Method, system, and program for using a user interface program to generate a user interface for an application program

• US 6,941,520 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2000
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lewallen, Stephen Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US09/567,835
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: 345/744, 345/746, 345/733, 345/738, 345/762, 345/764, 345/765, 345/866, 709/201, 709217-220, 709/230, 709/231, 709/238, 709/328, 709/331, 717/100, 717/104, 717106-109, 717/114, 717/116, 717/118, 715/733, 715/738, 715/744, 715/746, 715/762, 715/764, 715/765, 715/866
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, method, and program for generating a user interface for an application program. A determination is made of application program interfaces (APIs) in an application program that are members of a set of standard API interfaces. The application program further includes code in a computer language to perform application program operations. A determination is made from a mapping of at least one user interface API corresponding to the determined standard API interface. The user interface APIs are capable of controlling a user interface program to perform user interface operations. The standard APIs in the application program are converted to user interface APIs to generate the user interface for the application program. The code in the computer language is converted to executable code to perform the application program operations.

Claims

1. A method for generating a user interface for an application program, comprising:

determining application program interfaces (APIs) in an application program that are members of a set of standard API interface in a first computer language defined in an industry standard specification, wherein the application program further includes code in a second computer language to perform application program operations;

determining from a mapping at least one user interface API in a third computer language corresponding to the determined standard API interface, wherein the user interface APIs in the third computer language are capable of being executed by a user interface program to perform user interface operations;

using the mapping to convert the standard APIs in the application program to user interface APIs in the third computer language to control the user interface program to generate the user interface for the application program; and

converting the code in the second computer language to executable code to perform the application program operations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third computer language and user interface program are capable of executing on multiple operating system platforms thereby allowing the application program to include standard API interfaces to execute on the multiple operating system platforms via the user interface program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second computer language comprises a cross-platform object oriented computer language including Java.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface program comprises a web browser program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of standard API interfaces in the first computer language are part of the W3C Document Object Model (DOM) specification and the user interface program implements the W3C DOM.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the converted user interface APIs in the third computer language manipulate user interface objects.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the converted user interface APIs in the third computer language are capable of manipulating any user interface object accessible to the user interface program.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the application program operations include operations on data and wherein the converted user interface APIs update user interface objects with the data operated upon by the application program, thereby allowing the application program to update user interface objects.

9. A system for generating a user interface for an application program, comprising:

means for determining application program interfaces (APIs) in an application program that are members of a set of standard API interfaces in a first computer language defined in an industry standard specification, wherein the application program further includes code in a second computer language to perform application program operations;

means for determining from a mapping at least one user interface API in a third computer language corresponding to the determined standard API interface, wherein the user interface APIs in the third computer language are capable of being executed by a user interface program to perform user interface operations;

means for using the mapping to convert the standard APIs in the application program to user interface APIs in the third computer language to control the user interface program to generate the user interface for the application program; and

means for converting the code in the second computer language to executable code to perform the application program operations.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the third computer language and user interface program are capable of executing on multiple operating system platforms thereby allowing the application program to include standard API interfaces to execute on the multiple operating system platforms via the user interface program.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the third computer language comprises a cross-platform object oriented computer language including Java.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface program comprises a web browser program.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of standard API interfaces in the first computer language are part of the W3C Document Object Model (DOM) specification and the user interface program implements the W3C DOM.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the converted user interface APIs in the third computer language manipulate user interface objects.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the converted user interface APIs in the third computer language are capable of manipulating any user interface object accessible to the user interface program.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the application program operations include operations on data and wherein the converted user interface APIs update user interface objects with the data operated upon by the application program, thereby allowing the application program to update user interface objects.

17. An information bearing medium including code for generating a user interface for an application program, wherein the code is capable of causing a processor to perform;

determining application program interfaces (APIs) in an application program that are members of a set of standard API interfaces in a first computer language defined in an industry standard specification, wherein the application program further includes code in a second computer language to perform application program operations;

determining from a mapping at least one user interface API in a third computer language corresponding to the determined standard API interface, wherein the user interface APIs in the third computer language in are capable of being executed by a user interface program to perform user interface operations;

using the mapping to convert the standard APIs in the application program to user interface APIs in the third computer language to control the user interface program to generate the user interfere for the application program; and

converting the code in the second computer language to executable code to perform the application program operations.

18. The information bearing medium of claim 17, wherein the third computer language and user interface program are capable of executing on multiple operating system platforms thereby allowing the application program to include standard API interfaces to execute on the multiple operating system platforms via the user interface program.

19. The information bearing medium of claim 18, wherein the third computer language comprises a cross-platform object oriented computer language including Java.

20. The information bearing medium of claim 17, wherein the user interface program comprises a web browser program.

21. The information bearing medium of claim 17, wherein the set of standard API interfaces in the first computer language are part of the W3C Document Object Model (DOM) specification and the user interface program implements the W3C DOM.

22. The information bearing medium of claim 17, wherein the converted user interface APIs in the third computer language manipulate user interface objects.

23. The information bearing medium of claim 22, wherein the converted user interface APIs in the third computer language are capable of manipulating any user interface object accessible to the user interface program.

24. The information bearing medium of claim 22, wherein the application program operations include operations on data and wherein the converted user interface APIs update user interface objects with the data operated upon by the application program, thereby allowing the application program to update user interface objects.