Computer user interfaces that are generated as needed
View Patent ↗A computer user interface generation system and method is disclosed, wherein computer user interfaces can be generated dynamically during activation of the computer application for which the generated user interface provides user access to the functional features of the application. The generated user interface may be a graphical user interface (GUI) that uses instances of various user interaction techniques. A user interface specification is provided in a configuration database for generating the user interface, and by changing the user interface specification in the configuration database, the user interface for the computer application can be changed during activation of the application.
1. An apparatus for providing one or more user interfaces for a computer application comprising:
a data repository for storing first user interaction specification information providing data for substantially defining one or more instances of user interaction techniques for presentation to a user interacting with a computer application, wherein each said user interaction technique has a distinct collection of user interactions for allowing a user to request a performance of one of a predetermined one or more actions provided by the technique for accessing a functionality of the computer application;
a user interface generator for accessing said first user interaction specification information and generating a corresponding user interface for the computer application, wherein with each activation of the computer application, said user interface generator generates said corresponding user interface;
wherein for a change in said first user interaction specification information within said data repository such that a first data descriptor for a first of said first user interaction techniques is changed in said first user interaction specification information to a second data descriptor for a different second user interaction technique during an activation of the computer application, said user interface generator generates code for presenting said second user interaction technique in place of said first user interaction technique when the user requests access to a functionality of the computer application that had been previously accessible by said first user interaction technique; and
a user interface builder for allowing a user interface designer to create a second user interaction specification information for replacing said first user interaction specification information in said data repository, wherein said user interface builder has a user interface wherein the designer is able to drag and drop graphical representations of user interaction controls onto a page of said second user interlace.
2. An apparatus for providing one or more user interfaces for a computer application, comprising:
a data repository for storing first user interaction specification information providing data for substantially defining one or more instances of user interaction techniques for presentation to a user interacting with a computer application, wherein each said user interaction technique has a distinct collection of user interactions for allowing a user to request a performance of one of a predetermined one or more actions provided by the technique for accessing a functionality of the computer application;
a user interface generator for accessing said first user interaction specification information and generating a corresponding user interface for the computer application, wherein with each activation of the computer application, said user interface generator generates said corresponding user interface;
wherein for a change in said first user interaction specification information within said data repository such that a first data descriptor for a first of said first user interaction techniques changed in said first user interaction a specification information to second data descriptor for a different second user interaction technique during an activation of the computer application, said user interface generator generates code for presenting said second user interaction technique in place of said first user interaction technique when the user requests access to a functionality of the computer application that had been previously accessible by said first user interaction technique;
wherein an instance of said data repository and an instance of said user interface generator at each of a plurality of remote internet sites, wherein for each said instance, DB, of said data repository, said first user interaction specification information therein identifies a user interface layout and language that is preferable to a user at the internet site for DB.