Triggered event handler addition

• US 9,678,931 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axure Software Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Axure Software Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsu, Victor, Smith, Martin, Fraser, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Cuong V
• Application Number:
  US15/011,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20160147720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an intuitive method for the specification of a design as follows. A widget is added to the design at the direction of a user. The widget has an event and an event handler. A second widget is added to the design. The design is exported from a design program and an instantiation of the design is created that is capable of being rendered by an external player. Executing the event handler adds a second event handler to a second widget in the instantiation of the design.

Claims

1. A method executed by software instructions by a hardware processor comprising:

presenting a widget interface in a design program, wherein the design program is implemented using a processing system and a memory;

adding a first widget to a design in response to a drag command performed with a menu in the design program;

adding, after the first widget is added to the design, a second widget to the design;

adding an event and a first event handler to the first widget in the design in response to a command received through the widget interface, and

exporting the design comprising the first widget and the second widget from the design program using the processing system, wherein the exporting step creates an instantiation of the design that is capable of being rendered by an external player;

wherein the first event handler adds a second event handler to the second widget in the design upon an occurrence defined by the event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the external player is a web browser;

the design includes interaction data; and

the interaction data is capable of being rendered by the web browser only after the design has been exported from the design tool.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second widget is added to the design before the first event handler is added to the design.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the external player is a web browser;

the design includes interaction data;

the interaction data is capable of being rendered by the web browser only after it has been exported from the design tool; and

the second event handler is added to the second widget in the instantiation of the design while the instantiation of the design is rendered by the web browser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the external player is a web browser;

the design includes interaction data;

the interaction data is capable of being rendered by the web browser only after the design has been exported from the design tool; and

the instantiation of the design consists of HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to implement a design tool capable of executing a method, the method comprising:

presenting a widget interface in a design program, wherein the design program is implemented using a processing system and a memory;

adding a first widget to a design in response to a drag command performed with a menu in the design program;

adding, after the first widget is added to the design, a second widget to the design;

adding an event and a first event handler to the first widget in the design in response to a command received through the widget interface; and

exporting the design comprising the first widget and the second widget from the design program using the processing system, wherein the exporting step creates an instantiation of the design that is capable of being rendered by an external player;

wherein the first event handler adds a second event handler to the second widget in the design upon an occurrence defined by the event.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein:

the external player is a web browser;

the design includes interaction data; and

the interaction data is capable of being rendered by the web browser only after the design has been exported from the design tool.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the second widget is added to the design before the first event handler is added to the design.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein:

the external player is a web browser;

the design includes interaction data;

the interaction data is capable of being rendered by the web browser only after the design has been exported from the design tool; and

the second event handler is added to the second widget in the instantiation of the design while the instantiation of the design is rendered by the web browser.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein:

the external player is a web browser;

the design includes interaction data;

the interaction data is capable of being rendered by the web browser only after the design has been exported from the design tool; and

the instantiation of the design consists of HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the second widget is used to display an image to an end user of the design while the design is rendered in an external player.

12. A method executed by software instructions by a hardware processor comprising:

providing a design space to a user of a design tool, via a processing system, the design space allowing the user of the design tool to specify a design;

providing a specification interface for the user, via the processing system, the specification interface allowing the user of the design tool to define specifications for the design;

accepting a first specification from the user via a first drag command performed with the specification interface;

accepting a second specification from the user via the specification interface, the second specification defining a first action for the design to execute upon a first occurrence;

accepting a third specification from the user via the specification interface;

accepting a fourth specification from the user via the specification interface; and

exporting the design using the processing system, the exporting step producing an exported design;

wherein the first action is executed upon the first occurrence in the exported design; and

the first action involves the addition of the third specification to the fourth specification, the third specification defining a second action for the exported design to execute upon a second occurrence.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the first specification is for a unitary design element;

the second specification is for an occurrence specification and an action specification; and

after the third specification is added to the exported design, the unitary design element comprises the occurrence specification for the occurrence and the action specification for the action.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the fourth specification is a second unitary design element; and

the first and second unitary design elements comprise widgets.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the exported design is a web page; and

the occurrence is a click on the web page.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the exported design is a web page;

the design includes interaction data; and

the interaction data is capable of being rendered only after the design has been exported.