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US 6,889,375 B1Granted
Method and system for application development
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsAlex Yiu-Man Chan, David C. Lee, Mike K. Chow, Rohit Dewan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for application development is disclosed. The system includes programming entities, which include a workflow and a container. A contract specifies an interaction between at least two programming entities.
Claims29
A system for application development, the system comprising:
- a plurality of programming entities comprising:
- a run-time container operable to execute a workflow, the workflow representing an application and comprising a plurality of workflow steps, each workflow step comprising a particular operation of the application, an interactive voice response unit comprising the run-time container, the workflow being operable to direct the operation of the interactive voice response unit;
- and
- a design-time container operable to edit the workflow;
- and
- a plurality of contracts, a contract specifying an interaction between a workflow step and a programming entity, the interaction comprising a service that the programming entity provides for the workflow step when the workflow step is executed, the workflow step and the contract operable to be used for a next workflow, the plurality of contracts comprising:
- a first contract specifying that the design-time container is to retrieve input data for a first workflow step when the first workflow step is executed;
- and
- a second contract specifying that the run-time container is to play a message in response to a triggering event for a second workflow step when the second workflow step is executed;
- the design-time container further operable to retrieve input data according to the first contract;
- and
- the run-time container further operable to play the message in response to the triggering event according to the first contract.
9 more elements
A method for application development, the method comprising:
- defining a plurality of programming entities comprising:
- a run-time container operable to execute a workflow, the workflow representing an application and comprising a plurality of workflow steps, each workflow step comprising a particular operation of the application;
- directing the operation of an interactive voice response unit using the workflow, the interactive voice response unit comprising the run-time container;
- and
- a design-time container operable to edit the workflow;
- and
- defining a plurality of contracts, a contract specifying an interaction between a workflow step and a programming entity, the interaction comprising a service that the programming entity provides for the workflow step when the workflow step is executed, the workflow step and the contract operable to be used for a next workflow, the plurality of contracts comprising:
- a first contract specifying that the design-time container is to retrieve input data for a first workflow step when the first workflow step is executed;
- and
- a second contract specifying that the run-time container is to play a message in response to a triggering event for a second workflow step when the second workflow step is executed;
- the design-time container further operable to retrieve input data according to the first contract;
- and
- the run-time container further operable to play the message in response to the triggering event according to the first contract.
10 more elements
Application development software embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to perform the following:
- defining a plurality of programming entities comprising:
- a run-time container operable to execute a workflow, the workflow representing an application and comprising a plurality of workflow steps, each workflow step comprising a particular operation of the application;
- and
- a design-time container operable to edit the workflow;
- directing the operation of an interactive voice response unit using the workflow, the interactive voice response unit comprising the run-time container;
- and
- defining a plurality of contracts, a contract specifying an interaction between a workflow step and a programming entity, the interaction comprising a service that the programming entity provides for the workflow step when the workflow step is executed, the workflow step and the contract operable to be used for a next workflow, the plurality of contracts comprising:
- a first contract specifying that the design-time container is to retrieve input data for a first workflow step when the first workflow step is executed;
- and
- a second contract specifying that the run-time container is to play a message in response to a triggering event for a second workflow step when the second workflow step is executed;
- the design-time container further operable to retrieve input data according to the first contract;
- and
- the run-time container further operable to play the message in response to the triggering event according to the first contract.
10 more elements
A system for application development, the system comprising:
- means for defining a plurality of programming entities comprising:
- a run-time container operable to execute a workflow, the workflow representing an application and comprising a plurality of workflow steps, each workflow step representing a particular operation of an application being developed;
- and
- a design-time container operable to edit the workflow;
- means for directing the operation of an interactive voice response unit using the workflow, the interactive voice response unit comprising the run-time container;
- and
- means for defining a plurality of contracts, a contract specifying an interaction between a workflow step and a programming entity, the interaction comprising a service that the programming entity provides for the workflow step when the workflow step is executed, the workflow step and the contract operable to be used for a next workflow, the plurality of contracts comprising:
- a first contract specifying that the design-time container is to retrieve input data for a first workflow step when the first workflow step is executed;
- and
- a second contract specifying that the run-time container is to play a message in response to a triggering event for a second workflow step when the second workflow step is executed;
- the design-time container further operable to retrieve input data according to the first contract;
- and
- the run-time container further operable to play the message in response to the triggering event according to the first contract.
10 more elements
A system for application development, the system comprising:
- a plurality of programming entities comprising:
- a workflow step operable to:
- direct an interactive voice response unit to play a message specified in a message variable;
- direct the interactive voice response unit to retrieve data specified in a data variable;
- a workflow representing an application and comprising the workflow step, the workflow step comprising a particular operation of the application;
- a workflow task providing a message value corresponding to the message and a data value corresponding to the data;
- a run-time container operable to execute the workflow;
- a design-time container operable to edit the workflow;
- a plurality of contracts, a contract associating:
- the message value with the message variable;
- and
- the data value with the data variable, the contract specifying an interaction between the workflow step and the run-time container, the interaction comprising a service that the run-time container provides for the workflow step when the workflow step is executed, the workflow step and the contract operable to be used for a next workflow, the plurality of contracts comprising:
- a first contract specifying that the design-time container is to retrieve input data for a first workflow step when the first workflow step is executed;
- and
- a second contract specifying that the run-time container is to play a message in response to a triggering event for a second workflow step when the second workflow step is executed;
- the design-time container further operable to retrieve input data according to the first contract;
- and
- the run-time container further operable to play the message in response to the triggering event according to the first contract.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.