Method and system for developing software using nodes

• US 7,530,050 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FusionOps, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FusionOps, Inc.
• Inventors: Mansoor, Shariq, Mohan, Ram P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): DENG, ANNA CHEN
• Application Number:
  US10/815,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20050005262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 717/103, 717/105, 717/107, 717/108, 717/116, 717/127, 717/106, 717/100, 709/220, 705/8.9, 705/8, 705/9, 715/506, 715/511, 715/762, 715/967, 715/969, 715/970, 715/963
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code

Abstract

A method for creating software provides a plurality of nodes and a directory of applications. Each application is created by use of at least a portion of the plurality of the nodes. At least a portion of the plurality of nodes are selected to create a selected node layout that represent a plurality of application logics. The selected node layout is executed by a server program.

Claims

1. A method for creating software, comprising:

providing a plurality of nodes and a directory of applications, each of an application being created by use of at least a portion of the plurality of the nodes, wherein the at least a portion of plurality of nodes includes at least one task node interfaces with external components to exchange data information;

selecting at least a portion of the plurality of nodes to create a selected node layout that represent a plurality of application logics, wherein the selected nodes in the selected node layout have parameters and properties values can be changed dynamically based on business rules;

executing the selected node layout by a server program, wherein the application logics are directly executed without compilation, and the application logics can be paused and saved during execution, the saved application logics can be restored and execution resumed on a copy of the server program on a computer other than where is was initially started;

visually showing the selected node layout as a visual node layout;

monitoring a flow of control through each node in the node layout during execution by showing individual node execution measurement;

wherein the individual node execution measurements include usage totals, whole execution time and average execution time; and

employing a solution engine that uses networked objects to follow and manage user sessions, wherein the solution engine interfaces with an observation, personalization and pricing engine as directed by specific nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

visually displaying the selected node layout as a visual node layout.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of application logics includes a user interaction.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interaction permits a user to interact with the server program.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interaction is executable on multiple channels.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interaction is executable by at least one of web, voice, e-mail and wireless channels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nodes includes a user interface node.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user interface node includes GUI components and a template for the physical layout of static and dynamic portions of a user display specific GUI components.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein dynamic portions of the user display are used by the server program at runtime to layout application.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interaction includes a user interface node, a user interface block node and an interaction node.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user interface node and user interface block node create a user interaction based on business rules.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interaction node executes the user interaction.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each node is a visual representation of a software function.

14. The interface of claim 10, wherein each node includes inputs to a software function.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected node layout can be debugged visually.

16. The method claim 1, wherein the parameter and properties values can be linked to variables.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the saved application logic can be restored and resumed.

18. A method for creating software, comprising:

providing a plurality of nodes and a directory of applications, each of an application being created by use of at least a portion of the plurality of the nodes, wherein the at least a portion of plurality of nodes includes at least one task node interfaces with external components to exchange data information;

selecting at least a portion of the plurality of nodes to create a selected node layout that represent a plurality of application logics, wherein the selected nodes in the selected node layout have parameters and properties values can be changed dynamically based on business rules;

defining the application logic by selecting at least one of GUI parameters and options in each selected node;

executing the selected node layout by a server program, wherein the application logics are directly executed without compilation, and the application logics can be paused and saved during execution, the saved application logic can be restored and execution resumed on a copy of the server program on a computer other than where is was initially started;

visually displaying the selected node layout as a visual node layout;

monitoring a flow of control through each node in the node layout during execution by displaying individual node execution measurement;

wherein the individual node execution measurements include usage counts, total execution time and average execution time; and

using a solution engine that utilizes networked object to track, control and manage user sessions, wherein the solution engine interfaces with an observation, personalization and pricing engine as directed by specific nodes.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing documentation of a functional use of a node.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a graphic description of a plurality of nodes that represent a full application logic.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

creating a history of different versions of the application logic.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

creating access control of the application logic.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the access control provides single access of the application logic for purposes of modification and multiple access of the application logic for purposes of viewing.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

automatically validating the application logic against errors.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

aggregation at least a portion of the plurality of nodes to create an aggregated node.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the aggregated node is an application logic.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the aggregated node can be used different application logics.

28. A method for creating software, comprising:

providing a plurality of nodes and a directory of applications, each of an application being created by use of at least a portion of the plurality of the nodes, wherein the at least a portion of plurality of nodes includes at least one task node interfaces with external components to exchange data information;

selecting at least a portion of the plurality of nodes to create a selected node layout that represent a plurality of application logics, wherein the selected nodes in the selected node layout have parameters and properties values can be changed dynamically based on business rules;

defining external application interfaces;

executing the selected node layout by a server program, wherein the application logics are directly executed without compilation, and the application logics can be paused and saved during execution, the saved application logic can be restored and execution resumed on a copy of the server program on a computer other than where is was initially started;

illustrating the selected node layout as a visual node layout;

observing a flow of control through each node in the node layout during execution by illustrating individual node execution measurement;

wherein the individual node execution measurements include usage tallies, entire execution time and mean execution time; and

using networked objects to track, control and manage user sessions to interface with an observation, personalization and pricing engine as directed by specific nodes.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

establishing conditions for execution of the selected node layout.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the conditions for the execution include time based events.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the conditions for the execution include programmatic events.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein selected programmatic events create a trigger for the execution of the selected node layout.