Creating multiple versions of panels from a single panel definition file
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorJerry Walter Malcolm
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer system for providing application program developers a technique for building a plurality of panel displays from a single, comprehensive panel definition source file. The system includes routines for creating panel definition information, acquiring a copy of previously created panel information and displaying panels dynamically created at run time using previously stored panel definition information. The system also allows the specification of modifications to panel displays at run time as well as an option for look ahead processing of previously defined and newly specified panels at run time.
Claims16
A method of preparing interactive display panels for use in a graphical user interface to an application program comprising the steps of:
- constructing at build time of the application program a data file containing display layout parameters for a plurality of related panels, said data file correlating each display layout parameter with a respective set of related panels, wherein at least one set of related panels differs from any other set of related panels;
- generating from said data file a set of panel build instruction groups incorporated in the application program, each one of said panel build instruction groups containing the display layout parameters for a respective one of said plurality of related panels;
- and
- responsive to an application call, accessing during application program run time said set of panel build instruction groups for displaying application program designated ones of said related panels.
A system for preparing interactive display panels for use in a graphical user interface to an application program comprising:
- means for constructing at build time a data file containing display layout parameters for a plurality of related panels, said data file correlating each display layout parameter with a respective set of related panels, wherein at least one set of related panels differs from any other set of related panels;
- means for generating from said data file a set of panel build instruction groups incorporated in the application program, each one of said panel build instruction groups containing the display layout parameters for a respective one of said plurality of related panels;
- and
- means responsive to an application call for accessing during application program run time said set of panel build instruction groups for displaying application program designated ones of said related panels.
An interactive panel display generation system for facilitating user interface to an application program comprising:
- a build time component having means for specifying a data file containing layout parameters for a plurality of related panels, wherein at least one layout parameter is unique to one related panel and generating from the data file and storing panel build instruction groups in the application program, each panel build instruction group containing display layout parameters for one related panel of said application program;
- and
- a run time component for dynamically developing platform specific panel display commands from said stored panel build instruction groups.
A computer program product for generating interactive panel displays for providing a graphical user interface to an application program comprising:
- a computer usable medium on which is recorded computer readable program code including:
- a build time component means for accepting and storing in a single source file panel build instructions for a plurality of related panel configurations, said single source file correlating each build instruction with a respective set of related panels, wherein at least one set of related panels differs from any other set of related panels generating from said data file a set of program panel build instruction groups, incorporated in the application program each one of said panel build instruction groups containing the display layout parameters for a respective one of said plurality of related panels;
- and
- a run time component means comprising;
- means for dynamically preparing platform specific panel display commands from build time stored panel build instructions;
- and
- means for accepting modifications to build time stored panel build instructions and dynamically preparing platform specific panel display commands therefrom, and
- means responsive to an application call for accessing during application program run time said set of panel build instruction groups for displaying application program designated ones of said related panels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.