Graphical user interface typing and mapping system

• US 8,972,874 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Grechanik, Mark, Xie, Qing, Fu, Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US13/356,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20120124494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-277, 715700-867, 700701-866, 709201-229, 705 50- 79, 345 30-111
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/368 for test version control, e.g. updating test cases to a new software version
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3696 Methods or tools to render software testable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) type model helps application designers create error free graphical user interface applications (GAPs). The GUI type model provides a reference set of GUI element types. The application designer assigns a selected GUI element type to each GUI element in a GAP design. The GUI element types help ensure consistent and proper treatment of the GUI element types at every stage in the development of the application, from initial planning and design, to compilation and execution.

Claims

1. A product comprising:

a computer-readable memory;

graphical user interface (GUI) type model logic stored on the computer-readable memory and executable by a processor, the GUI type model logic is responsive to selection of a reference GUI type model to use to create a GUI element type mapping;

builder logic stored on the computer-readable memory and executable by the processor, the builder logic comprising;

association logic that when executed by the processor creates the GUI element type mapping that links a GUI element type to a GUI element in a GUI;

message creation logic that when executed by the processor builds a GUI element type specification message that signifies that data within the message specifies a type mapping for a GUI element; and

communication logic that when executed by the processor causes the processor to communicate the GUI element type specification message with the type mapping for the GUI element to a downstream processing system.

2. The product of claim 1, where the builder logic further comprises:

element selection logic that when executed by the processor specifies a selected GUI element in a GUI of a GUI application (GAP) by obtaining a GUI element selection; and

where the GUI element type mapping comprises;

a GUI element identifier of the selected GUI element in the GAP; and

a GUI type identifier of the selected GUI element type.

3. The product of claim 2, where the GUI element type mapping further comprises:

a GUI application (GAP) alias.

4. The product of claim 1, where the reference GUI type model is one of multiple GUI type models selectable, where each of the multiple GUI type models comprise:

GUI element type specifiers associated with GUI element constraints based on the respective multiple GUI type model.

5. The product of claim 4, where the GUI element constraints comprise:

GUI element modification constraints.

6. The product of claim 5, where the GUI element modification constraints comprise:

GUI element content constraints.

7. The product of claim 1, where the builder logic further comprises:

element selection logic that when executed by the processor, obtains a GUI element selection specifying a selected GUI element in a GUI of a GUI application (GAP);

retrieval logic that when executed by the processor, retrieves, from the reference GUI type model, a GUI element type selection list of available GUI element types; and

selection logic that when executed obtains a GUI element type selection specifying a selected GUI element type from the GUI element type selection list of available GUI element types.

8. The product of claim 7, where the GUI element type specification message comprises:

a GUI element type specification message header;

a GUI element identifier; and

a GUI type identifier.

9. The product of claim 8, where the GUI element type specification message further comprises:

a GUI application (GAP) alias.

10. A system comprising:

a memory coupled to a processor; and

mapping logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the mapping logic comprising;

graphical user interface (GUI) type model logic responsive to selection of a current GUI application (GAP) version to use to create a GUI element version mapping, where the current GAP version is a type of GAP from multiple types of GAPs;

mapping creation logic that when executed by the processor creates the GUI element version mapping that links a source GUI element in the current GAP version to a destination GUI element in a subsequent GAP version based on the type of GAP of the current GAP version;

message creation logic operable to build a GUI element mapping specification message; and

communication logic operable to send the GUI element mapping specification message to a downstream processing system.

11. The system of claim 10, where the GUI element version mapping comprises:

a source GUI element identifier for the source GUI element; and

a destination GUI element identifier for the destination GUI element.

12. The system of claim 11, where the GUI element version mapping further comprises:

a source GAP alias for the current GAP version; and

a destination GAP alias for the subsequent GAP version.

13. The system of claim 11, where the mapping logic further comprises element selection logic that when executed by the processor specifies:

the source GUI element in the current GAP version by obtaining a source GUI element selection; and

the destination GUI element in the subsequent GAP version by obtaining a destination GUI element selection.

14. The system of claim 10, where the GUI element mapping specification message comprises:

a GUI element mapping specification message header;

a source GUI element identifier for the source GUI element; and

a destination GUI element identifier for the destination GUI element.

15. A method comprising:

selecting a current graphical user interface (GUI) application (GAP) version to use to create a GUI element version mapping, where the current GAP version is a type of GAP from multiple types of GAPs;

creating, in a computer-readable memory using a processor coupled to the memory, the GUI element version mapping that links a source GUI element in the current GAP version to a destination GUI element in a subsequent GAP version based on the type of GAP of the current GAP version;

building, using the processor coupled to the memory, a GUI element mapping specification message; and

communicating, using a communications interface, the GUI element mapping specification message to a downstream processing system.

16. The method of claim 15, where creating comprises:

creating the GUI element version mapping comprising;

a source GUI element identifier for the source GUI element; and

a destination GUI element identifier for the destination GUI element.

17. The method of claim 15, where creating comprises:

creating the GUI element version mapping comprising;

a source GUI element alias for the source GUI element; and

a destination GUI element alias for the destination GUI element.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

specifying the source GUI element in the current GAP version by obtaining a source GUI element selection; and

specifying the destination GUI element in a subsequent GAP version by obtaining a destination GUI element selection.

19. The method of claim 15, where building comprises:

building a GUI element mapping specification message including;

a version mapping message header;

a source GUI element identifier for the source GUI element; and

a destination GUI element identifier for the destination GUI element.

20. The method of claim 15, where the subsequent GAP version comprises an economic estimation GAP version including GUI element changes with respect to the current GAP version and specified for cost estimation analysis.