Techniques for evaluating applications through use of an auxiliary application

• US 9,772,930 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Rumsey, Anthony Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Ziaul A
• Application Number:
  US14/745,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for evaluating an application under development through use of a viewer application executing in a computer. The computer retrieves an application package comprising code for a target application to be evaluated in the computer. The code for the target application is stored in a memory of the computer accessible to the viewer application. The code for the target application is stored without installing the target application as a stand-alone application on the computer. Code of the viewer application is executed in order to execute the stored code for the target application for evaluation. Executing the stored code of the target application executes the target application within the execution of the viewer application.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating an application under development through use of a viewer application executing in a mobile device, the method comprising:

retrieving, in the mobile device, an application package comprising code for a target application to be evaluated in the mobile device;

modifying the code for the target application in the mobile device to include a reference to code for retrieving, from within a user interface generated for the target application, a different version of the target application without reverting to the user interface of the viewer application;

storing the modified code for the target application in a memory of the mobile device accessible to the viewer application, the modified code for the target application stored without installing the target application as a stand-alone application on the mobile device;

in response to receiving input corresponding to a request to retrieve the different version of the target application;

retrieving, in the mobile device, the different version of the target application from a server;

storing the code for the different version of the target application in the memory of the mobile device accessible to the viewer application, the code for the different version of the target application stored without installing the different version of the target application as a stand-alone application on the mobile device; and

executing the different version of the target application by executing the stored code of the different version of the target application from within the execution of the viewer application; and

executing code of the viewer application to execute the stored code for the target application for evaluation, wherein executing the stored code of the target application executes the target application within the execution of the viewer application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the code for the target application is modified in the mobile device to include a reference to code for a user interface of the viewer application, wherein, during execution, the target application monitors for input corresponding to a request to return to the user interface of the viewer application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to return to the user interface of the viewer application, initiating execution of the code for the user interface of the viewer application identified by the reference.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the input corresponding to the request to return to the user interface of the viewer application is a gesture applied to a touch-sensitive display.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, in the mobile device, a list of applications available for evaluation from a content management system (CMS), wherein said retrieving the application package occurs in response to receiving input selecting the target application from the list of applications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the code for the target application includes a network address for a server from which published updates to the target application can be obtained;

and

further comprising modifying the network address to identify a different server from which developmental updates to the target application can be obtained.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the target application to include code for capturing a screenshot of the user interface generated for the target application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, in response to receiving input corresponding to a request to capture the screenshot of the user interface generated for the target application:

capturing the screenshot of the user interface generated for the target application; and

transmitting the screenshot to a server.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a viewer application for evaluating an application under development, the viewer application executable in a mobile device, comprising code that:

retrieves an application package comprising code for a target application to be evaluated in the mobile device;

modifies the code for the target application in the mobile device to include a reference to code for retrieving, from within a user interface generated for the target application, a different version of the target application without reverting to the user interface of the viewer application;

stores the modified code for the target application in a memory of the mobile device accessible to the viewer application, the modified code for the target application stored without installing the target application as a stand-alone application on the mobile device;

in response to receiving input corresponding to a request to retrieve the different version of the target application;

retrieves the different version of the target application from a server;

stores the code for the different version of the target application in the memory of the mobile device accessible to the viewer application, the code for the different version of the target application stored without installing the different version of the target application as a stand-alone application on the mobile device; and

executes the different version of the target application by executing the stored code of the different version of the target application from within the execution of the viewer application; and

executes code of the viewer application to execute the stored code for the target application for evaluation, wherein executing the stored code of the target application executes the target application within the execution of the viewer application.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the viewer application further comprises code that modifies the code for the target application in the mobile device to include a reference to code for a user interface of the viewer application, wherein, during execution, the target application monitors for input corresponding to a request to return to the user interface of the viewer application.

11. A system for evaluating an application under development through use of a viewer application, the system comprising:

a mobile device comprising a processor and a memory; and

the viewer application executed in the mobile device, the viewer application comprising logic that;

retrieves an application package comprising code for a target application to be evaluated in the mobile device;

modifies the code for the target application in the mobile device to include a reference to code for retrieving, from within a user interface generated for the target application, a different version of the target application without reverting to the user interface of the viewer application;

stores the modified code for the target application in the memory accessible to the viewer application, the modified code for the target application stored without installing the target application as a stand-alone application on the mobile device;

in response to receiving input corresponding to a request to retrieve the different version of the target application;

retrieves the different version of the target application from a server;

stores the code for the different version of the target application in the memory of the mobile device accessible to the viewer application, the code for the different version of the target application stored without installing the different version of the target application as a stand-alone application on the mobile device; and

executes the different version of the target application by executing the stored code of the different version of the target application from within the execution of the viewer application; and

executes code of the viewer application to execute the stored code for the target application for evaluation, wherein executing the stored code of the target application executes the target application within the execution of the viewer application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the viewer application further comprises logic that modifies the code for the target application in the mobile device to include a reference to code for a user interface of the viewer application, wherein, during execution, the target application monitors for input corresponding to a request to return to the user interface of the viewer application.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the input corresponding to the request to return to the user interface of the viewer application is a gesture applied to a touch-sensitive display.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the code for the target application includes a network address for a server from which published updates to the target application can be obtained;

and

the viewer application further comprises logic that modifies the network address to identify a different server from which developmental updates to the target application can be obtained.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the viewer application further comprises logic that modifies the target application to include code for capturing a screenshot of the user interface generated for the target application.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the viewer application further comprises logic that generates a list of applications available for evaluation in a content management system (CMS), wherein said retrieving the application package occurs in response to receiving input selecting the target application from the list of applications.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein retrieving another a different version of the target application further comprises retrieving an updated version of the target application from the CMS.