Proxy-computer-based provision of alternative graphical user interfaces

A computer program product for providing an alternative GUI to a client application, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor of a proxy computer to cause the processor to execute a method comprising:

• providing a proxy computer, the proxy computer comprising a history with one or more request sequences, each request sequence being a sequence of consecutive requests having been transmitted previously from an original GUI displayed by said or by another client application via the proxy computer and via a network to a backend application, each request sequence representing a part of a workflow predefined by the original GUI;
• intercepting, by the proxy computer, one or more current requests transmitted from the original GUI displayed by the client application to the backend application via the network and the proxy computer;
• comparing, by the proxy computer, the one or more current intercepted requests with the request sequences in the history for identifying a request sequence that matches at least partially with the one or more current intercepted requests;
• evaluating, by the proxy computer, the identified request sequence for generating the alternative GUI, the alternative GUI completely or partially implementing the part of the workflow represented by the identified request sequence;
• and
• returning, by the proxy computer, the generated alternative GUI via the network to the client application for enabling a user to perform the parts of the workflow represented by the alternative GUI via the alternative GUI instead of the original GUI;
• wherein the generation of the alternative GUI that completely or partially implements the part of the workflow represented by the identified request includes:
• identifying, by the proxy computer, a plurality of request sequences stored in the history and covering said part of the workflow, each of said identified request sequences corresponding to a sequence of requests transmitted by a user via the original GUI from said or the other client application to the backend application previously, each of the identified request sequences comprising, for each request, one or more parameter values provided by the user or by the original GUI per default for submission to the backend application;
• identifying, by the proxy computer, for each of the parameters in each of the requests of the identified request sequences, if the parameter is an invariable parameter or a variable parameter, an invariable parameter being a parameter whose value is identical for said request in each of the identified request sequences, a variable parameter being a parameter of a request whose value differs for said request in two or more of the identified request sequences:
• and
• performing the generation of the alternative GUI by generating a GUI that selectively comprises data entry fields for the variable parameters and that lacks data entry fields for the invariable parameters;
• wherein the method further includes analyzing, by the proxy computer, meta data stored in association with the variable parameters in the history for identifying human-readable labels of the variable parameters wherein the generation of the alternative GUI is performed such that the data entry fields for the variable parameters are associated with and displayed together with the respectively identified human-readable.

A proxy computer comprising:

• a network interface for connecting the proxy computer with a client application via a network;
• a storage medium comprising a history with one or more request sequences, each request sequence being a sequence of consecutive requests having been transmitted previously from an original GUI displayed by said or by another client application via the proxy computer and via the network to a backend application, each request sequence representing a part of a workflow predefined by the original GUI;
• one or more processors configured for:
• intercepting, by the proxy computer, one or more current requests transmitted from the original GUI displayed by the client application to the backend application via the network and the proxy computer;
• comparing the one or more current intercepted requests with the request sequences in the history for identifying a request sequence that matches at least partially with the one or more current intercepted requests;
• evaluating the identified request sequence for generating an alternative GUI, the alternative GUI completely or partially implementing the part of the workflow represented by the identified request sequence;
• and
• returning the generated alternative GUI via the network to the client application for enabling a user to perform the parts of the workflow represented by the alternative GUI via the alternative GUI instead of the original GUI;
• wherein the generation of the alternative GUI that completely or partially implements the part of the workflow represented by the identified request includes:
• identifying, by the proxy computer, a plurality of request sequences stored in the history and covering said part of the workflow, each of said identified request sequences corresponding to a sequence of requests transmitted by a user via the original GUI from said or the other client application to the backend application previously, each of the identified request sequences comprising, for each request, one or more parameter values provided by the user or by the original GUI per default for submission to the backend application;
• identifying, by the proxy computer, for each of the parameters in each of the requests of the identified request sequences, if the parameter is an invarible parameter or a variable parameter, an invariable parameter being a parameter whose value is identical for said request in each of the identified request sequences, a variable parameter being a parameter of a request whose value differs for said request in two or more of the identified request sequences;
• and
• performing the generation of the alternative GUI by generating a GUI that selectively comprises data entry fields for the variable parameters and that lacks data entry fields for the invariable parameters;
• wherein the one or more processors are further configured for analyzing, by the proxy computer, meta data stored in association with the variable parameters in the history for identifying human-readable labels of the variable parameters, wherein the generation of the alternative GUI is performed such that the data entry fields for the variable parameters are associated with and displayed together with the respectively identified human-readable labels.