Patent Application
20080086701
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further purposes and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where:
a-b are generalized illustrations of object prop-pop-up viewer/editor as implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the invention for the viewing of object properties in an IDE; and
A method, apparatus and computer-usable medium are disclosed for improved management of object properties in an integrated development environment (IDE). In various embodiments of the invention, a cursor mode is implemented that allows the underlying properties of one or more predetermined objects in a graphical editor to be dynamically viewed and modified by a user.
As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied as a method, system, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable storage medium having computer-usable program code embodied in the medium.
Any suitable computer usable or computer readable medium may be utilized. The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a transmission media such as those supporting the Internet or an intranet, or a magnetic storage device. Note that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory. In the context of this document, a computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer-usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer-usable program code embodied therewith, either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. The computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to the Internet, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc.
Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like. However, the computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may also be written in conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).
The present invention is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
Client computer 102 is able to communicate with a service provider server 150 via a network 128 using a network interface 130, which is coupled to system bus 106. Network 128 may be an external network such as the Internet, or an internal network such as an Ethernet Network or a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Using network 128, client computer 102 is able to use the present invention to access service provider server 150.
A hard drive interface 132 is also coupled to system bus 106. Hard drive interface 132 interfaces with a hard drive 134. In a preferred embodiment, hard drive 134 populates a system memory 136, which is also coupled to system bus 106. Data that populates system memory 136 includes client computer 102's operating system (OS) 138 and application programs 144.
OS 138 includes a shell 140 for providing transparent user access to resources such as application programs 144. Generally, shell 140 is a program that provides an interpreter and an interface between the user and the operating system. More specifically, shell 140 executes commands that are entered into a command line user interface or from a file. Thus, shell 140 (as it is called in UNIX®), also called a command processor in Windows®, is generally the highest level of the operating system software hierarchy and serves as a command interpreter. The shell provides a system prompt, interprets commands entered by keyboard, mouse, or other user input media, and sends the interpreted command(s) to the appropriate lower levels of the operating system (e.g., a kernel 142) for processing. While shell 140 generally is a text-based, line-oriented user interface, the present invention can also support other user interface modes, such as graphical, voice, gestural, etc.
As depicted, OS 138 also includes kernel 142, which includes lower levels of functionality for OS 138, including essential services required by other parts of OS 138 and application programs 144, including memory management, process and task management, disk management, and mouse and keyboard management.
Application programs 144 may include a browser 146. Browser 146 includes program modules and instructions enabling a World Wide Web (WWW) client (i.e., client computer 102) to send and receive network messages to the Internet using HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) messaging, thus enabling communication with service provider server 150.
Application programs 144 in client computer 102's system memory also include a policy validator 148. Policy validator 148 includes code for implementing the processes described in
The hardware elements depicted in client computer 102 are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather are representative to highlight components used by the present invention. For instance, client computer 102 may include alternate memory storage devices such as magnetic cassettes, Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs), Bernoulli cartridges, and the like. These and other variations are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
If the user decides to select a second object to compare its properties to the first selected object in step 206, it is selected in step 208 through a second mouse-over user gesture (e.g., ctrl-right-mouse-click). Step 206 and step 208 are then iteratively repeated to select additional objects to compare their respective properties. In one embodiment of the invention, prop-pop-up viewer/editor 148 is implemented to display the respective properties of two or more predetermined objects depicted in a graphical editor, thereby removing the need to open two or more prop-pop-up windows and switch between them to compare the properties of their respective objects.
If the user decides in step 210 to view, but not edit, the respective properties of predetermined objects that have been selected in a graphical editor, then the respective object properties are viewed in step 216 as described in greater detail hereinabove. In an embodiment of the invention, response time to view object properties (i.e., read-only) in the prop-pop-up window is optimized as properties are displayed without their editing widgets. If, in step 218, the user decides to view or edit the properties of other or additional objects depicted in a graphical editor, the process is repeated beginning with step 204. Otherwise, object property viewing and editing operations within a graphical editor comprising an IDE is ended in step 220. If the user decides in step 210 to edit the respective properties of predetermined objects that have been selected in a graphical editor, then a predetermined mouse-over user gesture (e.g., double-right-mouse-click) alters the behavior of prop-pop-up viewer/editor 148 to allow the user to edit object properties in step 214 as described in greater detail hereinabove. In one embodiment of the invention, object properties displayed in the prop-pop-up window are visually adjacent to the object's location in the graphical editor and editable upon explicit user gesture. Widgets needed to edit object properties (e.g., dropdown boxes, text areas, etc.) are loaded with an explicit user gesture (e.g., double-right-mouse-click). Furthermore, fewer mouse movements are required to edit object properties, since the prop-pop-up window is close to the cursor. If, in step 218, the user decides to view or edit the properties of other or additional objects depicted in a graphical editor, the process is repeated beginning with step 204. Otherwise, object property viewing and editing operations within a graphical editor comprising an IDE is ended in step 220.
a-b are generalized illustrations of object property pop-up viewer/editor (prop-pop-up) 148 as implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the invention for the viewing of object properties in an IDE. In these illustrations, graphical user interface (GUI) 302 comprises IDE 304, which comprises graphical directory structure 306, graphical project structure 308, graphical editor 310, cursor 412, and object prop-pop-up viewer/editor 148. Graphical directory structure 306 and graphical project structure 308 are used for navigation between various components comprising IDE 304. Graphical editor 310 allows users to control artifacts through direct manipulation of their visual representations. In
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the term “computer” or “system” or “computer system” or “computing device” includes any data processing system including, but not limited to, personal computers, servers, workstations, network computers, main frame computers, routers, switches, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), telephones, and any other system capable of processing, transmitting, receiving, capturing and/or storing data.
