Apparatus and method for dynamic device description language menus

A Device Description Language (DDL) graphical user interface configuration system having a DDL-based host application adapted to execute on a host system in a process plant, wherein the host system is connected to a plurality of process control devices used in the process plant, the DDL graphical user interface configuration system comprising:

• a processor;
• a display unit;
• a database operatively coupled to the processor and adapted to store DDL menu constructs, wherein the DDL menu constructs are exposed from a device description, the device description comprising data and operating procedures for a process control device, including variables, methods, commands, menus or display formats associated with one or more features of the process control device;
• a display application stored on a computer readable device and adapted to execute on the processor to create a display on the display unit for the DDL menu constructs stored in the database, the display including a menu constructs template that presents the DDL menu constructs and an interface configuration template that presents a DDL graphical user interface, wherein the display application is adapted to execute on the processor to enable a first input selecting different ones of the DDL menu constructs within the menu constructs template to specify a DDL menu construct to add to the DDL graphical user interface and to present a graphical element associated with the selected DDL menu construct in the interface configuration template to configure the DDL graphical user interface, wherein the DDL graphical user interface is maintained by the host system.

A method for configuring a Device Description Language (DDL) menu on a DDL-based host system in a process plant, wherein the host system is connected to a plurality of process control devices used in the process plant, the method comprising:

• presenting a menu constructs template including graphical representations of a plurality of DDL menu constructs for a selected one of the plurality of process control devices, and enabling a first input requesting a selected one of the DDL menu constructs, wherein the DDL menu constructs are exposed to the host system from a device description for the selected one of the plurality of process control devices, the device description comprising data and operating procedures for the selected one of the plurality of process control devices, including variables, methods, commands, menus or display formats associated with one or more features of the selected one of the plurality of process control devices;
• in response to a first input selecting one of the DDL menu constructs, presenting an interface configuration template including a graphical representation of a DDL graphical user interface and the graphical representation of the selected one of the DDL menu constructs, and enabling a second input configuring the selected one of the DDL menu constructs within the DDL graphical user interface;
• and
• in response to a second input configuring the selected one of the DDL menu constructs within the DDL graphical user interface, enabling the first input requesting a selected one of the DDL menu constructs and enabling a third input storing the DDL graphical user interface including the configured DDL menu construct as a DDL file data structure on the host system separate from the device description.