the first GUI is displayed; and

transmitting a second GUI relating to the application, the second GUI being generated using data including the second set of rendering data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second set of rendering data is to resize the display area of the first GUI to be smaller than as previously rendered, automatic repositioning of at least one of the layout elements comprising:

shrinking horizontally an input UI until a minimum threshold value relating to the input UI is reached;

wrapping a UI field until a minimum threshold value relating to the UI field is reached;

reducing a form pane header until a minimum threshold value relating to the form pane header is reached; and

forcing horizontal scrolling until a minimum threshold value relating to a field length is reached.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the second set of rendering data is to resize the display area of the first GUI to be larger than as previously rendered, automatic repositioning of at least one of the layout elements comprising:

expanding an input box field until a maximum threshold value relating to the input box field is reached; and

unwrapping a UI label where it is able to render on one line.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one UI element is a textbox UI element capable of receiving user input.

6. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor coupled to a memory;

a first module to configure, using the at least one processor, a layout into discrete regions defined by layout elements, the layout to form a part of a first Graphical User Interface (GUI) relating to an application;

a second module to associate, using the at least one processor, a first layout element from the layout elements with at least one User Interface (UI) element from UI elements;

a first receiver to receive, using the at least one processor, from a client system, over a network, a service request relating to the application, the service request including a first set of rendering data illustrating a display area the first GUI is to be displayed;

a first rendering engine to retrieve metadata, at a server system, using the at least one processor, responsive to the service request, and to generate the first GUI at the server system, using the metadata, the metadata illustrating the layout elements and the UI elements, the first rendering engine comprising one or more processors, the first rendering engine further being configured to, in response to receiving, at the server system, data regarding expansion or reduction of the display area of the client system;

determine a change in dimensions of the first layout element from the layout elements, comprising determining that at least one UI element from the UI elements occupies less than a minimum percentage or more than a maximum percentage of the total area of an associated layout element, and

generate a second GUI by automatically repositioning the at least one UI element from the UI elements to a further layout element from the layout elements in response to the determining, the at least one UI element having a functionality facilitating user interaction with the application; and

a first transmitter to transmit the second GUI, using the at least one processor, to the client system over the network.

7. The computer system of claim 6, further comprising an optimizer to automatically optimize the first GUI by eliminating an empty column, the empty column being empty as a result of a change to a display area size of the display area.

8. The computer system of claim 6, further comprising:

a second receiver to receive a second set of rendering data, the second set of rendering data to resize the display area within which the first GUI is displayed; and

a second transmitter to transmit a second GUI relating to the application, the second GUI being generated using data including the second set of rendering data.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the second set of rendering data is to resize the display area of the first GUI to be smaller than as previously rendered, the first rendering engine further being configured automatically to:

shrink horizontally an input UI to a minimum threshold value relating to the input UI is reached;

wrap a UI field until a minimum threshold value relating to a UI field is reached;

reduce a form pane header until a minimum threshold value relating to a form pane header is reached; and

force a horizontal scroll until a minimum threshold value relating to a field length is reached.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the second set of rendering data is to resize the display area of the first GUI to be larger than as previously rendered, the first rendering engine further being configured automatically to:

expand an input box field until a maximum threshold value relating to the input box field is reached; and

unwrap a UI label where it is able to render on one line.

11. An apparatus comprising:

means for configuring a layout into discrete regions defined by layout elements, the layout to form a part of a first Graphical User Interface (GUI) relating to an application;

means for associating a first layout element from the layout elements with at least one User Interface (UI) element from UI elements;

means for receiving, from a client system, over a network, a service request relating to the application, the service request including a first set of rendering data illustrating a display area within which the first GUI is to be displayed;

means for, responsive to the service request, retrieving, at a server system, metadata illustrating the layout elements and the UI elements;

means for, generating the first GUI at a server system, using the metadata; and

means for, in response to receiving, at the server system, data regarding expansion or reduction of the display area of the client system;

determining a change in dimensions of the first layout element from the layout elements, comprising determining that at least one UI element from the UI elements occupies less than a minimum percentage or more than a maximum percentage of the total area of an associated layout element, and

generating a second GUI by automatically repositioning at least one UI element from the UI elements to a further layout element from the layout elements in response to the determining, the at least one UI element having a functionality facilitating user interaction with the application; and

providing the second GUI to the client system over the network.

12. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium embodying instructions, the instructions comprising:

a certain instruction set to divide a layout into discrete regions defined by layout elements, the layout to form a part of a first Graphical User Interface (GUI) relating to an application;

a further instruction set to associate a first layout element from the layout elements with at least one User Interface (UI) element from UI elements;

a first instruction set to receive, from a client system, over a network, a service request relating to the application, the service request including a first set of rendering data illustrating a display area within which the first GUI is to be displayed;

a second instruction set to retrieve metadata at a server system, the metadata illustrating the layout elements and the UI elements;

a third instruction set to retrieve display logic associated with the metadata;

a fourth instruction set to retrieve business logic associated with the metadata;

a fifth instruction set to generate the first GUI using the metadata, at the server system; and

a sixth instruction set to, in response to receiving, at the server system, data regarding expansion or reduction of the display area of the client system;

determine a change in dimensions of the first layout element from the layout elements, comprising determining that at least one UI element from the UI elements occupies less than a minimum percentage or more than a maximum percentage of the total area of an associated layout element, and

generate a second GUI by automatically repositioning at least one UI element from the UI elements to a further layout element from the layout elements in response to the determining, the at least one UI element having a functionality facilitating user interaction with the application; and

a seventh instruction set to provide the second GUI to the client system over the network.