System and software for creation and modification of software

• US 9,678,719 B1
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pegasystems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pegasystems Incorporated
• Inventors: Frenkel, Benjamin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Cuong V
• Application Number:
  US13/897,763
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation

Abstract

Described herein is a system comprising an App Generator (application generator) comprising executable program instructions that define one or more constraints. The one or more constraints embody one or more rules for converting an information structure into one or more components of a software application. The system also includes a digital data processor executing said executable program instructions to: i. provide a user interface; ii. accept input data that defines the information structure; and iii. apply the one or more constraints to said input data to generate the one or more components of the software application.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a user interface associated with a particular step in a workflow associated with an application, the method comprising:

executing, on a digital data processor, the workflow associated with the application, wherein execution of the workflow creates at least one instance of a data object; and

displaying a plurality of user interface elements including a visual indication that the particular step is currently selected for execution by the digital data processor as part of the workflow, wherein execution of the particular step will create a first instance of the data object using the workflow; and

displaying a first element among the plurality of user interface elements, wherein responsive to selecting the first element, the digital data processor executes the particular step to create the first instance of the data object and the user interface prompts to create a second instance of the data object using the workflow while visually indicating that the particular step is still currently selected for execution as part of the workflow, the user interface further comprising a section for listing object instances that have already been created, and wherein responsive to selecting the first element, the section is updated to list the created first instance of the data object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first instance of the data object includes information that was provided through the user interface that displayed the particular step in the workflow.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user interface elements further include a second element that is selectable to proceed to execution of a next step that follows the particular step in the workflow.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to selecting the second element, executing the particular step to create the first instance of the data object and the user interface visually indicates that the next step is currently selected for execution after the particular step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first element is a button that represents a process action associated with the particular step.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the digital data processor can be any of a client processor and a server processor, and

wherein the client processor and the server processor operate in any of a thin client, thick client, rich client, and cloud computing environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow includes one or more process actions.

8. A system for displaying a user interface associated with a particular step in a workflow associated with an application, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a digital data processor configured to execute program instructions stored in the memory to;

execute the workflow associated with the application, wherein execution of the workflow creates at least one instance of a data object;

display a plurality of user interface elements including a visual indication that the particular step is currently selected for execution by the digital data processor as part of the workflow, wherein execution of the particular step will create a first instance of the data object using the workflow; and

display a first element among the plurality of user interface elements, wherein responsive to selecting the first element, the digital data processor executes the particular step to create the first instance of the data object and the user interface prompts to create a second instance of the data object using the workflow while visually indicating that the particular step is still currently selected for execution as part of the workflow, the user interface further comprising a section for listing object instances that have already been created, and wherein responsive to selecting the first element, the section is updated to list the created first instance of the data object.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first instance of the data object includes information that was provided through the user interface that displayed the particular step in the workflow.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of user interface elements further include a second element that is selectable to proceed to execution of a next step that follows the particular step in the workflow.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein responsive to selecting the second element, the particular step is executed to create the first instance of the data object and the user interface visually indicates that the next step is currently selected for execution after the particular step.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the first element is a button that represents a process action associated with the particular step.

13. The system of claim 8,

wherein the digital data processor can be any of a client processor and a server processor, and

wherein the client processor and the server processor operate in any of a thin client, thick client, rich client, and cloud computing environment.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the workflow includes one or more process actions.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium providing program code for use by a digital data processor, operable for displaying a user interface associated with a particular step in a workflow associated with an application, and when executed operable to:

execute, using the digital data processor, the workflow associated with the application, wherein execution of the workflow creates at least one instance of a data object;

display a plurality of user interface elements including a visual indication that the particular step is currently selected for execution by the digital data processor as part of the workflow, wherein execution of the particular step will create a first instance of the data object using the workflow; and

display a first element among the plurality of user interface elements, wherein responsive to selecting the first element, the digital data processor executes the particular step to create the first instance of the data object and the user interface prompts to create a second instance of the data object using the workflow while visually indicating that the particular step is still currently selected for execution as part of the workflow, the user interface further comprising a section for listing object instances that have already been created, and wherein responsive to selecting the first element, the section is updated to list the created first instance of the data object.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first instance of the data object includes information that was provided through the user interface that displayed the particular step in the workflow.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of user interface elements further include a second element that is selectable to proceed to execution of a next step that follows the particular step in the workflow.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein responsive to selecting the second element, the program code is operable to execute the particular step to create the first instance of the data object and the user interface visually indicates that the next step is currently selected for execution after the particular step.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first element is a button that represents a process action associated with the particular step.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15,

wherein the digital data processor can be any of a client processor and a server processor, and

wherein the client processor and the server processor operate in any of a thin client, thick client, rich client, and cloud computing environment.