Method and system for developing a software program using compound templates

A system for developing a program for operating an industrial process, the system comprising:

• an operator interface;
• and
• a computer coupled to the operator interface, the computer including a memory;
• wherein the operator interface is capable of displaying a catalog of templates within a library stored in the memory, and capable of displaying a catalog of objects within a project stored in the memory;
• wherein the computer includes a program that is capable of automatically identifying, within at least some of the templates, control variables that are appropriate for replacement;
• wherein the operator interface is capable of receiving commands to link interface mappings to the identified control variables, so that a compound template is formed from the templates corresponding to those variables;
• and
• wherein the computer is able to instantiate the compound template to create a compound object for inclusion in the project.

A system for developing a program for operating an industrial process, the system comprising:

• means for receiving user inputs;
• means for storing libraries having templates and projects having objects;
• means for automatically identifying control variables within the templates that are capable of being replaced;
• means for modifying the identified control variables to link a plurality of the templates together to form a compound template;
• and
• means for instantiating the compound template.

A method of creating a program executable on an industrial controller to control an industrial process, the method comprising:

• providing templates from at least one library, wherein each template has at least one respective variable;
• automatically identifying and displaying the variables of the templates;
• receiving at least one user-specified name element;
• and
• receiving at least one user command indicating that the user-specified name element is to be applied in relation to at least two of the identified variables associated respectively with at least two of the templates;
• whereby a first compound template employing the user-specified name element is formed from the at least two templates, the first compound template being instantiable as an object that can form at least a portion of the program.