Composable context menus

• US 9,170,786 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Text Corporation
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Totale, Sachin G., Michael, Deepak, Ansari, Saif Ali, Ravi, Shubha
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, RONGFA PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US14/136,287
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Developer-composed context menus, e.g., composed by a developer in connection with use of a software development tool to create an application, are disclosed. In various embodiments, a definition of a context menu option and an associated action are received. Application code to implement the context menu at runtime, including by performing processing at runtime as defined in the definition to determine one or both of the context menu option and the associated action, is generated programmatically.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving via a software development tool interface a definition of a context menu option and an associated action; and

generating, using one or more processors, programmatically based at least in part on the definition an application code to implement the context menu at runtime, including performing processing at runtime as defined in the definition to determine one or both of the context menu option and the associated action, and to create an invisible object that is associated with an application page during execution of the application page, wherein the invisible object provides, to the context menu, information with which the context menu is updated during execution of the application page, and wherein the context menu is displayed in response to detection of a predetermined event during execution of the application page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the definition includes an expression.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the application code includes code to evaluate the expression at runtime.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the expression includes as an argument an application context data.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the expression includes as an argument an application user interface event payload data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated action includes publishing an event.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the application code includes code to determine at runtime a payload of the event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the application code includes code to create and associate with the application page at runtime an invisible context menu associated object, and wherein the invisible context menu associated object corresponds to the invisible object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the invisible context menu associated object is configured to provide context menu related functionality.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the invisible context menu associated object provides at least a subset of the context menu related functionality even when the context menu is not displayed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the invisible context menu associated object supports chaining of context menu related actions even after the context menu is no longer displayed.

12. A system, comprising:

a data storage device; and

a processor coupled to the data storage device and configured to;

receive via a software development tool interface and store in the data storage device a definition of a context menu option and an associated action; and

generate programmatically based at least in part on the definition an application code to implement the context menu at runtime, including performing processing at runtime as defined in the definition to determine one or both of the context menu option and the associated action, and to create an invisible object that is associated with an application page during execution of the application page, wherein the invisible object provides, to the context menu, information with which the context menu is updated during execution of the application page, and wherein the context menu is displayed in response to detection of a predetermined event during execution of the application page.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the definition includes an expression.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the application code includes code to evaluate the expression at runtime.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the expression includes as an argument an application context data.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the expression includes as an argument an application user interface event payload data.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the associated action includes publishing an event.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the application code includes code to create and associate with the application page at runtime an invisible context menu associated object, and wherein the invisible context menu associated object corresponds to the invisible object.

19. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving via a software development tool interface a definition of a context menu option and an associated action; and

generating programmatically based at least in part on the definition an application code to implement the context menu at runtime, including performing processing at runtime as defined in the definition to determine one or both of the context menu option and the associated action, and to create an invisible object that is associated with an application page during execution of the application page, wherein the invisible object provides, to the context menu, information with which the context menu is updated during execution of the application page, and wherein the context menu is displayed in response to detection of a predetermined event during execution of the application page.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the definition includes an expression.