Rendering GUI widgets with generic look and feel

• US 20050193368A1
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axure Software Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Becker, Craig Henry, Hsu, Jimmy Ming-Der
• Granted Patent: US 7,694,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Rendering GUI widgets with generic look and feel by receiving in a display device a master definition of a graphics display, the master definition including at least one graphics definition element, the graphics definition element including a reference to a protowidget and one or more instance parameter values characterizing an instance of the protowidget, the protowidget includes a definition of a generic GUI object, including generic display values affecting overall look and feel of the graphics display, and rendering at least one instance of the protowidget to a graphics display in dependence upon the generic display values and the instance parameter values.

Claims

1. A method for rendering a GUI widget with a generic look and feel, the method comprising:

receiving in a display device a master definition of a graphics display, the master definition including at least one graphics definition element,

the graphics definition element comprising a reference to a protowidget and one or more instance parameter values characterizing an instance of the protowidget,

the protowidget comprising a definition of a generic GUI object, including generic display values affecting overall look and feel of the graphics display; and

rendering at least one instance of the protowidget to a graphics display in dependence upon the generic display values and the instance parameter values.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein rendering at least one instance of the protowidget further comprises inserting in the instance of the protowidget the instance parameter values from the master definition.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein rendering at least one instance of the protowidget further comprises creating instance display values for the instance of the protowidget in dependence upon the instance parameter values.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the protowidget further comprises at least one generic display rule, and

creating instance display values for the instance of the protowidget further comprises creating instance display values for the instance of the protowidget in dependence upon the generic display rule.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating the protowidget.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein creating the protowidget further comprises defining the protowidget in a scalable vector graphics language.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating the master definition of a graphics display.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein rendering at least one instance of the protowidget further comprises creating in computer memory a data structure comprising an instance of the protowidget.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the data structure comprising an instance of the protowidget further comprises a DOM.

10. A system for rendering a GUI widget with a generic look and feel, the system comprising:

means for receiving in a display device a master definition of a graphics display, the master definition including at least one graphics definition element,

the graphics definition element comprising a reference to a protowidget and one or more instance parameter values means for characterizing an instance of the protowidget,

the protowidget comprising a definition of a generic GUI object, including generic display values affecting overall look and feel of the graphics display; and

means for rendering at least one instance of the protowidget to a graphics display in dependence upon the generic display values and the instance parameter values.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein means for rendering at least one instance of the protowidget further comprises means for inserting in the instance of the protowidget the instance parameter values from the master definition.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein means for rendering at least one instance of the protowidget further comprises means for creating instance display values for the instance of the protowidget in dependence upon the instance parameter values.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the protowidget further comprises at least one generic display rule, and

means for creating instance display values for the instance of the protowidget further comprises means for creating instance display values for the instance of the protowidget in dependence upon the generic display rule.

14. The system of claim 10 further comprising means for creating the protowidget.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein means for creating the protowidget further comprises means for defining the protowidget in a scalable vector graphics language.

16. The system of claim 10 further comprising means for creating the master definition of a graphics display.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein means for rendering at least one instance of the protowidget further comprises means for creating in computer memory a data structure comprising an instance of the protowidget.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the data structure comprising an instance of the protowidget further comprises a DOM.

19. A computer program product for rendering a GUI widget with a generic look and feel, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving in a display device a master definition of a graphics display, the master definition including at least one graphics definition element,

the graphics definition element comprising a reference to a protowidget and one or more instance parameter values means, recorded on the recording medium, for characterizing an instance of the protowidget,

the protowidget comprising a definition of a generic GUI object, including generic display values affecting overall look and feel of the graphics display; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for rendering at least one instance of the protowidget to a graphics display in dependence upon the generic display values and the instance parameter values.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for rendering at least one instance of the protowidget further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for inserting in the instance of the protowidget the instance parameter values from the master definition.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for rendering at least one instance of the protowidget further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating instance display values for the instance of the protowidget in dependence upon the instance parameter values.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein:

the protowidget further comprises at least one generic display rule, and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating instance display values for the instance of the protowidget further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating instance display values for the instance of the protowidget in dependence upon the generic display rule.

23. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating the protowidget.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating the protowidget further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for defining the protowidget in a scalable vector graphics language.

25. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating the master definition of a graphics display.

26. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for rendering at least one instance of the protowidget further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating in computer memory a data structure comprising an instance of the protowidget.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein the data structure comprising an instance of the protowidget further comprises a DOM.