Visual development environment for implementing logic modules
Logic modules may be developed to automate or simplify a variety of business tasks and applications. For example, a logic module of a shopping cart process may be developed to handle transactions between an online retail service and online shoppers. As the complexity of logic modules increases, the developmental time and cost can also increase. Accordingly, developers may utilize a visual development environment to simplify logic module design. Provided are exemplary techniques for improving visual development environments, which can in turn increase the efficiency of logic module development.
1. A visual development environment apparatus for facilitating development of a logic module, the logic module operable to be instantiated on a server, the visual development environment apparatus being used for constructing a visual development environment operable to be displayed at a development terminal based on instructions stored in a non-volatile machine-readable medium and comprising:
a processor configured for:
receiving, by the visual development environment apparatus, a first design-time packet comprising a design-time representation of primary logic for a critical path for inclusion in the logic module and a design-time representation of secondary logic for inclusion in the logic module;
interpreting, by the visual development environment apparatus, the first design-time packet for displaying the design-time representation of primary logic and the design-time representation of secondary logic;
displaying:
a primary window comprising the design-time representation of primary logic for the critical path to be included in the logic module, the critical path comprising an explicit segment being drawn by the visual development environment apparatus, and an implicit segment being selectively visible based on a user preference; and
one or more secondary windows each comprising the design-time representation of secondary logic to be included in the logic module;
hiding at least one of the one or more secondary windows when the primary window is displayed;
facilitating at least one of retrieval, modification, and storage of instructions representing the logic module; and
sending, by the visual development environment apparatus, a feedback design-time packet.
2. The visual development environment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more secondary windows comprise a fault handler window and the secondary logic comprises fault logic that is operable to be triggered by one or more faults after the logic module is instantiated on the server.
3. The visual development environment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more secondary windows comprise a compensation handler window and the secondary logic comprises compensation logic that is operable to compensate, at least in part, the primary logic after the logic module is instantiated on the server.
4. The visual development environment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more secondary windows comprise an event handler window and the secondary logic comprises event logic that is operable to be conditionally executed after the logic module is instantiated on the server.
5. The visual development environment apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the event logic is operable to be triggered by at least one of a user interaction and a timer.
6. The visual development environment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hiding of the one or more secondary windows comprises minimizing the one or more secondary windows.
7. The visual development environment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more secondary windows is visually presented as at least one of adjacent to, inside of, or hanging off of the primary window.
8. The visual development environment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more secondary windows is at least partially transparent when the at least one of the one or more secondary windows is not focused upon.
9. The visual development environment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second primary window; and
a connection for the critical path between the primary window and the second primary window.
10. The visual development environment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the visual development environment apparatus is further operable to selectively minimize the primary window when at least one of the one or more secondary windows is displayed.
11. The visual development environment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the server is a cloud-based server.
12. A method of facilitating development of a logic module operable to be instantiated on a server, the method comprising:
receiving, by a visual development environment apparatus, a first design-time packet comprising a design-time representation of primary logic for a critical path for inclusion in the logic module and a design-time representation of secondary logic for inclusion in the logic module;
interpreting, by the visual development environment apparatus, the first design-time packet for displaying the design-time representation of primary logic and the design-time representation of secondary logic;
displaying, by the visual development environment apparatus, a primary window comprising the design-time representation of primary logic for the critical path to be included in the logic module;
drawing, by the visual development environment apparatus, an explicit segment of the critical path;
determining, by the visual development environment apparatus, a user preference for an implicit segment of the critical path;
determining, by the visual development environment apparatus, whether to display the implicit segment based on the user preference;
displaying, by the visual development environment apparatus, one or more secondary windows each comprising the design-time representation of secondary logic to be included in the logic module;
hiding, by the visual development environment apparatus, at least one of the one or more secondary windows when the primary window is displayed,
wherein the visual development environment apparatus is further operable to facilitate at least one of retrieval, modification, and storage of instructions representing the logic module; and
sending, by the visual development environment apparatus, a second design-time packet based on user input.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more secondary windows comprise a fault handler window and the secondary logic comprises fault logic that is operable to be triggered by one or more faults after the logic module is instantiated on the server.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more secondary windows comprise a compensation handler window and the secondary logic comprises compensation logic that is operable to compensate, at least in part, the primary logic after the logic module is instantiated on the server.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more secondary windows comprise an event handler window and the secondary logic comprises event logic that is operable to be conditionally executed after the logic module is instantiated on the server.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the event logic is operable to be triggered by at least one of a user interaction and a timer.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the hiding of the one or more secondary windows comprises minimizing the one or more secondary windows.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the one or more secondary windows is visually presented as at least one of adjacent to, inside of, or hanging off of the primary window.
19. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the one or more secondary windows is at least partially transparent when the at least one of the one or more secondary windows is not focused upon.
20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
displaying, by the visual development environment apparatus, a second primary window; and
displaying, by the visual development environment apparatus, a connection for the critical path between the primary window and the second primary window.