Method and apparatus for binding user interface objects to application objects

• US 7,584,430 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Federighi, Craig, Herzer, Stefanie, Marcos, Paul, Tevanian, Avie, Willrich, Rebecca Eades, Weber, Arnaud
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US11/489,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 715/744, 715/760, 715762-765, 715/769, 715/781, 715/804, 715/810, 715/967, 715/968, 715/234, 707/104.1, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 719/315, 719/328, 719/331, 719/332
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) and accompanying functionality for binding Web page definitional elements to a back-end state (e.g., client- or server-side back-end state) and custom logic is provided. In one embodiment, a template containing definitional elements, custom logic, and bindings are generated that define all or a portion of a Web page based on input received and functionality provided by the invention.

Claims

1. A method for binding a user interface element to a back-end state item of an application comprising:

receiving via a graphical user interface (GUI) an indication that a user interface element is to be included in a web page;

receiving via the GUI a selection of a visual representation of a back end state item to be bound to the user interface element; and

creating a dynamic binding between said user interface element and said back end state item.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising saving said binding as a part of a definition of said web page.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said back-end state item comprises a variable.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said back-end state item comprises a constant.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said back-end state item comprises logic of an application.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein creating a dynamic binding includes generating a statement text representing logic configured to execute said dynamic binding.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said user interface element includes at least one attribute, and wherein creating said dynamic binding further comprises binding said at least one attribute to said back-end state item.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said user interface element includes at least one attribute and further comprising:

determining using said at least one attribute a list of back-end state items that are compatible with said attribute, said list including said back-end state item; and

displaying said list of back-end state items in the GUI.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said back-end state item object comprises a controller object used to control a plurality of data-bearing objects having data retrieved from a database, and wherein creating said dynamic binding further comprises binding the user interface element to a component of said controller object.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said component is a method of said controller object.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying in said GUI a representation of said dynamic binding between said user interface element and said back-end state item.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, prior to creating said dynamic binding, that said back-end state item is compatible with an attribute of said user interface element.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying in said GUI one or more back-end state items that are compatible with an object class configured to generate a definition for the user interface element.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying in said GUI a default binding between said user interface element and said back end state item.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface element includes a web page definitional element.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving via a GUI a indication that a user interface element is to be included in a web page includes displaying a selection of user interface elements and selecting the user interface element to be included in the web page from the selection of user interface elements.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving via a GUI a indication that a user interface element is to be included in a web page includes displaying a selection of visual representations of user interface elements and selecting the visual representation of the user interface element to be included in the web page from the displayed selection of the visual representations of user interface elements.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving via the GUI a visual representation of a back end state item to be bound to the user interface element includes displaying a selection of visual representations of back end state items and selecting the visual representation of the back end state item to be bound to the user interface element from the displayed selection of visual representations of back end state items.

19. The method of claim 1, where receiving via the GUI a selection of a visual representation of back end state item to be bound to the user interface element includes displaying a graphical representation of an back end state item for receiving the indication.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving via a GUI an indication that a user interface element is to be included in a web page includes displaying a graphical representation of a user interface element for receiving the indication.

21. A computer system, comprising:

a display; and

a processor configured to;

provide, via the display, a graphical user interface (GUI);

receive via the GUI an indication that a user interface element is to be included in a web page;

receive via the GUI a selection of a visual representation of a back end state item to be bound to the user interface element; and

creating a dynamic binding between said user interface element and said back end state item.

22. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the processor is configured to creating said dynamic binding at least in part by generating a statement text representing logic configured to execute said dynamic binding.

23. The computer system of claim 21 wherein said user interface element includes at least one attribute and said processor is further configured to:

determine using said at least one attribute a list of back-end state items that are compatible with said attribute, said list including said back-end state item; and

display said list of back-end state items in the GUI.

24. A computer program product for binding a user interface element to a back end state item of an application, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving via a graphical user interface (GUI) an indication that a user interface element is to be included in a web page;

receiving via the GUI a selection of a visual representation of a back end state item to be bound to the user interface element; and

creating a dynamic binding between said user interface element and said back end state item.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein creating a dynamic binding includes generating a statement text representing logic configured to execute said dynamic binding.

26. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said user interface element includes at least one attribute and further comprising computer instructions for:

determining using said at least one attribute a list of back-end state items that are compatible with said attribute, said list including said back-end state item; and

displaying said list of back-end state items in the GUI.