GUI program creation supporting apparatus, GUI program creation support method, computer-readable recording medium and integrated circuit

• US 8,910,064 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shinomoto, Yuki, Yajima, Hideaki, Shin, Hidehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Angkool, David Phantana
• Application Number:
  US13/700,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20130111376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 715/763, 715/762, 715/764
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

In a case where a screen layout creating unit replaces a generated screen layout with another screen layout, a screen layout comparing unit infers a GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout, that is similar to a GUI component in the post-replacement screen layout, and correlates the GUI components similar to each other. A connection information restoring unit executes connection restoring processing to associate a processing program, which is associated with the GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout, with the GUI component correlated by the screen layout comparing unit.

Claims

1. A GUI program creation supporting apparatus, comprising:

a processor

a screen layout creating unit that generates a screen layout of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) including a plurality of GUI components based on an operation input by a user, and replaces a generated screen layout with another screen layout;

a processing program creating unit that, based on an operation input by the user, creates a processing program related to processing to be executed when any of the GUI components is operated;

a connection setting unit that, based on an operation input by the user, associates the GUI component with the processing program, and generates connection information to indicate the association;

a source code generating unit that generates a source code of a GUI program based on the screen layout, the processing program and the connection information;

a screen layout comparing unit that, in the case where the generated screen layout is replaced with another screen layout by the screen layout creating unit, infers a GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout, that is similar to a GUI component in the post-replacement screen layout, and correlates the GUI components similar to each other; and

a connection information restoring unit that executes connection restoring processing to associate the processing program, which is associated with the GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout, with the GUI component correlated by the screen layout comparing unit.

2. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the connection information restoring unit notifies the user of the GUI component correlated by the screen layout comparing unit, and executes the connection restoring processing for the GUI component for which the user inputs an operation to indicate that the inference result is correct.

3. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the screen layout comparing unit infers a similarity by comparing a name assigned to each of the GUI components between the post-replacement screen layout and the pre-replacement screen layout.

4. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the screen layout comparing unit infers a similarity by comparing the number of GUI components of the same type between the post-replacement screen layout and the pre-replacement screen layout.

5. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the screen layout comparing unit infers a similarity by comparing a continuity in a name assigned to each of the GUI components between the post-replacement screen layout and the pre-replacement screen layout.

6. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the screen layout comparing unit infers a similarity by comparing a position of each of the GUI components between the post-replacement screen layout and the pre-replacement screen layout.

7. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the screen layout comparing unit infers a similarity by comparing a regularity of arrangement of each of the GUI components between the post-replacement screen layout and the pre-replacement screen layout.

8. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the connection information restoring unit updates a name of the GUI component in the post-replacement screen layout for which the connection restoring processing has been executed, to a name of the correlated GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout.

9. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the connection information restoring unit updates a name of the GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout to a name of the correlated GUI component in the post-replacement screen layout for which the connection restoring processing has been executed.

10. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the screen layout generating unit sets pattern information to indicate an arrangement pattern of the GUI components in the screen layout based on an operation input by the user, and

the screen layout comparing unit infers a similarity by sequentially executing a plurality of inference processing steps and changes the sequence of the inference processing steps according to the pattern information.

11. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the inference processing includes first inference processing for inferring a similarity by comparing the number of GUI components of the same type between the post-replacement screen layout and the pre-replacement screen layout, and

the screen layout comparing unit executes the first inference processing first if the pattern information is a video content pattern that indicates an arrangement pattern of GUI components of a GUI having video content.

12. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the inference processing includes second inference processing for inferring a similarity by comparing a regularity of arrangement of each of the GUI components between the post-replacement screen layout and the pre-replacement screen layout, and

the screen layout comparing unit executes the second inference processing first if the pattern information is an operation menu pattern that indicates an arrangement pattern of GUI components of a GUI for an operation menu.

13. The GUI program creation supporting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the inference processing includes third inference processing for inferring a similarity by comparing a position of the GUI component between the post-replacement screen layout and the pre-replacement screen layout, and

the screen layout comparing unit executes the third inference processing first if the pattern information is a standard pattern that indicates a standard GUI where GUI components are arranged in predetermined arrangement positions.

14. A GUI program creation supporting method, comprising:

a screen layout creating step in which a computer generates a screen layout of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) including a plurality of GUI components based on operation input by a user, and replaces a generated screen layout with another screen layout;

a processing program creating step in which the computer, based on an operation input by the user, creates a processing program related to processing to be executed when any of the GUI components is operated;

a connection setting step in which the computer, based on an operation input by the user, associates the GUI component with the processing program, and generates connection information to indicate the association;

a source code generating step in which the computer generates a source code of a GUI program based on the screen layout, the processing program and the connection information;

a screen layout comparing step in which in the case where the generated screen layout is replaced with another screen layout in the screen layout creating step, the computer infers a GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout, that is similar to a GUI component in the post-replacement screen layout, and correlates the GUI components similar to each other; and

a connection information restoring step in which the computer executes connection restoring processing to associate the processing program, which is associated with the GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout, with the GUI component correlated in the screen layout comparing step.

15. A computer-readable medium which stores a program causing a computer to function as:

a screen layout creating unit that generates a screen layout of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) including a plurality of GUI components based on an operation input by a user, and replaces a generated screen layout with another screen layout;

a processing program creating unit that, based on an operation input by the user, creates a processing program related to processing to be executed when any of the GUI components is operated;

a connection setting unit that, based on an operation input by the user, associates the GUI component with the processing program, and generates connection information to indicate the association;

a source code generating unit that generates a source code of a GUI program based on the screen layout, the processing program and the connection information;

a screen layout comparing unit that, in the case where the generated screen layout is replaced with another screen layout by the screen layout creating unit, infers a GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout, that is similar to a GUI component in the post-replacement screen layout, and correlates the GUI components similar to each other; and

a connection information restoring unit that executes connection restoring processing to associate the processing program, which is associated with the GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout, with the GUI component correlated by the screen layout comparing unit.

16. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a processor;

a screen layout creating unit that generates a screen layout of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) including a plurality of GUI components based on an operation input by a user, and replacing a generated screen layout with another screen layout;

a processing program creating unit that, based on an operation input by the user, creates a processing program related to processing to be executed when any of the GUI components is operated;

a connection setting unit that, based on an operation input by the user, associates the GUI component with the processing program, and generates connection information to indicate the association;

a source code generating unit that generates a source code of a GUI program based on the screen layout, the processing program and the connection information;

a screen layout comparing unit that, in the case where the generated screen layout is replaced with another screen layout by the screen layout creating unit, infers a GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout, that is similar to a GUI component in the post-replacement layout, and correlates the GUI components similar to each other; and

a connection information restoring unit that executes connection restoring processing to associate the processing program, which is associated with the GUI component in the pre-replacement screen layout, with the GUI component correlated by the screen layout comparing unit.