Automatically-maintained customizable user interfaces
US6518979B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 30, 2000 |
| Grant date | Feb 11, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 30, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/451
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Techniques for providing interactive user interfaces for programming constructs. A programming construct is associated with one or more metaphors (837) that specify interactive user interfaces (807) for the programming construct. Thus, a programming construct may have a metaphor for a text-based user interface or for one or more different graphical user interfaces. The metaphor may be associated with a description of the construct such as that found in an abstract syntax tree (823), and the metaphor may obtain the information it needs to construct the interface from the description, so that the user interfaces automatically track changes in the programming construct. Also included is apparatus for modifying the metaphor. In one implementation, a build form function (1407) is used to read the information needed to construct the construct's user interface from the construct's description and the metaphor is modified by modifying the build form function. In the implementation, parameter values received via the user interface are incorporated into an abstract syntax tree that represents the construct.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.