Generating a front end graphical user interface for a plurality of text based commands

• US 8,954,869 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Courteaux, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Hur, Ece
• Application Number:
  US12/335,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,247 Days
• Field of Search: 715/762, 715/810, 715/708
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and system are disclosed for generating a graphical user interface (GUI) for a plurality of text based commands, in which environment mapping definitions may link generic GUI components with predefined command structures. The plurality of text based commands may be command-line interface (CLI) commands. The environment mapping definitions may be applied to a command specification defining characteristics of the plurality of text based commands in a standard format in order to build a GUI from generic GUI components. The command specification may be generated by providing an interpretation reference defining CLI conventions and parsing a command description to extract the command specification with reference to the interpretation reference.

Claims

1. A method for generating a graphical user interface for a plurality of text based commands, said method comprising:

generating a command specification defining structural aspects of said plurality of text based commands in a standard format, wherein generating said command specification comprises;

providing an interpretation reference defining command-line interface conventions,

automatically determining aspects of said command specification by parsing a command description via said interpretation reference, and

performing, via an interface definition dialog, at least one of (i) adding any missing information or (ii) modifying default values;

applying environment mapping definitions to said command specification, wherein said environment mapping definitions link generic graphical user interface components with predefined command structures, wherein said environment mapping definitions define which of said generic graphical user interface components is to be used for command components satisfying certain criteria, wherein said environment mapping definitions provide configuration details or code to modify behavior of one or more of said generic graphical user interface components to correspond to command requirements, wherein said certain criteria take into account alternatives allowed by one or more of said command components, wherein said generic graphical user interface components comprise at least one of a radio button, a check box, a list box, a drop down list, a text box, a button, or a tab, and wherein said predefined command structures comprise arguments including a command flag, a flag parameter, a command parameter, or a sub parameter; and

updating said graphical user interface in real time on the basis of one or more modifications to said command specification.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said environment mapping definitions map said generic graphical user interface components onto said predefined command structures.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said environment mapping definitions map said predefined command structures onto said generic graphical user interface components.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising building said graphical user interface from said generic graphical user interface components via an interface generator.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using a list of instructions to parse a description file, which is at least partially based on said command specification, in order to retrieve components or structures of said plurality of text based commands.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said command description is a human-readable command description describing said plurality of text based commands.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said command description is a help file or a help file extract.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising modifying said command specification.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of text based commands are command-line interface commands.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said command specification is a flat file.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said command specification is a XML style file.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said command specification is a relational database.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said command specification defines characteristics of multiple commands, and wherein said command specification defines a relationship between each command defined by said command specification and a relationship between flags and parameters in each command.

14. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a main memory storing a program, which, when executed on the processor, performs an operation for generating a graphical user interface for a plurality of text based commands, said operation comprising;

generating a command specification defining structural aspects of said plurality of text based commands in a standard format, wherein generating said command specification comprises;

providing an interpretation reference defining command-line interface conventions,

automatically determining aspects of said command specification by parsing a command description via said interpretation reference, and

performing, via an interface definition dialog, at least one of (i) adding any missing information or (ii) modifying default values;

applying environment mapping definitions to said command specification, wherein said environment mapping definitions link generic graphical user interface components with predefined command structures, wherein said environment mapping definitions define which of said generic graphical user interface components is to be used for command components satisfying certain criteria, wherein said environment mapping definitions provide configuration details or code to modify behavior of one or more of said generic graphical user interface components to correspond to command requirements, wherein said certain criteria take into account alternatives allowed by one or more of said command components, wherein said generic graphical user interface components comprise at least one of a radio button, a check box, a list box, a drop down list, a text box, a button, or a tab, and wherein said predefined command structures comprise arguments including a command flag, a flag parameter, a command parameter, or a sub parameter; and

updating said graphical user interface in real time on the basis of one or more modifications to said command specification.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said operation further comprises building said graphical user interface from said generic graphical user interface components via an interface generator.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said operation further comprises modifying said command specification.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said environment mapping definitions map said generic graphical user interface components onto said predefined command structures.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein said environment mapping definitions map said predefined command structures onto said generic graphical user interface components.