Method and apparatus for generating user interfaces based upon automation with full flexibility

• US 20060004845A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Christensen, Peter, Kjall, Uffe, Villadsen, Peter, Kristiansen, Freddy, Bendsen, Per, Sloth, Peter, Hansen, Jesper Theil, Moller-Pedersen, Jens
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium and system are provided which generate a model driven form user interface to represent an application model. The method includes selecting which of multiple different logical form types to use to generate the form user interface to represent the application model. The method also includes providing a first map. A display target independent logical form is generated using the application model, the selected form type and the first map.

Claims

1. A method of generating a model driven form user interface to represent an application model, the method comprising:

selecting which of a plurality of different logical form types to use to generate the form user interface to represent the application model;

providing a first map; and

generating a display target independent logical form using the application model, the selected form type and the first map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first map is a first declarative map, and wherein generating the display target independent logical form using the first declarative map further comprises mapping property types of datum of the application model to display target independent logical controls in the display target independent logical form.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the display target independent logical form comprises generating a display target independent logical form model.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the display target independent logical form using the application model, the selected form type and the first declarative map further comprises also attaching declaratively applied behaviors to the display target independent logical form.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the declaratively applied behaviors are activated by events in the form.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the declaratively applied behaviors are patterns of logic which, depending upon values and properties of the logical controls, set properties on other controls.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first declarative map is external to a mapping engine used to generate the display target independent logical form.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first declarative map is a model used by the mapping engine to generate the logical control model.

9. The method of claim 2, and further comprising the further step of mapping the logical form to a physical form using a second declarative map.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the physical form has a plurality of physical controls available for use in rendering the logical form on a display target, and wherein mapping the logical form to the physical form using the second declarative map further comprises using the second declarative map to map each of the logical controls in the logical form to one of the plurality of available physical controls.

11. The method of claim 10, and further comprising rendering the form user interface at run-time using the generated logical form such that the application model is acted on at run-time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein rendering the form user interface at run-time further comprises generating the logical form at run-time using both the selected logical form type and meta data from the application model.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of different logical form types has an associated schema which defines application model data to be included in the generated logical form, and wherein generating the logical form at run-time further comprises generating the logical form using the associated schema.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the schema of each of the plurality of different logical form types represents patterns captured from a plurality of forms.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of logical form types has at least one defined layout, the method further comprising generating the physical form at run-time using the at least one defined layout.

16. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing form user interface generating steps comprising:

receiving a selecting input to select which of a plurality of different logical form types to use to generate a form user interface to represent an application model;

providing a first map; and

generating a display target independent logical form using the application model, the selected form type and the first map.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first map is a first declarative map, wherein generating the display target independent logical form using the first declarative map further comprises mapping property types of datum of the application model to display target independent logical controls in the display target independent logical form.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein generating the display target independent logical form using the application model, the selected form type and the first declarative map further comprises also attaching declaratively applied behaviors to the display target independent logical form.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first declarative map is external to a mapping engine used to generate the display target independent logical form.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, and further having computer-executable instructions for performing the further step of mapping the logical form to a physical form using a second declarative map.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the physical form has a plurality of physical controls available for use in rendering the logical form on a display target, and wherein mapping the logical form to the physical form using the second declarative map further comprises using the second declarative map to map each of the logical controls in the logical form to one of the plurality of available physical controls.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of different logical form types has an associated schema which defines application model data to be included in the generated logical form, and wherein generating the logical form further comprises generating the logical form using the associated schema.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the schema of each of the plurality of different logical form types represents patterns captured from a plurality of forms.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of logical form types has at least one defined layout, the computer readable medium further having computer-executable instructions for performing the further step of generating the physical form at run-time using the at least one defined layout.