User-friendly data binding, such as drag-and-drop data binding in a workflow application
First Claim
1. A system for drag-and-drop data binding, comprising:
- a first computer comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by the at least one processor to;
provide in a graphical user interface;
a first view displaying a representation of an electronic form including a representation of a control feature of the electronic form, the control feature having a particular data structure;
a second view displaying a representation of a data object configured to capture or store data, the data object being of a type conforming to the particular data structure; and
a third view displaying a representation of property information relating to the control feature;
in response to a first user using the graphical user interface at the first computer dragging and dropping the representation of the data object from the second view onto the representation of the control feature of the electronic form in the first view of the graphical user interface,automatically generate a script executable by the host application to implement the electronic form with the control feature bound to the data object for future use by a second user,the automatically generated script specific to implementing the data binding between the data object and the control feature of the electronic form such that the host application captures or stores information, entered by the second user in the electronic form through the control feature, in the data object according to the data binding between the control feature and the data object;
update a set of properties of the control feature based on the data binding between the control feature and the data object to create an updated set of properties;
detect the selection of the control feature in the graphical user interface; and
in response to detecting the selection of the control feature in the graphical user interface, display the updated set of properties of the control feature in the third view,wherein the updated set of properties of the control feature include a name of the data object and a path associated with the data object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A software facility allows for easy binding of a data component to a feature of a software component. Prior to the binding, a graphical indication of the software component and a graphical indication of the feature of the software component are displayed. In addition, an indication of an element of the data component is displayed in a display area approximately adjacent to the displayed software component. The software facility receives a user input command to bind the data component to the feature of the software component. The user input command may include dragging the indication of an element of the data component from the data component display area to the feature of the software component and subsequently dropping it on the feature. As a result, the software facility automatically generates script or code that provides executable instructions to bind the feature of the software component to the data component.
124 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for drag-and-drop data binding, comprising:
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a first computer comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by the at least one processor to; provide in a graphical user interface; a first view displaying a representation of an electronic form including a representation of a control feature of the electronic form, the control feature having a particular data structure; a second view displaying a representation of a data object configured to capture or store data, the data object being of a type conforming to the particular data structure; and a third view displaying a representation of property information relating to the control feature; in response to a first user using the graphical user interface at the first computer dragging and dropping the representation of the data object from the second view onto the representation of the control feature of the electronic form in the first view of the graphical user interface, automatically generate a script executable by the host application to implement the electronic form with the control feature bound to the data object for future use by a second user, the automatically generated script specific to implementing the data binding between the data object and the control feature of the electronic form such that the host application captures or stores information, entered by the second user in the electronic form through the control feature, in the data object according to the data binding between the control feature and the data object; update a set of properties of the control feature based on the data binding between the control feature and the data object to create an updated set of properties; detect the selection of the control feature in the graphical user interface; and in response to detecting the selection of the control feature in the graphical user interface, display the updated set of properties of the control feature in the third view, wherein the updated set of properties of the control feature include a name of the data object and a path associated with the data object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by at least one processor to:
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provide in a graphical user interface; a first view displaying a representation of an electronic form including a representation of a control feature of the electronic form, the control feature having a particular data structure; a second view displaying a representation of a data object configured to capture or store data, the data object being of a type conforming to the particular data structure; and a third view displaying a representation of property information relating to the control feature; in response to a first user using the graphical user interface at the first computer dragging and dropping the representation of the data object from the second view onto the representation of the control feature of the electronic form in the first view of the graphical user interface, automatically generate a script executable by the host application to implement the electronic form with the control feature bound to the data object for future use by a second user, the automatically generated script specific to implementing the data binding between the data object and the control feature of the electronic form such that the host application captures or stores information, entered by the second user in the electronic form through the control feature, in the data object according to the data binding between the control feature and the data object; update a set of properties of the control feature based on the data binding between the control feature and the data object to create an updated set of properties; detect the selection of the control feature in the graphical user interface; and in response to detecting the selection of the control feature in the graphical user interface, display the updated set of properties of the control feature in the third view, wherein the updated set of properties of the control feature include a name of the data object and a path associated with the data object. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for drag-and-drop data binding comprising:
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providing, by a first computer, a graphical user interface for configuring components of a host application, the graphical user interface comprising; a first view displaying a representation of an electronic form including a representation of a control feature of the electronic form; a second view displaying a representation of a data object configured to capture or store data; and a third view displaying a representation of property information relating to the control feature; in response to a first user using the graphical user interface at the first computer dragging and dropping the representation of the data object from the second view onto the representation of the control feature of the electronic form in the first view of the graphical user interface, the host application automatically generating a script executable by the host application to implement the electronic form with the control feature bound to the data object for future use by a second user, the automatically generated script specific to implementing the data binding between the data object and the control feature of the electronic form such that the host application captures or stores information, entered by the second user in the electronic form through the control feature, in the data object according to the data binding between the control feature and the data object; updating a set of properties of the control feature based on the data binding between the control feature and the data object to create an updated set of properties; detecting the selection of the control feature in the graphical user interface; and in response to detecting the selection of the control feature in the graphical user interface, displaying the updated set of properties of the control feature in the third view, wherein the updated set of properties of the control feature include a name of the data object and a path associated with the data object. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification