SIMPLIFYING DEVELOPMENT OF USER INTERFACES OF APPLICATIONS

• US 20140075347A1
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIIT Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NIIT Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: BANERJEE, Udayan
• Granted Patent: US 9,280,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

An aspect of the present invention simplifies development of user interfaces of applications. In one embodiment, specifications of user interfaces provided by applications are maintained, each specification containing interface definitions of UI elements in the corresponding user interface. A first user interface of a first application and a second user interface of a second application are displayed on a display unit. In response to receiving from a developer, an indication that a first UI element from the first user interface and a second UI element from the second user interface elements are to be included in a new user interface of a new application, a new specification for the new user interface incorporating the interface definitions of the first and second UI elements is created.

Claims

1. A method of simplifying development of user interfaces of applications, said method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of specifications of user interfaces provided by a plurality of applications, each of said plurality of specifications containing interface definitions of a corresponding set of UI elements in the respective user interface;

displaying on a display unit, a first user interface of a first application and a second user interface of a second application, said first user interface having a first set of UI elements and said second user interface having a second set of UI elements, said first application and said second application being contained in said plurality of applications;

receiving, from a developer, an indication that a first UI element from said first set of UI elements and a second UI element from said second set of UI elements are to be included in a new user interface of a new application; and

creating a new specification for said new user interface incorporating the interface definitions of said first UI element and said second UI element, the interface definitions of said first UI element and said second UI element being retrieved respectively from a first specification and a second specification of said plurality of specifications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying further displays simultaneously with said first user interface, a third interface of said first application, said third interface having a third set of UI elements, said third interface being related to said first user interface,

wherein said indication further indicates that the UI elements in said third user interface related to said first elements are to be included in said new interface,

wherein said creating also incorporates the interface definition of a third UI element from said third set of UI elements in response to said indication, said third UI element being related to said first UI element, the interface definition of the third UI element being retrieved from a third specification of said plurality of specifications.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

enabling said developer to edit at least one display property of said first UI element to form a modified UI element; and

updating said new specification to include the interface definition of said modified UI element.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said one display property is one of height, width, color, font and location of said first UI element.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising adding said new specification in said plurality of specifications and said new application in said plurality of applications,

wherein said displaying displays on said display unit, said new user interface and a fifth user interface of a fifth application of said plurality of applications, said new interface having a fourth set of UI elements including said modified UI element and said fifth user interface having a fifth set of UI elements,

wherein said receiving further receives, from said developer, a second indication that said modified UI element from said fourth set of UI elements and a fifth UI element from said fifth set of UI elements are to be included in another new user interface of another new application,

wherein said creating creates another new specification for said another new user interface incorporating the interface definitions of said modified UI element and said fifth UI element, the interface definitions of said modified UI element and said fifth UI element being retrieved respectively from said new specification and a fifth specification of said plurality of specifications.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said maintaining maintains said plurality of specifications according to a common format.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said common format is according to extensible markup language (XML).

8. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for causing a developer system to simplify development of user interfaces of applications, wherein execution of said one or more instructions by one or more processors contained in said developer system causes said developer system to perform the actions of:

maintaining a plurality of specifications of user interfaces provided by a plurality of applications, each of said plurality of specifications containing interface definitions of a corresponding set of UI elements in the respective user interface;

displaying on a display unit, a first user interface of a first application and a second user interface of a second application, said first user interface having a first set of UI elements and said second user interface having a second set of UI elements, said first application and said second application being contained in said plurality of applications;

receiving, from a developer, an indication that a first UI element from said first set of UI elements and a second UI element from said second set of UI elements are to be included in a new user interface of a new application; and

creating a new specification for said new user interface incorporating the interface definitions of said first UI element and said second UI element, the interface definitions of said first UI element and said second UI element being retrieved respectively from a first specification and a second specification of said plurality of specifications.

9. The machine readable medium of claim 8, wherein said displaying further displays simultaneously with said first user interface, a third interface of said first application, said third interface having a third set of UI elements, said third interface being related to said first user interface,

wherein said indication further indicates that the UI elements in said third user interface related to said first elements are to be included in said new interface,

wherein said creating also incorporates the interface definition of a third UI element from said third set of UI elements in response to said indication, said third UI element being related to said first UI element, the interface definition of the third UI element being retrieved from a third specification of said plurality of specifications.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 9, further comprising one or more instructions for:

enabling said developer to edit at least one display property of said first UI element to form a modified UI element; and

updating said new specification to include the interface definition of said modified UI element.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein said one display property is one of height, width, color, font and location of said first UI element.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 10, further comprising one or more instructions for adding said new specification in said plurality of specifications and said new application in said plurality of applications,

wherein said displaying displays on said display unit, said new user interface and a fifth user interface of a fifth application of said plurality of applications, said new interface having a fourth set of UI elements including said modified UI element and said fifth user interface having a fifth set of UI elements,

wherein said receiving further receives, from said developer, a second indication that said modified UI element from said fourth set of UI elements and a fifth UI element from said fifth set of UI elements are to be included in another new user interface of another new application,

wherein said creating creates another new specification for said another new user interface incorporating the interface definitions of said modified UI element and said fifth UI element, the interface definitions of said modified UI element and said fifth UI element being retrieved respectively from said new specification and a fifth specification of said plurality of specifications.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein said maintaining maintains said plurality of specifications according to a common format.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein said common format is according to extensible markup language (XML).

15. A digital processing system comprising:

a processor;

a random access memory (RAM);

a machine readable medium to store one or more instructions, which when retrieved into said RAM and executed by said processor causes said digital processing system to simplify development of user interfaces of applications, said digital processing system performing the actions of;

maintaining a plurality of specifications of user interfaces provided by a plurality of applications, each of said plurality of specifications containing interface definitions of a corresponding set of UI elements in the respective user interface;

displaying on a display unit, a first user interface of a first application and a second user interface of a second application, said first user interface having a first set of UI elements and said second user interface having a second set of UI elements, said first application and said second application being contained in said plurality of applications;

receiving, from a developer, an indication that a first UI element from said first set of UI elements and a second UI element from said second set of UI elements are to be included in a new user interface of a new application; and

creating a new specification for said new user interface incorporating the interface definitions of said first UI element and said second UI element, the interface definitions of said first UI element and said second UI element being retrieved respectively from a first specification and a second specification of said plurality of specifications.

16. The digital processing system of claim 15, wherein said displaying further displays simultaneously with said first user interface, a third interface of said first application, said third interface having a third set of UI elements, said third interface being related to said first user interface,

wherein said indication further indicates that the UI elements in said third user interface related to said first elements are to be included in said new interface,

wherein said creating also incorporates the interface definition of a third UI element from said third set of UI elements in response to said indication, said third UI element being related to said first UI element, the interface definition of the third UI element being retrieved from a third specification of said plurality of specifications.

17. The digital processing system of claim 16, further performing the actions of:

enabling said developer to edit at least one display property of said first UI element to form a modified UI element; and

updating said new specification to include the interface definition of said modified UI element.

18. The digital processing system of claim 17, wherein said one display property is one of height, width, color, font and location of said first UI element.

19. The digital processing system of claim 17, further performing the actions of adding said new specification in said plurality of specifications and said new application in said plurality of applications,

wherein said displaying displays on said display unit, said new user interface and a fifth user interface of a fifth application of said plurality of applications, said new interface having a fourth set of UI elements including said modified UI element and said fifth user interface having a fifth set of UI elements,

wherein said receiving further receives, from said developer, a second indication that said modified UI element from said fourth set of UI elements and a fifth UI element from said fifth set of UI elements are to be included in another new user interface of another new application,

wherein said creating creates another new specification for said another new user interface incorporating the interface definitions of said modified UI element and said fifth UI element, the interface definitions of said modified UI element and said fifth UI element being retrieved respectively from said new specification and a fifth specification of said plurality of specifications.

20. The digital processing system of claim 19, wherein said maintaining maintains said plurality of specifications according to extensible markup language (XML).