Object configuration utilities
Configuration utilities, such as object wizards, enable automatic configuration of domain-specific assets from object templates based on domain specific options. In an aspect, an application object template library stores a set of previously defined application object templates. The templates each include a superset of options common to a set of related domain objects. A configuration utility is configured for specifying at least one domain-specific option of the superset and creating an application object instance to be included in an application. The application object instance comprising at least one of the application object templates having the specified domain-specific option.
1. A template-based supervisory process control and manufacturing information application development platform comprising:
a computer comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer storage media, the non-transitory computer storage media comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor implement:
an application object template library storing in at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer storage media a set of previously defined application object templates, said application object templates each including a superset of options common to a set of related domain objects; and
a configuration utility configured for specifying at least one domain-specific option of the superset, and creating an application object instance to be included in an application, said application object instance comprising at least one of the application object templates having the specified domain-specific option.
2. The template-based supervisory process control and manufacturing information application development facility of claim 1 , wherein the domain-specific options define at least one of an attribute, a script, a symbol, and a behavior primitive of an asset to be included in an application object associated therewith.
3. The template-based supervisory process control and manufacturing information application development facility of claim 1 , wherein the configuration utility is integrated with a symbol wizard.
4. The template-based supervisory process control and manufacturing information application development facility of claim 3 , wherein the configuration utility propagates modified settings for the symbol wizard to the application object instance automatically.
5. The template-based supervisory process control and manufacturing information application development facility of claim 3 , wherein the configuration utility is further configured to override settings of the symbol wizard and associate a graphic toolbox symbol with the application object instance.
6. The template-based supervisory process control and manufacturing information application development facility of claim 1 , wherein the domain-specific options, when selected, enable values of attributes to be inherited from the application object templates.
7. The template-based supervisory process control and manufacturing information application development facility of claim 1 , wherein the configuration utility is further configured to provide behavior testing of selected ones of the application object templates including selected ones of the domain-specific options before creating instances thereof.
8. A computer-implemented method of deriving application object instances, comprising:
providing a computer comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer storage media, the non-transitory computer storage media comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor implement:
storing, in an application object template library, a set of previously defined application object templates, wherein the application object templates each include one or more elements representing a superset of domain-specific options common to a set of related assets of an industrial process;
specifying, by an object wizard, at least one of the domain-specific options for each element;
creating, by the object wizard, instances of the application object templates to be included in a supervisory process control and manufacturing information application for the industrial process, wherein the instances comprise one or more application objects instantiated from selected ones of the application object templates including selected ones of the domain-specific options; and
automatically configuring, by the object wizard, the instances with the selected ones of the domain-specific options.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the domain-specific options define at least one of an attribute, a script, a symbol, and a behavior primitive of an asset to be included in an application object associated therewith.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the object wizard is integrated with a symbol wizard.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising automatically propagating, by the object wizard, modified settings of the symbol wizard to the instances of the application object templates.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
overriding, by the object wizard, settings of the symbol wizard; and
associating, by the object wizard, a graphic toolbox symbol with at least one of the instances of the application object templates.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the domain-specific options, when selected, enable values of attributes to be inherited from the application object templates.
14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising providing, by the object wizard, behavioral testing of selected ones of the application object templates including selected ones of the domain-specific options before said creating.
15. A system for providing object configuration utilities comprising:
a computer comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer storage media, the non-transitory computer storage media comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor implement:
an application object template library storing in at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer storage media a set of previously defined application object templates, said application object templates each comprising one or more elements representing a superset of domain-specific options common to a set of related assets of an industrial process; and
an object wizard configured for specifying at least one of the plurality of domain-specific options for each element, and creating instances of the application object templates to be included in an application, said instances comprising one or more application objects instantiated from selected ones of the application object templates including selected ones of the domain-specific options,
wherein the instances are automatically configured with the selected ones of the domain-specific options.
16. The computer readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the domain-specific options define at least one of an attribute, a script, a symbol, and a behavior primitive of an asset to be included in an application object associated therewith.
17. The computer readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the object wizard is integrated with a symbol wizard.
18. The computer readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein the object wizard is further configured to override settings of the symbol wizard and associate a graphic toolbox symbol with at least one of the instances of the application object templates.
19. The computer readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the domain-specific options, when selected, enable values of attributes to be inherited from the application object templates.
20. The computer readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the object wizard is further configured to provide behavior testing of selected ones of the application object templates including selected ones of the domain-specific options before creating the instances thereof.