Selecting graphical component types at runtime

• US 9,471,332 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2004
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Xin, Roberts, Gregory Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, William
• Application Number:
  US10/967,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,382 Days
• Field of Search: 715/762, 715/763, 715/760, 715764-765
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method of selecting graphical component types at runtime are provided. When a graphical component is to be displayed in a GUI, which usually has a type, the type of the GUI is first determined. Type in this case used to signify a look, feel and behavior that are to be exhibited by the graphical component. After determining the type of the GUI, the graphical component may be created based on the type of the GUI. After it has been created, the graphical component will be displayed in the GUI.

Claims

1. A method of displaying, on a display of a computer system, graphical components representing applications which are executable by an operating system (OS) executing on the computer system to which a user has access permission, the method comprising:

the computer system determining, at runtime, a predetermined control list to use, wherein the predetermined control list identifies each of the applications by an assigned unique identifier to which the user has the access permission and which are each to be represented by one of the graphical components, and wherein the predetermined control list used is associated with the user in response to a client device associated with the user performing one of a power on operation or a reset operation and is located on a selected one of a client, a server or a peer system;

creating an object, by the computer system using a platform plug-in, for each application of the applications in the predetermined control list to form a set of objects, wherein each object comprises information including a type, an identification, a name, and an icon needed to create an instance of a respective application;

parsing the set of objects, by the computer system using a dashboard plug-in, to determine an application type for a respective object;

the computer system determining, at runtime, using the application type in examining the dashboard plug-in, a particular type of calling dashboard from a set of types comprising a tree type, a menu type, a table type and a voice type to be used for the user, wherein the particular type of calling dashboard defines an overall theme that defines both a look of a dashboard and a behavior of the graphical components displayed on the dashboard when selected;

each application of the applications creating, in response to a determination of the particular type of calling dashboard at runtime, using an application type plug-in with a respective application type and the respective object, a selectable application instance as a respective graphical component for itself to form the graphical components representing the applications identified in the predetermined control list corresponding to the particular type of calling dashboard determined; and

the computer system displaying on the dashboard, the created graphical components that represent the applications identified in the predetermined control list specifically for the particular type of calling dashboard determined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each created graphical component represents an instantiation of a given application of the applications identified in the predetermined control list.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined control list identifies an emergency exit application to exit the computer system on which the graphical components are displayed in an emergency situation, and wherein the computer system is exited upon selection of a graphical component representing the emergency exit application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a calling dashboard is a plug-in to the OS and, wherein a platform plug-in to the OS is used to parse the predetermined control list for the applications to which the user has the access permission and to create the instantiation of each one of the applications to which the user has the access permission.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein an application type plug-in to the OS is used to create the selectable application instance for a particular application program identified in the predetermined control list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the application type plug-in determines an overall widget theme to create an appropriate widget as a graphical component representing an application in the predetermined control list and to set an appropriate behavior for the widget when selected.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein there is a given application type plug-in for each one of the applications identified in the predetermined control list that determines the overall widget theme in order to create an appropriate widget as a graphical component representing a given application in the predetermined control list and to set a given appropriate behavior for a given widget when selected.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying on the dashboard the created graphic components comprises:

each application of the applications instantiating itself and displaying its respective graphical component on the dashboard.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of types of calling dashboards comprises a menu type and a tree type, and wherein the graphical components are created using a same set of data notwithstanding which one of the plurality of types of calling dashboard is determined to be used at runtime.

10. A computer program product for displaying, on a display of a computer system, graphical components representing applications which are executable by an operating system (OS) executing on the computer system to which a user has access permission, comprising a non-transitory computer data storage medium having stored thereon computer program code which when executed by a processor direct the computer system to:

determine by the computer system, at runtime, a predetermined control list to use, wherein the predetermined control list identifies each of the applications by an assigned unique identifier to which the user has the access permission and which are each to be represented by one of the graphical components, and wherein the predetermined control list used is associated with the user in response to a client device associated with the user performing one of a power on operation or a reset operation and is located on a selected one of a client, a server or a peer system ;

create an object for each application of the applications in the predetermined control list to form a set of objects, wherein each object comprises information including a type, an identification, a name, and an icon needed to create an instance of a respective application;

parse the set of objects using a dashboard plug-in to determine an application type for a respective object;

determine by the computer system, at runtime, using the application type in examining the dashboard plug-in, a particular type of calling dashboard from a set of types comprising a tree type, a menu type, a table type and a voice type to be used for the user, wherein the particular type of calling dashboard defines an overall theme that defines both a look of a dashboard and a behavior of the graphical components displayed on the dashboard when selected, and wherein the particular type of calling dashboard is a plug-in to the operating system;

create, for each application of the applications, in response to a determination of the particular type of calling dashboard at runtime, using an application type plug-in with a respective application type and the respective object, a selectable application instance as a respective graphical component for itself to form the graphical components representing the applications identified in the predetermined control list corresponding to the particular type of calling dashboard determined, wherein each created graphical component represents an instantiation of a given application of the applications identified in the predetermined control list; and

display on the dashboard by the computer system the created graphical components that represent the applications identified in the predetermined control list, wherein a platform plug-in to the OS is used to parse the predetermined control list for the applications to which the user has the access permission and to create the instantiation of each one of the applications to which the user has the access permission specifically for the particular type of calling dashboard determined.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the predetermined control list identifies an emergency exit application to exit the computer system on which the graphical components are displayed in an emergency situation, and wherein the computer system is exited upon selection of a graphical component representing the emergency exit application.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein an application type plug-in to the OS is used to create the selectable application instance for a particular application program identified in the predetermined control list.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein program code for the computer system to display on the dashboard the created graphic components comprises:

program code for each application of the applications to instantiate itself and display its respective graphical component on the dashboard.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein a plurality of types of calling dashboards comprises a menu type and a tree type, and wherein the graphical components are created using a same set of data notwithstanding which particular type of calling dashboard is determined to be used at runtime.

15. A system for displaying on a display of a computer system graphical components representing executable applications executable by an operating system (OS) executing on the computer system to which a user has access permission, comprising:

at least one storage device that stores code data; and

at least one processor that processes the code data to;

determine, at runtime, a predetermined control list to use, wherein the predetermined control list identifies each of the applications by an assigned unique identifier to which the user has the access permission and which are each to be represented by one of the graphical components, and wherein the predetermined control list used is associated with the user in response to a client device associated with the user performing one of a power on operation or a reset operation and is located on a selected one of a client, a server or a peer system;

create an object, for each application of the applications in the predetermined control list, list to form a set of objects, wherein each object comprises information including a type, an identification, a name, and an icon needed to create an instance of a respective application;

parse the set of objects, using a dashboard plug-in, to determine an application type for a respective object;

determine, at runtime, using the application type in examining the dashboard plug-in, a particular type of calling dashboard from a set of types comprising a tree type, a menu type, a table type and a voice type to be used for the user, wherein the particular type of calling dashboard defines an overall theme that defines both a look of a dashboard and a behavior of the graphical components displayed on the dashboard when selected;

create, using an application type plug-in with a respective application type and the respective object, a selectable application instance, by each application of the applications in response to a determination of the particular type of calling dashboard at runtime, as a respective graphical component for itself to form the graphical components representing the applications identified in the predetermined control list corresponding to the particular type of calling dashboard determined; and

display on the dashboard the created graphical components that represent the applications identified in the predetermined control list specifically for the particular type of calling dashboard determined, wherein each created graphical component represents an instantiation of a given application of the applications identified in the predetermined control list, wherein the particular type of calling dashboard is a plug-in to the operating system, and wherein a platform plug-in to the OS is used to parse the predetermined control list for the applications to which the user has the access permission and to create the instantiation of each one of the applications to which the user has the access permission.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the predetermined control list identifies an emergency exit application to exit the computer system on which the graphical components are displayed in an emergency situation, and wherein the computer system is exited upon selection of a graphical component representing the emergency exit application.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein an application type plug-in to the OS is used to create the selectable application instance for a particular application program identified in the predetermined control list.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the program code data to display on the dashboard by the computer system the created graphic components comprises:

code data for each application of the applications to instantiate itself and display its respective graphical component on the particular type of calling dashboard.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a plurality of types of calling dashboards comprises a menu type and a tree type, and wherein the graphical components are created using a same set of data notwithstanding which particular type of calling dashboard is determined to be used at runtime.