Application builder based on metadata

• US 9,760,343 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Noens, Ludo Franciscus Maria, Zhou, Yiquan, Wang, Qiushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Hang
• Application Number:
  US14/556,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20160154629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 717107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A framework for building applications is described herein. In accordance with one aspect, App metadata of an App may be specified by a user. The App metadata includes configuration information of the App. The App metadata and build rules may be input into a pre-build module to generate build scripts for building the App. The build scripts may be based on the App metadata and build rules. The build scripts may be provided to a build module to build the App for deployment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of a build process for generating a build script for building a hybrid application (App) in an integrated development environment (IDE), comprising:

providing the hybrid App for the build process, the hybrid App has been developed using a code editor in the IDE, wherein source code of the hybrid App is generated by the code editor during development of the hybrid App;

generating, by an App metadata editor in the IDE, App metadata of the hybrid App to be built in response to user input in a graphical user interface (GUI) of the metadata editor, wherein the metadata editor receives configuration information of the hybrid App via the user input in the GUI including preferences and information about the build environment setup, data sources and plugins of the hybrid App, the App metadata includes the configuration information of the developed hybrid App to be built by the build process;

inputting the App metadata and source code of the hybrid App and build rules to a build script engine to generate build scripts for the build process of the developed hybrid App, wherein the build rules comprise a rules set that is specific to an application model of the hybrid App to be built by the build process;

automatically generating, by the build script engine, build scripts of the build process for building the hybrid App, wherein the build script engine extracts information used for building and configuring the hybrid App from the App metadata and uses rules set specific to the hybrid App to generate the build scripts, the build scripts provide files needed for building the hybrid App; and

providing the build scripts to a build module, wherein the build module builds the hybrid App using the build scripts for deployment.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 comprising specifying the build rules for inputting to the build script engine, wherein the build rules determine actions and timing of actions of resources based on application type.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the build rules include different build rules for different application type.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 comprising generating a build trigger by the build script engine after the build scripts are generated to initiate the build.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 comprising:

comparing the build rules, App metadata and source code of the hybrid App with build rules, App metadata and source code of a previous version of the hybrid App if there is a previous version of the hybrid App;

generating a delta list based on the differences determined by comparing the build rules, App metadata and source code of the hybrid App with the build rules, App metadata and source code of the previous version of the hybrid App, wherein the delta list comprises a list of steps for the build or partial build; and

generating the build scripts based on the delta list.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the configuration information of the hybrid App further comprises workflow, App information, or a combination thereof.

7. A system for a build process in an integrated development environment (IDE) for building a hybrid application (App), comprising:

a non-transitory memory device for storing computer readable program code; and

a processor in communication with the memory device, the processor being operative with the computer readable program code to implement

a UI module for facilitating navigation of the IDE by a user for building the hybrid App, the UI module includes a graphical user interface that receives user input;

an App programming module, the App programming module comprises resources for designing and coding the hybrid App, wherein the App programming module generates source code of the hybrid App during development of the hybrid App and provides the developed hybrid App for the build process;

a pre-build module, wherein the pre-build module comprises,

an app metadata editor that generates App metadata of the hybrid App which has been developed, the App metadata is generated in response to the user input of configuration information of the hybrid App in the graphical user interface including preferences and information about the build environment setup, data sources and plugins of the hybrid App, the App metadata includes the configuration information of the developed hybrid App to be built by the build process,

a build rules block containing build rules, wherein the build rules comprise a rules set that is specific to an application model of the hybrid App to be built,

a build script engine, wherein the build script engine

receives the App metadata and source code of the hybrid App and build rules to generate build scripts for the build process of the developed hybrid App,

automatically generates build scripts of the build process for building the hybrid App, wherein the build script engine extracts from the App metadata information used for building and configuring the hybrid App and uses rules set specific to the hybrid App to generate the build scripts, the build scripts provide files needed for building the hybrid App, and

generates a build trigger when the build scripts are generated; and

a deployment module, wherein in response to the generated build trigger and build scripts, the deployment module builds the hybrid App using the build scripts and deploys the hybrid App after the build.

8. The integrated development environment of claim 7 wherein the build script engine comprises:

a build rules parser for processing the build rules from the build rules block;

an App metadata parser for processing the App metadata;

a build script generator, the build script generator generates the build scripts based on the processed build rules and processed App metadata; and

a trigger generator for generating the build trigger after the build scripts are generated.

9. The integrated development environment of claim 8 wherein:

the build script engine comprises a delta detection block, the delta detection block

compares the processed App metadata, processed build rules and source code of the hybrid App with App metadata, build rules and source code of a previous version of the hybrid App, and

generates a delta list comprising build steps based on the differences; and

the build script generator generates the build scripts based on the build rules, App metadata and delta list.

10. The integrated development environment of claim 8 wherein the build script engine comprises:

a rules configuration block;

a task scheduler; and

wherein the rules configuration block and task scheduler determine scheduling of build actions of the processed build rules from the build rules parser, the scheduling of build actions are provided to the build script generator for generating the build scripts.

11. The integrated development environment of claim 10 wherein:

the build script engine comprises a delta detection block, the delta detection block

compares the processed App metadata, processed build rules and source code of the hybrid App with App metadata, build rules and source code of a previous version of the hybrid App, and

generates a delta list comprising build steps based on the differences; and

the build script generator generates the build scripts based on the build rules, App metadata, delta list and scheduling of build actions.

12. The integrated development environment of claim 11 wherein the build scripts from the build script generator comprises:

a partial build for an update of the hybrid App which do not need a complete build;

a complete build for an update of the hybrid App which requires a complete build; and

a complete build for a new hybrid App.

13. The integrated development environment of claim 7 comprising a rules editor for generating and editing the build rules.

14. The integrated development environment of claim 13 wherein the build rules comprises build rules metadata.

15. The integrated development environment of claim 13 wherein the rules editor is the same as the App metadata editor.

16. The integrated development environment of claim 7 wherein the configuration information of the hybrid App further comprises:

workflow; and

application information.

17. The integrated development environment of claim 7 wherein App metadata comprises metadata for:

platform;

preferences;

plugins;

application id;

author of the hybrid App;

description of the hybrid App;

version of the hybrid App;

dependencies; and

data sources.

18. The integrated development environment of claim 16 comprising a cloud-based IDE.

19. A system for a build process in an integrated development environment (IDE) for building a hybrid App, comprising:

a non-transitory memory device for storing computer readable program code; and

a processor in communication with the memory device, the processor being operative with the computer readable program code to implement

a UI module for facilitating navigation of the IDE by a user for building the hybrid App, the UI module includes a graphical user interface that receives user input of configuration information of the hybrid App to be built;

an App programming module, the App programming module comprises resources for designing and coding the hybrid App, wherein the App programming module generates source code of the hybrid App during development of the hybrid App and provides the developed hybrid App for the build process;

a pre-build module, wherein the pre-build module comprises,

an app metadata editor that generates App metadata of the hybrid App which has been developed and which is to be built by the build process in response to the user input of the configuration information of the hybrid App in the graphical user interface including preferences and information about the build environment setup, data sources and plugins of the hybrid App, the App metadata includes the configuration information of the developed hybrid App to be built by the build process;

a build rules block containing build rules, wherein the build rules describe build actions to be performed and sequence of the build actions, the build rules comprise a rules set that is specific to an application model of the hybrid App to be built;

a build script engine, the build script engine comprising,

a build rules parser for processing the build rules from the build rules block,

an App metadata parser for processing the App metadata generated by the metadata editor and extracting information used for building and configuring the hybrid App,

a build script generator, the build script generator automatically generates build scripts in response to the processed build rules and processed App metadata, the build scripts provide files needed for building the hybrid App, and

a trigger generator for generating a build trigger after the build scripts are generated; and

a deployment module, wherein in response to the generated build trigger, the deployment module builds the hybrid App based on the build scripts and deploys the hybrid App after the build.

20. The integrated development environment of claim 19 wherein:

the build script engine comprises a delta detection block, the delta detection block

compares the processed App metadata, processed build rules and source code of the hybrid App with App metadata, build rules and source code of a previous version of the hybrid App, and

generates a delta list comprising build steps based on the differences; and

the build script generator generates the build scripts based on the build rules, App metadata and delta list.