Semantic interpretation of software models for generating user interfaces

A method of generating a user interface comprising:

• storing metadata that describes program logic corresponding to a user interface for a computer program, wherein the metadata describes the program logic using metadata elements comprising one or more of a state, an event, a object, and an action, and wherein the metadata further comprises rules specifying alternate configurations of said program logic and corresponding alternate metadata elements;
• receiving a user interface specification, the user interface specification specifying an association between one or more the metadata elements and one or more user interface fragments;
• performing a query to search for the one or more metadata elements specified in the user interface specification, wherein the query searches the metadata for the elements specified in the user interface specification in accordance with said rules;
• returning a query result comprising metadata elements;
• linking at least some of the metadata elements in the query result with the one or more user interface fragments based on the association specified in the user interface specification;
• generating first user interface components based on said metadata elements in the query result, the first user interface components comprising a first plurality of said user interface fragments;
• and
• changing the program logic, and in accordance therewith, automatically generating second user interface components based on said metadata, the second user interface components comprising a second plurality of said user interface fragments.

A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method of generating a user interface, the method comprising:

• storing metadata that describes program logic corresponding to a user interface for a computer program, wherein the metadata comprises elements including one or more of a situation, an event, an actuality, and an action;
• linking elements of the metadata with a plurality user interface fragments;
• generating first user interface components based on said metadata, the first user interface components comprising a first plurality of said user interface fragments;
• changing the program logic, and in accordance therewith, automatically generating second user interface components based on said metadata, the second user interface components comprising a second plurality of said user interface fragments.

A computer system including software for generating a user interface comprising:

• a computer program comprising program logic;
• an interpretation model that describes said program logic corresponding to a user interface for said computer program as a plurality of model elements, wherein the interpretation model further comprises rules specifying alternate configurations of said program logic and corresponding alternate interpretation model elements;
• one or more user interface fragments;
• a user interface specification, the user interface specification specifying an association between one or more of the model elements and the one or more user interface fragments;
• a user interface component generator for generating first user interface components based on said association between the model elements and the user interface fragments, the first user interface components comprising a first plurality of said user interface fragments,
• wherein the user interface component generator generates different components according to said rules if the program logic changes.