Action flow client framework

• US 9,189,761 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Text Corporation
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Totale, Sachin G., Thiruvasagam, Rajakumar, Gururao, Srinivasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US13/474,501
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

Interface control(s) associated with declaratively defining an action flow are provided; the action flow includes a desired outcome of an action flow. Information associated with a user interface page is received; this information includes a state during which the user interface page is displayed. Information associated with a business service associated with a content management server is received; that information includes a state during which the business service is performed on the content management server. In the action flow definition, a first association between the user interface page and the state during which the user interface page is displayed and a second association between the business service and the state during which the business service is invoked on the content management server are recorded.

Claims

1. A system for recording information in an action flow definition, comprising:

an interface configured to;

provide one or more interface controls associated with declaratively defining an action flow, wherein the declaratively-defined action flow includes a desired outcome of an action flow;

receive, via the one or more interface controls, information associated with a user interface page, wherein the received information associated with the user interface page includes a state during which the user interface page is displayed; and

receive, via the one or more interface controls, information associated with a business service associated with a content management server, wherein the received information associated with the business service includes a state during which the business service is performed on the content management server; and

a processor configured to record, in the action flow definition, a first association between the user interface page and the state during which the user interface page is displayed and a second association between the business service and the state during which the business service is invoked on the content management server, wherein;

a client device is configured to receive the action flow definition from a front-end server; and

the client device is configured to perform the action flow definition, including by;

(1) displaying the user interface page during the first state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server and (2) triggering the business service to be performed on the content management server during the second state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more interface controls include a first interface control having a first shape which is associated with a first type of state and a second interface control having a second shape which is associated with a second type of state.

3. The system recited in claim 2, wherein the first type of state includes at least one of the following:

a view state, an action state, a decision state, or an end state.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more interface controls include an interface control associated with assigning information to a selected state, wherein the assigned information is permitted to be one or more of the following:

a user interface page, a business service associated with a content management server, a process associated with a client device, a transition, a decision, a condition, or a name of the selected state.

5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the one or more interface controls include an interface control associated with performing an error check on the action flow definition;

the processor is further configured to perform the error check on the action flow definition; and

the interface is further configured to present information associated with an error detected as a result of performing the error check on the action flow definition.

6. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the one or more interface controls include an interface control associated with simulating an action flow using the action flow definition;

the processor is further configured to simulate the action flow definition; and

the interface is further configured to present information resulting from the simulation of the action flow definition.

7. The system recited in claim 6, wherein the information resulting from the simulation of the action flow definition includes one or more of the following:

a name of a current state, a name of a business service associated with the current state, a data value associated with the current state, or a name of a user interface page associated with the current state.

8. A computer program product for recording information in an action flow definition, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions stored in memory executed by a hardware processor for:

providing one or more interface controls associated with declaratively defining an action flow, wherein the declaratively-defined action flow includes a desired outcome of an action flow;

receiving, via the one or more interface controls, information associated with a user interface page, wherein the received information associated with the user interface page includes a state during which the user interface page is displayed;

receiving, via the one or more interface controls, information associated with a business service associated with a content management server, wherein the received information associated with the business service includes a state during which the business service is performed on the content management server; and

recording, in the action flow definition, a first association between the user interface page and the state during which the user interface page is displayed and a second association between the business service and the state during which the business service is invoked on the content management server, wherein;

a client device is configured to receive the action flow definition from a front-end server; and

the client device is configured to perform the action flow definition, including by;

(1) displaying the user interface page during the first state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server and (2) triggering the business service to be performed on the content management server during the second state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server.

9. The computer program product recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more interface controls include a first interface control having a first shape which is associated with a first type of state and a second interface control having a second shape which is associated with a second type of state.

10. The computer program product recited in claim 9, wherein the first type of state includes at least one of the following:

a view state, an action state, a decision state, or an end state.

11. The computer program product recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more interface controls include an interface control associated with assigning information to a selected state, wherein the assigned information is permitted to be one or more of the following:

a user interface page, a business service associated with a content management server, a process associated with a client device, a transition, a decision, a condition, or a name of the selected state.

12. The computer program product recited in claim 8, wherein:

the one or more interface controls include an interface control associated with performing an error check on the action flow definition; and

the computer program product further comprises computer instructions for;

performing the error check on the action flow definition; and

presenting information associated with an error detected as a result of performing the error check on the action flow definition.

13. The computer program product recited in claim 8, wherein:

the one or more interface controls include an interface control associated with simulating an action flow using the action flow definition; and

the computer program product further comprises computer instructions for;

simulating the action flow definition; and

presenting information resulting from the simulation of the action flow definition.

14. The computer program product recited in claim 13, wherein the information resulting from the simulation of the action flow definition includes one or more of the following:

a name of a current state, a name of a business service associated with the current state, a data value associated with the current state, or a name of a user interface page associated with the current state.

15. A system for providing an action flow definition, comprising:

a front-end server configured to provide, to a client device, an action flow definition which includes a first association between a user interface page and a first state during which the user interface page is displayed and a second association between a business service associated with a content management server and a second state during which the business service is performed on the content management server, wherein;

the action flow definition is agnostic with respect to user interface technology, on the client device, associated with displaying; and

the client device is configured to perform the action flow definition, including by;

(1) displaying the user interface page during the first state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server and (2) triggering the business service to be performed on the content management server during the second state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server; and

a content management server which is configured to perform, in response to the trigger from the client, the business service.

16. The system recited in claim 15, wherein the action flow definition includes JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).

17. The system recited in claim 15, wherein:

the action flow definition provided from the front-end server to the client device is a first action flow definition; and

the front-end server is further configured to generate the first action flow definition based at least in part on a second action flow definition which is stored on the front-end server.

18. The system recited in claim 17, wherein the front-end server is configured to generate the first action flow definition is triggered by a request from the client device.

19. A computer program product for providing an action flow definition,

the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions stored in memory executed by a hardware processor for:

providing, to a client device, an action flow definition which includes a first association between a user interface page and a first state during which the user interface page is displayed and a second association between a business service associated with a content management server and a second state during which the business service is performed on the content management server, wherein;

the action flow definition is agnostic with respect to user interface technology, on the client device, associated with displaying; and

the client device is configured to perform the action flow definition, including by (1) displaying the user interface page during the first state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server and (2) triggering the business service to be performed on the content management server during the second state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server; and

performing, in response to the trigger from the client, the business service on the content management server.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 19, wherein the action flow definition includes JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).

21. The computer program product recited in claim 19, wherein:

the action flow definition provided from the front-end server to the client device is a first action flow definition; and

the computer program product further includes computer instructions for generating the first action flow definition based at least in part on a second action flow definition which is stored on the front-end server.

22. The computer program product recited in claim 21, wherein the computer instructions for generating the first action flow definition are triggered by a request from the client device.

23. A method for recording information in an action flow definition, including:

providing one or more interface controls associated with declaratively defining an action flow, wherein the declaratively-defined action flow includes a desired outcome of an action flow;

receiving, via the one or more interface controls, information associated with a user interface page, wherein the received information associated with the user interface page includes a state during which the user interface page is displayed;

receiving, via the one or more interface controls, information associated with a business service associated with a content management server, wherein the received information associated with the business service includes a state during which the business service is performed on the content management server; and

recording, in the action flow definition, a first association between the user interface page and the state during which the user interface page is displayed and a second association between the business service and the state during which the business service is invoked on the content management server, wherein;

a client device is configured to receive the action flow definition from a front-end server; and

the client device is configured to perform the action flow definition, including by;

(1) displaying the user interface page during the first state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server and (2) triggering the business service to be performed on the content management server during the second state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server.

24. A method for providing an action flow definition, including:

providing, to a client device, an action flow definition which includes a first association between a user interface page and a first state during which the user interface page is displayed and a second association between a business service associated with a content management server and a second state during which the business service is performed on the content management server, wherein;

the action flow definition is agnostic with respect to user interface technology, on the client device, associated with displaying; and

the client device is configured to perform the action flow definition, including by (1) displaying the user interface page during the first state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server and (2) triggering the business service to be performed on the content management server during the second state based on the action flow definition provided to the client device by the front-end server; and

performing, in response to the trigger from the client, the business service on the content management server.