System and method for creation and handling of configurable applications for website building systems
A website building system (WBS) includes a database of website components and definitions and instances of website building system configurable applications (WCAs), where the WCAs are single packaged entities which can also be accessed as a sets of customizable elements; a WCA app builder to enable a developer to develop a first version WCA; an in-site editor to provide specific editing capabilities for a user to edit at least one of a definition or an instance of the first version WCA and a WCA handler to receive a modification to the first version WCA from the user and an update to the first version WCA from the developer, the WCA handler to merge between the modification and the update to create a changed WCA, to resolve conflicts or loss of functionality and to handle permissions between the modification and the update.
1 . A website building system (WBS), the system comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one database storing at least definitions and instances of WBS configurable applications (WCAs), wherein said WCAs are single packaged entities comprising sets of customizable elements having components of said WBS embedded as an instance in a page of a website of said WBS to provide operations; and
a WCA app builder running on said at least one processor to enable a WCA developer to build and edit a first version WCA, said WCA app builder further comprising:
a customization panel creator to configure and generate associated specific customization panels for said first version WCA of displayable during editing, said panels containing customizable elements for WCA customization to configure an instance of said first version WCA of WCA;
a dialog editor to enable the creation and editing of definitions for said customizable elements;
a WCA analyzer to analyze said customizable elements to determine at least one of: repeating or hierarchical elements in the structure of said first version WCA to generate at least one of lists and nested elements; and
a WCA handler configured to, in response to a modification of said first version WCA comprising at least one of: a replacement of a first component with a second component and a deletion of a third component, to perform at least one of:
translating at least one of input messages or events between said second component and elements of said WBS and simulating at least a portion of the functionality of said deleted third component to maintain operational compatibility.
2 . The system according to claim 1 wherein said customization panel creator and said dialog editor modify the UI (user interface) of a WBS editor for said WCA developer.
3 . The system according to claim 1 and further comprising:
an in-site editor to provide specific editing capabilities for said WCA developer to edit at least one of a definition or an instance of said first version WCA;
said WCA handler to receive at least one modification to said first version WCA from a user of said WBS and at least one update to said first version WCA from said WCA developer, said WCA handler to merge at least between said at least one modification and said at least one update to create a changed WCA, said WCA handler to also resolve conflicts or loss of functionality and to handle permissions between said at least one modification and said at least one update; and
a WCA site viewer to support viewing of said first version WCA and said changed WCA during runtime of said WBS.
4 . The system according to claim 3 and also comprising at least one of:
a WCA modification handler to receive and resolve said conflicts between said at least one modification and said at least one update for said first version WCA;
a machine learner (ML)/artificial intelligence (AI) module to employ machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to provide support for resolution of said conflicts and said loss of functionality for said WCA handler and to provide merging support for said WCA modification handler;
an Application Programming Interface (API) handler to replace at least said first version WCA with at least one other WCA having an identical or similar API;
an alert provider to provide alerts regarding implementation and use of said WCA handler;
a feedback provider to gather information and provide analysis on general WCA instance changes; and
a database connector to check for field types and previous connections made by said user or other users of said first version WCA.
5 . The system according to claim 4 wherein said WCA modification handler comprises:
an update receiver to receive said at least one modification and said at least one update to said first version WCA;
an API analyzer to analyze the pre-packaged API of an existing WCA to detect the API properties and interfaces and to generate a matching settings panel for a changed version of said existing WCA;
a WCA merger to merge said at least one modification and said at least one update to create said changed WCA from said first version WCA;
a change resolver to resolve said conflicts between said at least one modification and said at least one update;
a permission determiner to determine and apply any permission restrictions for said at least one modification and said at least one update and to determine any permissions required at runtime for said changed WCA; and
a change applier to apply said at least one modification and said at least one update to said first version WCA according to said WCA merger, said change resolver and said permission determiner to create said changed WCA.
6 . The system according to claim 3 , and also comprising:
a WCA manager to provide management services for said first version WCA and said changed WCA within said WBS;
a WCA CMS (content management system) coordinator to access at least said WBS components and user information also stored in said at least one database; and
said WCA handler to coordinate activity between said WCA app builder, said WCA manager, said WCA site viewer, said providing specific editing capabilities and said WCA CMS coordinator.
7 . The system according to claim 6 wherein said user information is at least one of: geographical location, language, editing history and collected business intelligence for said WBS user.
8 . A method for a website building system (WBS), the method comprising:
storing in at least one database at least definitions and instances of WBS configurable applications (WCAs), wherein said WCAs are single packaged entities having components of said WBS are embedded as an instance in a page of a website of said WBS, said WCAs to provide operations for said website; and
enabling a WCA developer to build and edit a first version WCA, said enabling comprising:
configuring and generating associated specific customization panels for said first version WCA displayable during editing, said panels containing customizable elements for WCA customization to configure an instance of said first version WCA;
creating and editing of definitions for said customizable elements; and
analyzing said customizable elements to determine at least one of: repeating or hierarchical elements in the structure of said first version WCA to generate at least one of: lists and nested elements; and
in response to a modification of said first version WCA comprising at least one of: a replacement of a first component with a second component and a deletion of a third component, performing at least one of:
translating at least one of input messages or events between said second component and elements of said WBS and simulating at least a portion of the functionality of said deleted third component to maintain operational compatibility.
9 . The method according to claim 8 wherein said configuring and generating associated specific customization panels and said creating and editing of definitions modify the UI (user interface) of a WBS editor for said WCA developer.
10 . The method according to claim 8 and further comprising:
providing specific editing capabilities for said WCA developer to edit at least one of a definition or an instance of said first version WCA;
receiving at least one modification to said first version WCA from a user of said WBS and at least one update to said first version WCA from said WCA developer;
merging at least between said at least one modification and said at least one update to create a changed WCA;
resolving conflicts or loss of functionality and handling permissions between said at least one modification and said at least one update; and
supporting viewing of said first version WCA and said changed WCA during runtime of said WBS.
11 . The method according to claim 10 and also comprising at least one of:
receiving and resolving said conflicts between said at least one modification and said at least one update for said first version WCA;
employing machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to provide support for resolution of said conflicts and loss of functionality for retaining code functionality and said operational compatibility and to provide merging support for said receiving and resolving said conflicts;
replacing at least said first version WCA with at least one other WCA having an identical or similar API;
providing alerts regarding implementation and use of said merging and resolving;
gathering information and providing analysis on general WCA instance changes; and
checking for field types and previous connections made by said WBS user or other users of said first version WCA.
12 . The method according to claim 11 wherein said receiving and resolving said conflicts comprises:
analyzing the pre-packaged API of an existing WCA to detect the API properties and interfaces and generating a matching settings panel for a changed version of said existing WCA;
merging said at least one modification and said at least one update to create said changed WCA from said first version WCA;
resolving conflicts between said at least one modification and said at least one update;
determining and applying any permission restrictions for said at least one modification and said at least one update and determining any permissions required at runtime for said changed WCA; and
applying said at least one modification and said at least one update to said first version WCA according to said merging said at least one modification and said at least one update, said resolving conflicts and said determining and applying any permission restrictions to create said changed WCA.
13 . The method according to claim 10 , and also comprising:
providing management services for said first version WCA and said changed WCA within said WBS;
accessing at least said WBS components and user information also stored in said at least one database; and
coordinating activity between said enabling a WCA developer to build and edit, providing management services, said supporting viewing, said providing specific editing capabilities and said accessing at least said WBS components.
14 . The method according to claim 13 wherein said user information is at least one of: geographical location, language, editing history and collected business intelligence for said WBS user.