Patent Application
20110138337
1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate management and use of graphical user interface components. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate reuse of user interface components in dynamic hierarchical applications.
2. Background
Historically, where hierarchical user interface components have been employed, children components have required knowledge of the parent key information of the parent object. This is required knowledge of the parent and placement within the hierarchy at design time. Such an approach requires significant work to integrate or reuse components in an increasingly dynamic environment.
A system and method for handling reusable graphical components in a dynamic environment is disclosed. A configuration is buffered in a computer system. An object corresponding to a graphical component is instantiated and assigned a level within the graphical hierarchy. The object is configured based on its location in the hierarchy from the buffered configuration. The object reads its parent identifier from a level buffer based solely on its assigned level and writes its object identifier into the level buffer in association with its assigned level.
The invention is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.
Initially, a root object is selected and instantiated. Root object is assigned level one and an associated window is rendered to display 106 by graphical user interface generator 122 executing on processor 102. The level one window 112 can be seen on display 106. Once rendered, the root object writes 130 its identification to level buffer 118 by default in association with level one, here (ABC).
An object that is a child of the root object and, therefore, corresponds to level two is instantiated. An associated window 114 nested within window 112 is rendered by graphical user interface generator 122. The object corresponding to level two knows only its level (level two), but not its parent. The object reads 134 its parent identification from level buffer based on its level (by selecting the next level down) and uses the parent ID into configuration file 120 to configure window 114.
Once configured, the level two object writes 132 its object ID to level buffer 118 in association with level two. Display window 116 is associated with a child object of level two (a level three object) and is nested within window 114. The level three object reads a level two ID from level buffer 118 based on its level, and uses its level and its parent ID to configure the window. The level three object then writes its ID to level buffer 118. This process may be repeated an arbitrary number of times.
Because the level of a component is defined at runtime and configured based on its position in the hierarchy at that point, a component can be reused at different levels and assume a variety of different configurations. This provides great flexibility in reuse of user interface components. In some embodiments, a static level assignment can be passed to a component via the configuration. In such an embodiment, if a static level assignment is passed, it overrules the dynamic level determination for that component.
A change module 124 executing on the processor watches the level buffer. If a change in one of the object IDs occurs, the change module invalidates all object IDs at a higher level. For example, if the object identifier for level one were changed, e.g., to AB′C, all other object IDs in the level buffer would be invalidated. If, e.g., the level two object identifier changed to, e.g., DC′E, level one would not be invalidated but all other levels would.
A determination is made at decision block 216 if additional levels exist to instantiate. If so, the current level object writes its ID to level buffer at 208 and the process continues. If no additional levels are to be instantiated and a decision is made at decision block 218 whether a change has occurred in the level buffer. If a change has occurred, all IDs at a higher level are invalidated at block 220. The process may then begin again.
While embodiments of the invention are discussed above in the context of flow diagrams reflecting a particular linear order, this is for convenience only. In some cases, various operations may be performed in a different order than shown or various operations may occur in parallel. It should also be recognized that some operations described with respect to one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into another embodiment. Such incorporation is expressly contemplated.
Elements of embodiments of the present invention may also be provided as a machine-readable medium for storing the machine-executable instructions. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, flash memory, optical disks, compact disks read only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile/video disks (DVD) ROM, random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic or optical cards.
In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
