US 5,850,548 AGranted

System and methods for visual programming based on a high-level hierarchical data flow model

AssigneeBorland International, Inc.

InventorDavid Mark Williams

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Abstract

A computer system having a Visual Development Environment (VDE) is described. The Visual Development Environment includes an interface having a Component Inspector, Component Manager, Component Library, and one or more visual editors. In operation, a user constructs a program by selecting one or more components from the Library, which displays components in a tabbed palette. Using a visual editor of the system, the user may drill-down into the internals of a component, for modifying its logic. Once the functionality of a component is completed, the user may proceed to connect together various components via the component "ports", which allow access to properties of the component. Components of the system may be nested within other components to an arbitrary level.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In a computer system, a method for creating an application program using graphical user interface technique, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a form for presenting screen objects on a screen display;
(b) displaying a plurality of prefabricated program components, some of said prefabricated program components corresponding to said screen objects;
(c) receiving first user input for creating a first program component from said plurality of prefabricated program components;
(d) receiving second user input for creating at least one second program component from said plurality of prefabricated program components;
and
(e) receiving third user input for visually creating program logic of the application program by graphically connecting a user-created port of one program component with a user-created port of another program component, said step comprising:
(i) for each of said first and said second program components:
using graphical user interface technique, selecting the program component, said program component having a plurality of properties,
using graphical user interface technique, selecting one or more of said plurality of properties of the selected program component, for surfacing the selected one or more properties as one or more user-defined port connections,
displaying a port icon on said selected program component for each surfaced property, for indicating availability of said each surfaced property of said selected program component to other program components, and
(ii) using graphical user interface technique, connecting said first and second program components together by connecting together at least port of one component to at least port of the other component.

8 more elements

In a computer system, a method for creating a computer program, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a palette of preconstructed program components;
(b) receiving user input for selecting a first program component from said plurality of preconstructed program components;
(c) displaying a graphic representation of said first program component for providing a logical view of the component based on functionality of the component in the application program;
(d) simultaneous with step (c), displaying a user interface representation of said first program component for providing a user interface view of the component based on appearance of the component in the application program;
(e) receiving user input for selecting a second program component from said plurality of preconstructed program components;
(f) displaying a graphic representation of said second program component for providing a logical view of the component based on functionality of the component in the application program;
(g) simultaneous with step (f), displaying a user interface representation of said second program component for providing a user interface view of the component based on appearance of the component in the application program;
and
(h) receiving user input for visually creating program logic of the application program by connecting together program components, said step including using graphical user interface technique for dragging a screen cursor from the graphic representation of one program component to the graphic representation of the other program component, for specifying that a connection exists between said first and second program components.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.