Declarative task-based user interfaces

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for building wizard-style user interfaces (UIs) for a business task includes identifying a collection of metadata associated with the business task, and processing the collection of metadata to provide a set of wizard-style UIs pertaining to the business task.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings of various embodiments of the invention, which, however, should not be taken to limit the invention to the specific embodiments, but are for explanation and understanding only.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a system for building and presenting wizard-style UIs for business tasks.

FIG. 1B illustrates an exemplary UI provided by a task UI development tool according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1C illustrates an exemplary UI from a wizard-style sequence of task UIs, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a runtime engine.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for building wizard-style UIs pertaining to a business task.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for executing a business task associated with wizard-style UIs.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a task initiation process.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a navigation method.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for performing Next action operations.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for performing Previous action operations.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for performing Pause action operations.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for resuming a paused task.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for performing Cancel action operations.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating how a task instance transitions between internal states during run-time execution.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating how data objects change state during run-time execution.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system that may be used to perform one or more of the operations described herein.

Claims

1. A computerized method comprising: identifying a collection of metadata associated with a business task; andprocessing the collection of metadata to provide a set of wizard-style user interfaces (UIs) pertaining to the business task.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein: the collection of metadata is created using a visual representation of the business task, the visual representation specified by an intermediate user in a design environment; andthe set of wizard-style UIs is provided for use by an end user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the design environment allows the intermediate user to create the visual representation without writing programming code.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the visual representation of the business task defines a flowchart including a sequence of steps to be performed for the business task, the steps comprising at least one of a UI view step, a service invocation step, a database operation step, a decision step, an error step, a subtask step, a commit step, a start step, or an end step.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the collection of metadata defines the steps to be executed for the business task and an execution order of the steps.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the collection of metadata comprises a set of properties associated with the business task and sets of properties associated with corresponding steps within the business task.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the design environment allows the intermediate user to define navigation controls for the set of wizard-style UIs, the navigation controls comprising at least one of a previous operation, a next operation, a pause operation, a resume operation, or a cancel operation.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising: allowing an end user to use the navigation controls when navigating through the set of wizard-style UIs.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein allowing the end user to use the navigation controls comprises: storing step instance information of each completed step in a history stack; andin response to a previous operation request, moving from a currently displayed UI to a previously displayed UI using contents of the history stack.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein allowing the end user to use the navigation controls further comprises: automatically presenting the navigation history to the end user using the contents of the history stack.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein presenting the navigation history to the end user comprises: partitioning the presentation of the navigation history using chapters.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein allowing the end user to use the navigation controls further comprises: re-executing non-UI steps when the non-UI steps are reached multiple times via previous and next operations;maintaining states of UI steps across the previous and next operations; anddisplaying each UI in a most current state.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein: the currently displayed UI contains partially entered data when the end user issues the previous operation request; andin response to the subsequent next operation request, the previously displayed UI is returned with the partially entered data.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising: upon receiving the next operation request, determining that data entered in the previously displayed UI has changed;determining that the changed data causes a different sequence of steps; andfollowing the different sequence of steps when executing the next operation request.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising: determining that the different sequence of steps leaves previously entered data non-validated; andautomatically hiding the previously entered non-validated data.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein allowing the end user to use the navigation controls comprises: in response to a pause operation request, pausing the business task at a currently displayed UI;storing states of UIs displayed prior to the pause operation requests; andin response to a resume operation request, resuming the business task at the UI displayed at the time of the pause operation request based on the stored states.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein allowing the end user to use the navigation controls comprises: in response to a cancel operation request, returning the business task to a previously stored state.

18. A machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause a machine to perform a method comprising: identifying a collection of metadata associated with a business task; andprocessing the collection of metadata to provide a set of wizard-style user interfaces (UIs) pertaining to the business task.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18 wherein: the collection of metadata is created using a visual representation of the business task, the visual representation specified by an intermediate user in a design environment that allows the intermediate user to create the visual representation without writing programming code; andthe set of wizard-style UIs is provided for use by an end user.

20. A system comprising: a metadata repository to store a collection of metadata associated with a business task; anda runtime engine to process the collection of metadata to provide a set of wizard-style user interfaces (UIs) pertaining to the business task, the set of wizard-style UIs being provided for use by an end user.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising: a task UI development tool to allow an intermediate user to create a visual representation of the business task without writing programming code, and to create the collection of metadata using the visual representation of the business task.