Methods and systems for dynamically creating user interfaces

• US 20050066270A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Grossman, Joel K., Aust, Brian S., Hellyar, Paul S., Ali, Arish
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/88 Mark-up to mark-up conversion conversion for visualization in web browsing G06F16/9577
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A data presentation system dynamically generates and renders a user interface (UI) in the form of a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document. Extensible Markup Language (XML) data files contain data that defines the UI. The XML data is maintained independently of any application and/or computing system'"'"'s settings and controls that define the presentation of the UI. The XML data files also have reference links to secondary data files that contain data further defining the UI. The UI is dynamically generated when an application invokes the XML data files. The HTML document incorporates the data from both the XML data files and from the secondary data files when rendering the UI.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media, comprising:

an identifier attribute that identifies an extensible markup language (XML) data structure which defines a user interface (UI), the identifier attribute intuitively identifying the data as user interface data;

an identifier element that identifies the XML data structure as a navigable node in a navigation architecture, the navigable node labeled as the identifier attribute;

an extending attribute that defines whether the XML data structure will be an extension to an existing navigable node in the navigation architecture;

a permissions attribute that defines a user access permission to the XML data structure;

an extensible attribute that designates that the navigable node will not have any children nodes in the navigation architecture;

a replaceable attribute that designates that the navigable node cannot be replaced by another navigable node in the navigation architecture;

a title element that defines a name for the navigable node to be displayed on the UI, the name being different than the identifier attribute;

a short title element that defines a second name for the navigable node, the second name being a shorter version of the title element name;

a description element that defines a function of the navigable node;

a textual element that defines text for a tool tip, the text configured to be displayed on the UI;

an image element that defines an image to be displayed on the UI;

a target element that defines a navigation target to the navigable node;

a search target element that defines a navigable node for a searching UI;

a keywords element that defines one or more words on the UI, the one or more words being identified as search targets for the UI;

a directive element that defines text to be displayed on the UI, the text describing to a user what actions can be initiated on the UI;

a relational element that defines one or more reference links to one or more related UIs, the one or more reference links being a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture;

a help element that defines one or more reference links to one or more help topics that are related to the UI, the one or more reference links being a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture;

a file element that defines a location of hypertext markup language (HTML) data that is configured to be displayed on the UI; and

a second file element that defines a location of a commands file, the commands file defining commands to be displayed on the UI.

2. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system, comprising:

an extensible markup language (XML) data file having XML data configured to define a control panel UI;

a second data file having secondary data configured to further define the control panel UI;

the XML data file having a reference link to the second data file;

a browser to process the XML data and the second data to dynamically generate the control panel UI, the control panel UI data in the XML data file including;

an identifier attribute that identifies the XML data as user interface data;

an identifier element that identifies the XML data file as a navigable node in a navigation architecture, the navigable node labeled as the identifier attribute;

an extending attribute that defines whether the XML data file will be an extension to an existing navigable node in the navigation architecture;

a permissions attribute that defines a user access permission to the XML data file;

an extensible attribute that designates that the navigable node will not have any children nodes in the navigation architecture;

a replaceable attribute that designates that the navigable node cannot be replaced by another navigable node in the navigation architecture;

a title element that defines a name for the navigable node to be displayed on the UI, the name being different than the identifier attribute;

a short title element that defines a second name for the navigable node, the second name being a shorter version of the title element name;

a description element that defines a function of the navigable node;

a textual element that defines text for a tool tip, the text configured to be displayed on the UI;

an image element that defines an image to be displayed on the UI;

a target element that defines a navigation target to the navigable node;

a search target element that defines a navigable node for a searching UI;

a keywords element that defines one or more words on the UI, the one or more words being identified as search targets for the UI;

a directive element that defines text to be displayed on the UI, the text describing to a user what actions can be initiated on the UI;

a relational element that defines one or more reference links to one or more related UIs, the one or more reference links being a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture;

a help element that defines one or more reference links to one or more help topics that are related to the UI, the one or more reference links being a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture;

a file element that defines a location of hypertext markup language (HTML) data that is configured to be displayed on the UI; and

a second file element that defines a location of a commands file, the commands file defining commands to be displayed on the UI.

3. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system as recited in claim 2, further comprising an XML schema configured to define a format of the control panel UI data in the XML data file and in the second data file.

4. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system as recited in claim 2, further comprising an extensible stylesheet language (XSL) template wherein the browser has an XSL processor to process the XML data and the second data to dynamically generate the control panel UI.

5. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system as recited in claim 2, wherein the control panel UI is a dynamically generated hypertext markup language (HTML) document.

6. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system as recited in claim 2, wherein the browser renders the control panel UI, the control panel UI incorporating the control panel UI data contained in the XML data file and in the second data file.

7. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system as recited in claim 2, wherein the reference link is a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture, the reference link being configured to intuitively describe the second data.

8. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system, comprising:

an extensible markup language (XML) data file having data configured to define a control panel UI;

one or more secondary data files having control panel UI data configured to further define the control panel UI;

the XML data file having a reference link to the one or more secondary data files;

an XML schema configured to define a format of the control panel UI data in the XML data file and in the one or more secondary data files;

an extensible stylesheet language (XSL) template;

a browser having an XSL processor to process the control panel UI data with the XSL template to dynamically generate the control panel UI;

the control panel UI data in the XML data file and in the one or more secondary data files including;

an identifier attribute that identifies the XML data as user interface data;

an identifier element that identifies the XML data file as a navigable node in a navigation architecture, the navigable node labeled as the identifier attribute;

an extending attribute that defines whether the XML data file will be an extension to an existing navigable node in the navigation architecture;

a permissions attribute that defines a user access permission to the XML data file;

an extensible attribute that designates that the navigable node will not have any children nodes in the navigation architecture;

a replaceable attribute that designates that the navigable node cannot be replaced by another navigable node in the navigation architecture;

a title element that defines a name for the navigable node to be displayed on the UI, the name being different than the identifier attribute;

a short title element that defines a second name for the navigable node, the second name being a shorter version of the title element name;

a description element that defines a function of the navigable node;

a textual element that defines text for a tool tip, the text configured to be displayed on the UI;

an image element that defines an image to be displayed on the UI;

a target element that defines a navigation target to the navigable node;

a search target element that defines a navigable node for a searching UI;

a keywords element that defines one or more words on the UI, the one or more words being identified as search targets for the UI;

a directive element that defines text to be displayed on the UI, the text describing to a user what actions can be initiated on the UI;

a relational element that defines one or more reference links to one or more related UIs, the one or more reference links being a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture;

a help element that defines one or more reference links to one or more help topics that are related to the UI, the one or more reference links being a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture;

a file element that defines a location of hypertext markup language (HTML) data that is configured to be displayed on the UI; and

a second file element that defines a location of a commands file, the commands file defining commands to be displayed on the UI.

9. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system as recited in claim 8, wherein the control panel UI is a dynamically generated hypertext markup language (HTML) document.

10. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system as recited in claim 8, wherein the browser renders the control panel UI, the control panel UI incorporating the control panel UI data contained in the XML data file and in the one or more secondary data files.

11. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system as recited in claim 8, wherein the reference link is a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture, the reference link being configured to intuitively describe the control panel UI data in the one or more secondary data files.

12. A control panel user interface (UI) presentation system comprising:

means for invoking an XML data file having XML data configured to define a control panel UI and having a reference link to reference a second data file having secondary data configured to further define the control panel UI;

means for loading the XML data and the secondary data into a browser;

means for verifying that the XML data and the secondary data is a valid representation of an XML schema, the XML schema defining a format of the XML data and of the secondary data;

means for processing the XML data and the secondary data with an XML template to dynamically generate the control panel UI, the XML data and in the secondary data including;

an identifier attribute that identifies the XML data as user interface data;

an identifier element that identifies the XML data file as a navigable node in a navigation architecture, the navigable node labeled as the identifier attribute;

an extending attribute that defines whether the XML data file will be an extension to an existing navigable node in the navigation architecture;

a permissions attribute that defines a user access permission to the XML data file;

an extensible attribute that designates that the navigable node will not have any children nodes in the navigation architecture;

a replaceable attribute that designates that the navigable node cannot be replaced by another navigable node in the navigation architecture;

a title element that defines a name for the navigable node to be displayed on the UI, the name being different than the identifier attribute;

a short title element that defines a second name for the navigable node, the second name being a shorter version of the title element name;

a description element that defines a function of the navigable node;

a textual element that defines text for a tool tip, the text configured to be displayed on the UI;

an image element that defines an image to be displayed on the UI;

a target element that defines a navigation target to the navigable node;

a search target element that defines a navigable node for a searching UI;

a keywords element that defines one or more words on the UI, the one or more words being identified as search targets for the UI;

a directive element that defines text to be displayed on the UI, the text describing to a user what actions can be initiated on the UI;

a relational element that defines one or more reference links to one or more related UIs, the one or more reference links being a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture;

a help element that defines one or more reference links to one or more help topics that are related to the UI, the one or more reference links being a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture;

a file element that defines a location of hypertext markup language (HTML) data that is configured to be displayed on the UI; and

a second file element that defines a location of a commands file, the commands file defining commands to be displayed on the UI.

13. A method for rendering a control panel user interface (UI) comprising:

invoking an XML data file having XML data configured to define a control panel UI and having a reference link to reference a second data file having second data configured to further define the control panel UI;

loading the XML data and the second data into a browser;

verifying that the XML data and the second data is a valid representation of an XML schema, the XML schema defining a format of the XML data and of the second data;

processing the XML data and the second data with an XML template to dynamically generate the control panel UI, the XML data and the second data including;

an identifier attribute that identifies the XML data as user interface data;

an identifier element that identifies the XML data file as a navigable node in a navigation architecture, the navigable node labeled as the identifier attribute;

an extending attribute that defines whether the XML data file will be an extension to an existing navigable node in the navigation architecture;

a permissions attribute that defines a user access permission to the XML data file;

an extensible attribute that designates that the navigable node will not have any children nodes in the navigation architecture;

a replaceable attribute that designates that the navigable node cannot be replaced by another navigable node in the navigation architecture;

a title element that defines a name for the navigable node to be displayed on the UI, the name being different than the identifier attribute;

a short title element that defines a second name for the navigable node, the second name being a shorter version of the title element name;

a description element that defines a function of the navigable node;

a textual element that defines text for a tool tip, the text configured to be displayed on the UI;

an image element that defines an image to be displayed on the UI;

a target element that defines a navigation target to the navigable node;

a search target element that defines a navigable node for a searching UI;

a keywords element that defines one or more words on the UI, the one or more words being identified as search targets for the UI;

a directive element that defines text to be displayed on the UI, the text describing to a user what actions can be initiated on the UI;

a relational element that defines one or more reference links to one or more related UIs, the one or more reference links being a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture;

a help element that defines one or more reference links to one or more help topics that are related to the UI, the one or more reference links being a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture;

a file element that defines a location of hypertext markup language (HTML) data that is configured to be displayed on the UI; and

a second file element that defines a location of a commands file, the commands file defining commands to be displayed on the UI.

14. A method for rendering a control panel user interface (UI) as recited in claim 13 further comprising displaying the control panel UI, the control panel UI incorporating the XML data and the second data for display.

15. A method for rendering a control panel user interface (UI) as recited in claim 13, wherein the reference link is a subset of navigable nodes in a navigation architecture, the reference link being configured to intuitively describe the second data.

16. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform the method of claim 13.