Interactive editor for data driven systems

1 . A method comprising:

executing an application program;

displaying a graphical user interface of the application program, including at least one displayed object; and

editing the displayed object while the application program is executing.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the graphical user interface further comprises:

displaying a link to a configuration program for the application program in the graphical user interface.

3 . The method of claim 2 further comprising:

using the link to execute the configuration program.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein editing further comprises:

displaying metadata for the displayed object in the user interface.

5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising:

changing the metadata for the displayed object while the application program is executing.

6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:

executing the changed metadata for the displayed object.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed object is a HTML document.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the application program is executed by a server.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the user interface is displayed by a client.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the client and the server are connected by a network.

11 . A method of executing and editing an application program, comprising:

executing the application program;

displaying a graphical user interface of the application program, including one or more displayed objects;

receiving input from a user through the graphical user interface to identify at least one of the displayed object;

displaying metadata for the identified object in the graphical user interface;

receiving an editing input from the user to modify the displayed metadata for the identified object while the application program is executing; and

editing the displayed metadata based on the received editing input.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein displaying the graphical user interface further comprises:

displaying a link to an editor for the application program in the graphical user interface.

13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a click of the link from the user; and

displaying the editor to the user.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein displaying the editor comprises:

displaying an editing decoration in the graphical user interface, the editing decoration including a plurality of editing functions.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein receiving input from the user to modify the displayed metadata comprises:

receiving an input from a user to identify at least one of the editing functions of the editing decoration.

16 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:

modifying the executing application program based on the edited metadata.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the displayed object is a HTML document.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the application program is executed by a server.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the graphical user interface is displayed by a client.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the client and the server are connected by a network.

21 . An apparatus comprising:

means for executing an application program;

means for displaying a graphical user interface of the application program, including at least one displayed object; and

means for editing the displayed object while the application program is executing.

22 . The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said means for displaying the graphical user interface further comprises:

means for displaying a link to a configuration program for the application program in the graphical user interface.

23 . The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising:

means for using the link to execute the configuration program.

24 . The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said means for editing further comprises:

means for displaying metadata for the displayed object in the user interface.

25 . The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising:

means for changing the metadata for the displayed object while the application program is executing.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising:

means for executing the changed metadata for the displayed object.

27 . An apparatus for executing and editing an application program, comprising:

means for executing the application program;

means for displaying a graphical user interface of the application program, including one or more displayed objects;

means for receiving input from a user through the graphical user interface to identify at least one of the displayed object;

means for displaying metadata for the identified object in the graphical user interface;

means for receiving an editing input from the user to modify the displayed metadata for the identified object while the application program is executing; and

means for editing the displayed metadata based on the received editing input.

28 . The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said means for displaying the graphical user interface further comprises:

means for displaying a link to an editor for the application program in the graphical user interface.

29 . The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising:

means for receiving a click of the link from the user; and

means for displaying the editor to the user.

30 . The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said means for displaying the editor comprises:

means for displaying an editing decoration in the graphical user interface, the editing decoration including a plurality of editing functions.

31 . A computer readable article of manufacture storing a computer program, the computer program comprising:

code for executing an application program;

code for displaying a graphical user interface of the application program, including at least one displayed object; and

code for editing the displayed object while the application program is executing.

32 . The program of claim 31 wherein said code for displaying the graphical user interface further comprises:

code for displaying a link to a configuration program for the application program in the graphical user interface.

33 . The program of claim 32 further comprising:

code for using the link to execute the configuration program.

34 . The program of claim 31 wherein said code for editing further comprises:

code for displaying metadata for the displayed object in the user interface.

35 . The program of claim 34 further comprising:

code for changing the metadata for the displayed object while the application program is executing.

36 . The program of claim 35 further comprising:

code for executing the changed metadata for the displayed object.

37 . A computer readable article of manufacture storing a computer program, the computer program comprising:

code for executing an application program;

code for displaying a graphical user interface of the application program, including one or more displayed objects;

code for receiving input from a user through the graphical user interface to identify at least one of the displayed object;

code for displaying metadata for the identified object in the graphical user interface;

code for receiving an editing input from the user to modify the displayed metadata for the identified object while the application program is executing; and

code for editing the displayed metadata based on the received editing input.

38 . The program of claim 37 wherein said code for displaying the graphical user interface further comprises:

code for displaying a link to an editor for the application program in the graphical user interface.

39 . The program of claim 38 further comprising:

code for receiving a click of the link from the user; and

code for displaying the editor to the user.

40 . The program of claim 39 wherein said code for displaying the editor comprises:

code for displaying an editing decoration in the graphical user interface, the editing decoration including a plurality of editing functions.

41 . The program of claim 40 wherein said code for receiving input from the user to modify the displayed metadata comprises:

code for receiving an input from a user to identify at least one of the editing functions of the editing decoration.

42 . The program of claim 37 further comprising:

code for modifying the executing application program based on the edited metadata.