CA2214972C - Graphical environment for managing and developing applications - Google Patents
Graphical environment for managing and developing applications Download PDFInfo
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- CA2214972C CA2214972C CA002214972A CA2214972A CA2214972C CA 2214972 C CA2214972 C CA 2214972C CA 002214972 A CA002214972 A CA 002214972A CA 2214972 A CA2214972 A CA 2214972A CA 2214972 C CA2214972 C CA 2214972C
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F8/00—Arrangements for software engineering
- G06F8/30—Creation or generation of source code
- G06F8/34—Graphical or visual programming
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F40/00—Handling natural language data
- G06F40/10—Text processing
- G06F40/166—Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
- G06F40/177—Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting of tables; using ruled lines
- G06F40/18—Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting of tables; using ruled lines of spreadsheets
Abstract
A graphical application developing and managing environment is described capable of representing and editing program modules using multiple display formats, which include embedding source code written in a functional language into a spreadsheet-like format. Methods are described for enabling the sharing of program modules by defining standardized interfaces into program modules and existing documents and by centrally locating module definitions. A patchwork mechanism is described requiring only basic spreadsheet editing skills on behalf of the user, enabling a user of the environment to connect external documents and program modules into a new program application. The invention allows complicated programming and simple end-user programming to be achieved within a unified environment and allows the execution of program modules and tracing of variables simultaneously with the writing of a program application. The invention defines methods for representing the various parts of a source code, defining a program application, along with the application icon as determined by a user creating the application and thereby making parts of the source code accessible to end-users for run-time execution.
Description
W 096/26484 PCTADh~r'~~8 GRAPHICAL ENVIRONMENT FOR MANAGING AND DEVELOPING APPLICATIO~S
Te~h~ lField In general the present invention relates to an application building environm~nt More specifically, the present invention relates to an application building and m~n~ging environment in which users of computer systems, inclurlingones with minim~l progln..,...ing knowledge, create and share powerful software applications.
Background of the I~lv~.~lion In a conventional application building ellvholllllent such as in most third and fourth generation pro~sln...~ g l~n~l~pes, the task of constructing an 15 application requires intensive knowledge of spe~i~li7ed methods and structures.
Fxi~ting application environrnents do not enable end-users with limited progln,....~ g knowledge to combine program modules from other users and program developers into complicated applications. The sharing of program components is done on a level in~c.ces~ihle by the end-user. Furthermore, f~xi~ting systems do not combine progln.. ;.. g at di~relc;ll~ skill and complication levels into a unified environment where complex progl~"".-i..g and simple end-user progln.-."~il-g follow the same approach. The components of an application are usually rigorously embedded into the program source code either in the form of text or as a colllbh~a~ion of text and objects. This results in difflculties in sharing 25 colllpu~el components. Module and data dictionaries and well organized program libraries provide a partial solution to this problem. However there are still very limited possibilities for end-users of computer systems to share or even build complicated applications involving rich modular prog.n,."..il-g structure without intensive knowledge of a complicated progl;.,...l.il.g environment.
The introduction of multi-dimensional spreadsheets allows users of such systems to create more complicated c~ls~ tion models through a smooth W 096126484 PCT~DR~6/~CU_ transaction from two--1imto.n~ nal sprea~1~heet~ and is thus a step toward making applications manageable by the end-user. Current sprça~l~h~et systems however do not focus the user's attention on the underlying logical modular structure ever-present in an application. Furthermore current spre~ h~et systems do not 5 generalize the spreadsheet concept in such a way that powerful pro~ ""~
techniques can be applied without leaving the methodology of the sprea-l~heet environment but instead employ add-on techniques such as the writing of macros to çnh~n~e. usability.
There exist numerous source code generators and fourth generation 10 pro~ """il-g environments using graphical structures as part of application generation. Source code generators however and most other application building environments, by definition, are int~nlled for program development and provide an envilolmlt;llL for developing applications which is entirely difr~;;lc;ll~ from the end-user environment. Thus the end-user is separated from the application 15 building environment and is unable to create or share application components without moving up to the application developing level.
U.S. PatentNo. 4,956,773, issued Sep.11,1990 to Saito et al., describes methods for creating programs using various diagrams.
U.S. Patent No. 5,255,363, issued Oct. 19, 1993 to Seyler, describes 20 methods for writing programs within a spreadsheet application.
U.S. Patent No. 5,317,686, issued May 31, 1994 to Salas et al., describes re-labelling of sprea-l.ch~et cells.
Summaly of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide a graphical application developing and m~n~ging environment in which the building and sharing of application components is done largely by the end-user.
The above object is accomplished by colllbhlillg a graphical logical 30 modular structure diagram, methods for embedding source code for a class of W 096/26484 PCTrDX~G~'~Q~
progl~""";ng l~n~ges into a visual spreadsheet-like format and standardized interfaces into modules and external applications.
Modular structure is present in any software application and can be vic-1~li7ed in many d~elellL ways depending on which program parts are grouped 5 together to form a module and how they are interconnected. However the term logical modular structure used above represents a modular structure describing asolution to a specific task an application is int~n~led to perform.
According to the present invention, application or module building is done by drawing on a display unit a logical modular structure diagram describing how 10 the new module is connected to other modules representing ~Yi~ting applications, previously written modules and llnfini~hed modules. Using this diagram detailed description about the application is ~tt~hed to the various parts of the diagram so as to represent the flow of information between the modules and the manipulationand visual representation of information. The new module is ~ igned an interface15 part. The interface part is a standardized interface, through which future applications communicate, and which can be used as an int~ ce to external applications such as ~t~b~es. The present invention thus enables the creation ofstandardized interfaces, visually reprçcçnte-l, into modules inchlrling modules which overlay external applications. The present invention provides methods for 20 using as an equivalent alternative to the text format a spreadsheet-like format when writing and ~xec~lting source code written in a functional prog~ "";.,g l~n~ ge, methods for moving back and forth from the spre~1sh~et format and the traditional text format and methods for ~tt~.hing source code to the parts oftheabove logical modular structure diagram. The term functional progr~mming 25 ls3n~ ge or a functional language refers to a progl~."",i"g language in whicheach statement written in the l~ngu~ge can be evaluated, based on its dependent variables, to a uniquely defined value of some type. This does not automaticallyexclude l~n~l~ges in which order of execution is important, since we do not require the l~n~ ges to be "pure functional l~n~l~ges", see for example in the 30 literature: Sethi, Ravi. Progl~l",l,il-g T ~n~l~es, Addison-Wesley PublishingCompany, 1990. The term advanced functional l~n~l~ge applies to a functional l~n~l~ge which can be used to handle and return more complex variables than the basic variable types text and number. An example of a very simple source code (module Audio) written according to the above principle is shown in connection with the description for Fig.8 of the drawings.
Detailed D~s~ lion of the Invention In one aspect, the invention relates to a method for visually repres~ontin~
in a computer system a program specification, i.e., source code, written in an 10 advanced functional l~n~l~ge in a spreadsheet-like cell format and for allowing the execution of the program specification within the cell format. The method comprlses:
(a) commlmic~ting with a display device connected to a process device, 15 (b) ~ccç~ing a cell frame co.~ ,g multiple cells displayed on said display device, (c) displaying text and icons in said cell frame, (d) associating selected variables and their definitions in said program specification to cells in said cell format, 20 (e) deterrnining values of said selected variables by executing said program specification, and (f) displaying in cells, associated to said selected variables, an indication value determined by an indication function represt?nting values of said selected variables.
The invention also relates to a system which is suitable for p~lrolming the method. The system comprises t (a) Means for communicating with a display device connected to a process device. In a normal setting, these means may be provided by a program which through the operating system of the computer displays cell-frames, text and figures on a display device.
W 096/26484 PCTnDh~f'~OD~0 (b) Means for ~cç~in~ a cell frame cn. ,~ .;..g multiple cells displayed on said display device. These means may, via a CO~ UIe1 program, be provided by naming the cells and by tracking information about the cells such as location and content.
(c) Means for displaying text and icons in said cell frame. The means are usually provided by a program capable of çh~ngin~ the content of a cell on request.
(d) Means for associating selected variables and their definitions in said program specification to cells in said cell format. Here the association means may be provided by a program connecting variable names from the source code to cell names in the cell frame.
(e) Means for determining values of said selected variables by executing said program specification. These means may be provided by a compiler and a parser or an interpreter ofthe pro~ ""i"g l~n~ge used.
(f) Means for displaying in cells, associated to said selected variables, an indication value d~l~lll~ined by an indication function representing values of said selected variables. These means may be provided by a program implementing an indication function capable of displaying in a cell an indication value of a variable, defined in the source code by a stz~tem~nt written in an advanced functional l~n~l~ge and associated to the cell, represçnting objects of a more general nature than formatted text or numbers. Such objects are, for example, tables from a database, databases, rows from tables, sound and video specifications, geometrical figures, program parts such as forms, mathematical formulas and many other objects.
Normal spreadsheet systems do not extend to allow the general representation of code written in an advanced functional l~n~l~ge as discussed in the present description.
In important embodiments, the system inçllldes means for displaying the full value of a variable associated to a cell in the cell format. These means may be provided by a program c~ ~icating to the user additional information about the object referred to by the value associated to the cell and possibly submitting W 096/26484 PCT~Dh~''00-~0 the value to another system capable of providing insight into the value when such a system is available. Displaying the full value thus attempts to display a value in a system native to the value. An example of a full value would be to open up a table frame to display the content of a table referred to in a cell. This is done, depending on the embodiment, by ~u~ lg the table value to a system capable of displaying and possibly allowing the editing of the content of the table in a table frame or incl~l-ling a procedure capable of displaying the content of the table in the embodiment itself. Another example is submitting a sound variable, referred to in a cell, to a sound system thus allowing the user to play or edit the sound within 10 the system.
In any practical embodiment, the system should include means for editing the st~t~ment defining the variable associated to a cell in the cell format. These means may, e.g., be provided by a program impl.o.mentin~: a text editor displaying the definition of a st~t~ment associated to a cell, upon request, and allowing the 15 user to edit the st~t~ment definition similar to the editing of functions andformulas in most spreadsheet applications. These means are at a lower level connecting an input device and a process device in a way which enables the editing.
In some cases it may be convenient for the user to be able to view some 20 part of the program specifications in a pure text format and the invention provides means for doing that and for going between the two formats, i.e., the cell and the standard text format. These means may be provided by using the standard text format and by implementing a translation algorithm, see, e.g., Fig.10 and Fig.ll, to move back and forth between the display formats.
In an embodiment of the invention, the cell format is used together with additional means to structure and visualize the writing and editing of a programapplication further. A system suitable for this embodiment would further includemeans co-llplisillg:, (a) Means for communicating with an input device connected to the 30 process device for allowing the editing of text and figures.
WO 96/26484 PCTADh~5~Ç~~
(h) Means, provided, e.g., by a program capable of drawing parent-child relational diagrams, for displaying a modular structure diagram on the display device represçnting the call declarations part of the program specification.
(i) Means for o~ the r~ program spe.-ific~tion, excluding 5 the call declarations, of said program specification into predetermined smaller parts each co..l~ g a selection of variables and their definitions. These means may be provided by a program, usually part of the parsing mech~ni~m and possibly accepting user input, to classify the statements in said program specification.
(i) Means for displaying at least some of said parts and, if desired, each of said parts, on the display device. These means may be provided by displaying thest~tçmçnt~ in each part either in text or cell format.
(k) Means for editing or creating the program specification by editing at least some of said parts and/or by editing said modular structure diagram. The 15 editing of the statements in text or cell format may be done by a text editor as described above. Editing said modular structure diagram is usually done with a graphical editor capable of representing parent-child modular relationships, andthe reslllting modular structure is tr~n~l~tecl to conform to the pro~ .. ing l~n~l~ge used.
In most pro~li.. ~i~-g l~n~l~ges, code can be divided into several parts which are expressed di~elellLly in difr~;lenL l~n~l~ges, but serve the same purpose.
Such a division is obtained by classifying program specifications into input declarations, output declarations, call declarations, call definitions and program statements. For this division it is assumed that said input declarations, when 25 assigned values, define values of said output declarations using said output declarations, said call declarations, said call definitions and said program statements. It is also assumed that said call definitions define a flow of information through the modular structure existing in the program and that the modular structure is described by said call declarations. An embodiment of the 30 invention uses this classification and represents each ofthe parts, not necessarily independently, in various formats for viewing, execution, tracing and editing.
W 096/26484 PCTAD~f'8~D8_ Logically this classification is related to the modular structure diagram and, in an embodiment, an association is created between areas of the diagram, for example knots repres.?nting modules and lines repres~nting the fiow between modules, by ~igning at least some of the program parts, or if desired each of the program parts, ~xclll~ing call declarations, to specific areas or objects ofthe diagram. The user can then access a specific part of the program spe~ific.~fions by using an input / pointing device to dçcign~te an object or area of the modular structure diagram. These additional means may be implemented using well-known program routines.
In another aspect, the invention relates to an application building and sharing environment, comprising:
(a) A collection of, possibly user defined, program modules stored on storage devices.
(b) Display means capable of defining a work area on a display device.
(c) Module O~ p means for Olg~ g a program module from said collection into pred~fin~d parts incl~-rling an interface part, call declaration part and call definition part. These means may be provided by a program, usually partof the parsing mech~ni.cm and possibly accepting and storing user input at some point, to classify the statements in said program module.
(d) Icon representation means capable of ~ceigning at least some ofthe program modules, or if desired each of the program modules, from said collectionicons and capable of displaying said icons on the work area. These means may be provided by associating each module to a geometrical figure or a bitmap and possibly also text and displaying the rf~ lting figure and text on said work area.
(e) Interface representation means capable of displaying on the work area said interface part of a program module from said collection using a cell format.
Means for viewing ~t~t~m~nt~ in the cell format are described above.
(f) Data fiow representation means capable of displaying on said work area using a cell format the call definition part of a parent-child module 3 0 relationship within a program module from said collection. Examples of such means are explained in connection with Fig.7.
W 096/26484 PCT~DK~C~
(g) Structure means capable of displaying on the work area a modular structure diagram for a program module from the collection repres~nting graphically the parent-child module relationships declaration part within the program module, see, e.g., Fig.4.
(h) Sharing means to allow users to select program modules from said collection and represent a selected program module by its icon on said work area.
These means may, in an embodiment, be provided by a shared folder-like system allowing users to select the program module and locate it on the work area usingan input / pointing device.
(i) Program module editing means capable of allowing users to edit and add program modules to said collection by editing each of said predefined parts of a program module from said collection.
(j) Program module execution means capable of d~Le.l.~i.~ g and displaying, using the interface cell format of a program module from said collection, indication values repres~nting results of executing said program module definitions. These means may be provided by an algo- iLhln implementing an indication function after the execution (implies parsing and compiling or illLe;l~lc;Ling) ofthe code has ~ ignçrl values to the relevant variables.
One embodiment of the environment is implemented as follows. The above program module editing means allow a user of the application environment to edit graphically said modular structure diagram to create and delete parent-child relationships within the module. The data flow definitions are edited within the data flow cell format, explained in connection with Fig.7, and wherein said interface part is edited within the interface cell format, see Fig.5 and Fig.6. The graphical editing of the modular structure (call declarations) and the editing of the flow between modules using the data flow cell format defines a patchwork me~h~nicm in the environment. Thus, it becomes possible for the user to define program and flow variables and view their values ~imlllt~neously using a patchwork mech~ni.cm For a user not allowed to change the definition of a particular module in the collection, this will be sufficient to allow the user to view results obtained by W096/26484 PCTADK~G/0 ~c~lting the module. In order to be able to define the module, using the cell format, the c~lvilunlnent must not exclude the ,~."~ g st~tem.?nt~ (the program part) from being edited in the cell format.
In an application environment, in which users have access to shared 5 progl~ -g modules, there should be means to control the access ofthe individuals to the modules. In an embodiment, these means may be provided by associating to each module h~ro""a~ion about the privileges required to use the module and comparing it to privileges of users trying to access the module.
In a pl ~ r~ll ed embodiment of the ellvhol~ ent it is important to be able to 10 adjust to at least some other existing progl~ g environments. This may be achieved by implementing a compiler, for the pro~"~."",il-g l~n~l~ge used, returning object code co"~palible to other systems, also referred to here as exporting a module to another system.
The above application building and sharing environment may further 15 include means for associating to and displaying with the module icon, of a program module from above collection, icons repr~onting user selected variables within the program module specification. These means may be provided by associating a control icon, usually a button, to a specific variable in the program specification. Then means for allowing a user to access the full value of the 20 variable, associated to the control icon, may be provided by exec-lting~ uponrequest, the program parts needed to define the variable and when the variable value has been determined the full value is displayed. Since, for non-constants~the value of a variable in a module is only defined when the input variables ared~.fin~1, this ~s.lmcs that the system has available input values for the module. A
25 suitable way is to store for each user the input values used in the last execution of the module or a set of default input values. In a spreadsheet system this is always the case, i.e., values are not removed from the cells after execution ofthe program.
In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a method of repres~ntinEg 30 with an application (e.g. module) icon, at least some ofthe executable parts from within an application. A system useful for pelrollllillg this method comprises:
W O 96/26484 11 PCT~D~ 0 (a) A program module, defining an application, specified using an advanced functional l~n~l~ge (b) An icon repres~nting said application.
(c) Means for displaying icons on a display device.
(d) Means for allowing a user to select variables from within said program module and represent at least some of the selected variable independently with arespective icon (such as icon 402 shown on Fig. 4). These means are provided by enabling the user to choose from the source code which variables should be represented individually.
(e) Means for allowing the user to define the display positions of the variable icons relative to the application icon. This may be done by storing andusing the relative position, selected by the user, of the variable icon.
(f) Means for displaying the application icon and the variable icons on a display device in the configuration determined by the user. These means are usually provided by a figure and bitmap display m~ch~ni~m and by retrieving the relative position of each of the variable icons from storage.
(g) Means for communicating with an input / pointing device and displaying the full value of at least some of the variables selected when the associated variable icon is de~ign~ted by said input device. Similar means are discussed above and require the system to have available input values for the module.
This generates a setting in which a user of the application can execute, at run-time, each of the selected variables from within the application. In the case of a value pointing to an external document or object, this allows the user to access the (selected) external documents used in the program module.
Updating child modules in the system generates the well known problem of col.lp~;hility with existing parent modules. This issue is addressed by providing the system with means for representing graphically multiple versions of modules as explained in connection with Fig.4.
Thus, the system inrlucles means for storing multiple versions of said program module and means for displaying with the application icon a time axis -CA 022l4972 l997-08-22 W 096/26484 PCTADh~C/~- 80 and time icons, means for associating to at least some of the time icons a specific version of said program module and means for displaying the icon configuration according to the version associated to a time icon d~ign~ted by said input device.
Using time axes in accordance with this embodiment can, of course, be S generalized, beoynd the environments otherwise discussed herein, to more generalized settings in graphical environmens where multiple versions of programs are used. Thus, this use oftime axes and icons c~ nctit~t~s a special, independent aspect of the present invention.
Brief De~ ion of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system arrangement for the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a program module divided into parts represtonting program parts dçfining the module; also shown are ~xt~rn~l applications used in the module definition.
Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a relationship between a parent module and child modules.
Fig. 4 shows modules and external applications represented by icons and relationships between parent and child modules represented by a modular structure diagram.
Fig. S explains the embedding of a program module into a cell format.
Fig. 6 Pxpl~in~ the embedding of a program module into a mixed text and cell format.
Fig. 7 explains the embedding of data flow specifications between parent and child modules into a cell format.
Fig. 8 is an overview diagram showing how the various parts of a program module on a text form are represented visually.
Fig. 9 is a flow chart for displaying a variable value of a statement in a functional l~n~l~ge in a cell.
W 096/26484 PCT~Dh~6/00080 Fig. 10 is a flow chart for embedding a program source code on text format into a cell format.
Fig. 11 is a fiow chart for tr~n~l~ting source code on cell format into text forrnat.
Fig. 12 is a flow chart for responding to a co~ and to display the full value of a variable.
Fig. 13 is a schematic block diagram ~xpl~ining multiple display formats.
Fig. 14 is a block diagram explaining the process of exporting module definitions to other systems and using module definitions with a form designer.
D~r~ ion of Preferred Embodiments In the following, examples of embodiments of the present invention are described.
Fig. 1 shows a typical system arrangement for pelr~ ing the present invention. Numeral 101 denotes one or more CPU, 102 denotes computer memory, 103 denotes data storage such as hard disks or any other type of data storage, 105 denotes one or more input devices such as a pointing device and a 20 keyboard, 106 denotes one or more display devices capable of displaying graphical and geometrical figures and text, 107 denotes zero or more output devices such as a printer. Numeral 104 ~le.cign~tes one or more processors, operating systems and mecl1~n;~ connecting 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 and 107 into a computer system. This arrangement includes, but is not limited to, 25 computers connected together by a network.
Fig. 2 illustrates a generic module. A generic module (202) incl~ldes an int~ e part (205), connections to other modules (206), data flow specifications ~ between modules (207) and other program st~t~m~nt.~ (208). Interface part 20~i is 30 composed from input (203) and output (204) specifications. Specifications 203, 204, 206, 207 and 208 define output 204, sometimes called results, as a function W 096/26484 14 PCT~Dh~ '00080 of input 203. The specifications (203,204,206,207 and 208) form a program specification (209) d~finin~ module 202. St~t~m~-nt.c in sperific~tion 209 can include st~t~?m~nt~ referring to and using other doc lm~nt~ or applications (201).
S Fig. 3 illustrates relationships (301) between modules. A module (302) of type 202, referred to as parent module, uses results from other modules, called child modules, by specifying input values or conditions for interface part 205 of child modules. F~i~t~n~e. of relationships 301is specified in the connections part 206,sometimes called call declarations, of module 302 and the flow of data between parent module 302 and child modules, sometimes called call definitions, is specified in flow part 207 of module 302.
Fig. 4 shows an icon (401) repre.s~.nting module 302. Icon 401is connected to other icons related to the module such as an icon (402)repre.sf!ntin~
an external application variable. Each child module is assigned an icon (one of which is numbered 404) and each parent-child relationship is assigned an icon (one of which is numbered 403, usually a curve) connccting icon 401 to a child module icon. Each icon is ~i n~.d methods capable of responding to input devices 105. This defines a diagram (405) called a modular structure diagram andis displayed on a display device. Diagram 405 replaces the need for text specification for call declarations 206 for module 302, and a user is allowed tocreate a graphical figure 405 instead of writing specifications 206. To icon 401the user has the option of associating another icon (406) referred to here as time axis. On icon 406, time axis, time icons (407) are located repr~s~.nting dirr~ Lversions of module specifications 209 for module 302. Which versions are represented by icons (e.g. 407)iS determined by the user(s) creating the module specifications. Versions of specification 209 for module 302 for which a time icon is placed on time axis 406 are stored along with the current version of thespe~.ific~tion. Modules having time axis associated with them are displayed in modular structure diagrams by their icons and with or without the time axis icondepending on whether the current version of specifications is to be used or an W 096/26484 PCTnDX~6/00080 older version is selected. The ve. sion selected is represented by a time icon (408) having attributes or shapes t1i~tin~~ hing it from other time icons on the time axis.
S Fig. 5 shows program module 302 represented in a spre~ heet like format (504), called cell format here, composed of cells displayed on a display device. Cell format 504 contains areas de~i~n~ted as input variables (501) also denoted by il, i2, ..., output variables (502) also denoted by ol, o2, ... and manipulation variables (503) dPfining respectively input 203, output 204 and program part 208 of module 302. Cell format 504 defines the input, output and program part of module 302 by a functional l~n~l?~ge embedded and viewed in the cell format as described by flow chart 901 and explained below. Cell format 504 also defines a runtime environment for module 302 by allowing the user to modifydefinitions of cells and .~imlllt~neously view result of program operations as is standard within spre~ hPet environment.c Fig. 6 shows program module 302 viewed in a mixed cell - and text format (601) composed of cells 501 and 502 representing input and output variables and program code 208 represented by a text area (602) Co~ g a program source code (603). Source code 603 together with S01 and 502 define elements number 208, 203 and 204 of module 302 respectively. Flow charts 1001 and 1101 together with flow chart 901 provide methods for tr~n~l~ting between text format 602 and cell format 503, if program source code 603 is written in a functional l~n~l~ge. Format 601 allows users to view results of program operations and modify program definitions .cimlllt~neously through cells 501 and502 as in format 504. A mixed cell - and text format enables the user to choose a prog~ ""il-g environment best suitable and enables the usage of more than one pro~ ."".,i"g l~n~ges. Users select which format to work with, to define and use module 302, by means of input devices 105 by choosing from methods attached to icon 401. A full text format is possible and can be tr~n.~l~tecl back and W O 96/26484 PCT~DK~CI~D80 forth to a full cell format or mixed cell - and text format ~.sllming that the text specification is done using a functional l~n~ge.
Fig. 7 shows the data flow specifications 301 between parent module 302 S and a single child module (702). Data flow specifications 301 is represented in a spre~ heet like cell format (701) by denoting the rows in 701 by input variables203 (denoted by i'l, i'2, . .) and output variables (denoted by o'l, o'2, ...) 204 from interface part 205 of module 702. Columns are denoted by call variables (denotedby cl, c2, ...) in such a way that each column cl, c2, ... corresponds to a call to child module 702 with input values in rows i'1, i'2, .. and results shown in rows o' 1, o'2, . . . if the user chooses to view results at the same time as specifying data flow 301. Values passed back and forth through relationship 301 are of a generaltype det~ormin~d by the pro~"~""";,~g l~n~l~ge in which program specification 209 of module 302 is specified in and the values are embedded into cell format by 1~ methods described by flow chart 901. An alias (denoted by A in 701) is ~ign~cl to the relationship between parent module 302 and child module 702. Variables (denoted by A:cl :i'l, ..., A:c2:o'2, ... ) in cell format 701 are made available to specification 209 of module 302. Each parent-child relationship of module 302 isassigned a user editable flow specification similar to 701 and in this way call definition part 207 of module 302 is replaced by a spreadsheet like environment.Methods for accessing the data flow specifications between parent modules and child modules are attached to icons (e.g. 403) between the modules.
Fig. 8 provides an overview over how in the present invention each part of 2~ program specification 209 is represented graphically or in cell forrnat replacing the need for a text specification df~.finin3~? 209. Module 302 is represented by icon 401 and time axis 406 to specify version as indicated by line 801 and explained in Fig.
4. Call declarations 206 for module 302 are represented by modular structure diagram 405 as indicated by 802 and explained in Fig. 4 also. Interface part 205of module 302 is represented by cell format 501 for input declarations 203 and by cell format 502 for output declarations 204 as indicated by lines 804 and 805 -W O 96/26484 PCTADh~ 0~~0 respectively and explained in Fig. 5. Program st~tçm~nt~ 208 of module 302 are represented by, spre~-lsheet like, cell forrnat 503, as indicated by line 806, or by text format 602 and explained in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 respectively. Call dP.finitinns 207 of module 302 dçfining the data flow between modules are represented by 5 sheets of cell format 701 one sheet for each relationship in modular structurediagram 405 as is explained in Fig. 7 and indicated by line 803. Interface part 205 of module 302 defines how other modules can access module 302 and in particular can be considered a interface into external applications 201 of module 302 or more generally a interface into a process which combines information from10 all modules in modular structure diagram 405 and connected external applications if present. Type definitions of variables used in input - 203, output - 204, call definitions 207 and program st~t~Qm~nt~ 208 are associated to their corresponding cells in the cell format.
In the pl ~rel l ~d embodiment all definitions of modules, representations, 15 users, and icons are stored in a centrally located d~t~b~e (in data storage 103) accessible to all users. Users share access to modules by placing icons (e.g. 401) in a folder directory structure, also stored in the database, dçfining access rights of other users and associating a description of the module to the icon for clarity.
This enables the sharing of components between users of the system (e.g.
20 network) having dirr~ n~ progl~ ..ir-g skills, in~ -cling users with only knowledge of spreadsheet systems, since data flow between modules can be defined using cell format (e.g. 701) and a runtime environment is defined by a cell format also (e.g. 501 and 502). In order to access a particular module, the user, using input devices 105, selects it from its folder, shown on a display device, and 25 places it in a modular structure diagram describing a new application or activates it (e.g. runtime environment 504). In the plefelled embodiment, compiling of modules is done relative to cells viewed at each moment on the display device used and all changes in underlying structures are reflected immediately. Users are warned and informed about how changes in module definitions affect other 30 modules and have the option of using time axis to leave parent-child relationships ----=
CA 022l4972 l997-08-22 W 096/26484 PCTfiDK~f~ ~J
-n~h~n~e~l The usage oftime axis allows ~xietin~ modules to function nch~n~ed when modules are upgraded.
Example: Here some of the features shown in Fig.8 are explained. The following is a simple source code written in text format. The l~n~ e used is classified as an "advanced functional l~n~l~ge" by the d~finition used earlier. The module (Audio) searches a table (B2 or "OPERAS.DB") cont~ining sound files and locates the sound according to a keyword (B5) in the default key for the table. The variable B3 represents the row in the table co~ P the sound specification (B7). The sound specification is in a column ofthe table with the he~-1ing "SOUND".
Module Audio -Input(B5 string) -Output(B7 sound) Begin B2 := table("C:\SOUND"; "OPERAS.DB").
B3 := row(B2; B5).
B7 := item(B3; "SOUND").
End.
When viewed in cell format the input 203, output 204 and the program statements 208 for the above source code are shown using indication values resulting from some choice (made by the user) of input values (B5 here, in the below B5 is ~igned the keyword "Otello"). Evaluation of the module binds the variable B2 to a table object "OPERAS.DB" located on a storage device indexed by "C:\SOIJND" in this case. The indication value for B2 is "~Operas" which informs the user of the system that variable B2 points to a table named "Operas". The variable B2 is then referred to in other cells, e.g., the formula row(B2; B5) defines cell /
variable B3, in the same way as in a normal spreadsheet application.
When the user is editing a particular cell the original definition of the W O 96/26484 PCTADh~Gl~ n~- 19 variable is displayed, e.g., when editing cell B2 the text fable(~c:lsouZvD~; "OPER~S.DB"~ is used. Similarly the variable B3 is ignçtl to a row of the table and has indication value "I~Otello" here below and the resl~ltin~ sound object located in the table and ~igned to S variable / cell B7 has indication value "6 Otello". An embodiment could thus represent the module using cell format 501, 502 and 503 as shown below:
Audio ~7f 31 = _ile Edit A B
' Table... ~ Operas File.... ~ 1~ Otello Title .. ~ Otello Sound .. ~ 6) Otello ~ , E~
When editing the cells B2, B3 and B7 the actual text definitions in the source code appear as formulas d~fining the values shown. When editing the input cell / variable B5 the input value chosen is displayed for editing, here "Otello".
In order to access the above Audio module from another module (Enhanced Audio below) the user places the audio module as a child module in a modular diagram, shown below:
W 096/26484 PCTADK~6/C0~80 ~nhancedAudio--Audio = File E~:
<Auc io> Selected B5 (T- tle) Don Giovanni B7 fSound) ~Don Giovanni ~5 ~3 ~
~,~ Audio CFnhAnc~(l Aud _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~
Defining the flow (call definition) between the new module and the Audio module is then done by the user using cell format 701 as shown above. In the above the input variable of the Audio module (named here Audio:Selected:BS) is ~e.cip~ned the value "Don Giovanni" and the resulting sound object is assigned to the variable in~.Y~d (named) by "Audio:Selected:B7" and shown using indication value "~Don Giovanni".
The variable "Audio:Selected:B7" is recognized in the module Enhanced Audio above and is used to refer to the sound object reslllting from the call to the Audio module.
Fig. 9 shows flow chart (901) describing a method for displaying a variable value of a general type in a cell in such a way that extends the way 15 m~th~.m~tical formulas with number values and text is viewed in cells. A variable - or a cell value, can be considered an array holding information about the value as determined by the variable type and the variable definition. The value array is associated to the cell holding the variable/cell definition. Information in the variable/cell value array is entered into the array by a program execution me~h~ni~m which updates the value array to reflect changes in other related variables/cells or in the variable/cell definition itself. One type of the information W 096/26484 PCTADK~ 0 in the array is the variable type. The program execution mçch~ni.em also triggers the display me~.h~niem to change the displayed value ofthe cell. Values considered are of general types such as a number, formula, array, geometrical object, form, ~t~b~e~ table or a row type as determined by the prog~ g 5 l~n~l~ge. A variable of a text or number type is displayed in a cell by its fulmdlLed value. The same applies to some other types such as date and time. In p~r~ ;d embodiments, values of more general types are displayed in cells by applying a function, called indication function here, to the value array which specifies a method, based on the value type, for determining the displayed cell 10 value ofthe variable. The re.s-llting displayed cell value is a combination oftext and icons fitting into a cell. The icons are selected from an icon font and combined with the text to form the cell display. Attributes such as color can beapplied to the cells in a standard way. An example of such a function is an indication function which assigns to a variable an icon, representing the variable 15 type, and conc~ten~tes to the icon a keyword selected from the information about the variable in the variable array. A value re.s--lting from applying the indication function to a variable is referred to as the indication value of the variable. The variable array is not displayed but is associated to the cell. As is standard with spreadsheets, a syntax error in the definition of a variable is indicated with an error flag in the cell. Flow chart 1201 describes a method for viewing a variable of a general type in another way namely by its full value.
Fig. 10 shows a flow chart (1001) for embedding a program source code on text format into a cell format ~esllming that the pro~ g l~n~l~ge used is25 a functional l~n~l~ge. Each statement in a functional l~n~l~ge is associated with a variable of some general type and it is therefore possible to associate each st~tt~m~nt and its variable to a cell in a cell format as described below. The mer.h~niem described by the flow chart reads the statements in the source code and determines (1002 and 1003) into which cell to put each statement. To which 30 cell a statement belongs, can be determined by its variable name, information in a cross reference table about a previous embedding from a cell format into text W 096/26484 PCTADK~6/8D_~_ format (see flow chart 1101) and adjusted during modification of the text to keep track of variables, user input and sequential mapping (that is a mapping of variables into some area co.,~ enough cells). The me-~h~ni~m shown stores separately illrulllldlion about the text format, not used in the cell format, such as S the sequential order of the st~tPment~ in the text (1004). The mP~h~ni~m shownalso reads information about a previous cell format for the program, if one exists, and formats the cell format accordingly. Once a location for the st~tP.ment in acell and existing attributes have been determined by the above measures, the variable name for the st~tPm~ nt and the cell name are equated and the variable 10 type is registered in the type array associated to the cell (1005). Conflicts which arise from naming of st~tçment variables are resolved by always mapping a statement, whose variable name is the name of a cell in the cell format into thecorresponding cell. Variable values are then displayed in the cell format (1006) as described by flow chart 901 for each cell after a compiling and parsing meeh~ni~m 15 has been activated to determine the variable/cell value array for each cell used.
The program is then edited in the cell format in a similar way as a conventionalsprç~ hPet When adding or modifying st~tement~ in a cell format the variable type is determined from the syntax of the st~tçment entered but can, when more than one types are possible, be adjusted by the user.
Fig. 11 shows a fiow chart (1101) for tr~n~l~ting source code on cell format into text format. The meeh~ni.em described by the flow chart reads the st~tPmPnt associated to each cell and detP.rminPs which variable name to use in the text format for the ~,L~ (1102 and 1103). Which variable name to use for a 25 cell can be deter nined by the cell name or by a tr~n~l~ting table (referred to in flow charts as cell cross reference table). The tr~n~1~ting table may contain information from a previous embedding of the source code into cell format.
St~tPment.~ in the source code are modified to use the variable name instead of the cell name and attributes and illrulllld~ion about the cells are stored separately 30 (1104) to allow for an embedding back into cell format. Information from a previous embedding into cell format can be used along with other methods such W 096/26484 PCT~Dh~f'~ 80 as sequential ordering of st~tPmPnts in text and using current attributes of st~tPment.~ in cells to place and format statements in the text format. Statements are written into the text format (1105) and ~ igned to their corresponding'' variables. Il~rolll,aLion about the type of a variable is contained in the value array 5 associated to the variable cell in the cell format and variables in the text format are declared accordingly using the format specified by the (functional) l~n~l~ge used.
Fig. 12 shows a flow chart (1201) describing a meçh~ni.~m for displaying the full value, by definition here, of a variable/cell value. This mer.h~ni.cm is 10 triggered for a cell in a cell format by the user using an input device such as a mouse. The mech~ni~m uses a classification of variables by types to determine methods for displaying the full value of a variable value. Information contained in the variable/cell value array associated to a cell in a cell format points to and is centered around external documents for many variable types. Example of such 15 types are table types reprPsçnting ~l~t~h~e tables in ~l~t~h~.~e systems, graphical -and picture types, sound types represPnting sound specifications, types reprçsçnting word processor documents written in di~t;lell~ formats and many other variable types. For variable types centered around external/underlying documents, the full value is displayed by activating a process rçs-]lting in the20 document being viewed/represented and being editable in its native application on a separated but possibly overlying area, from the cell format, of the display device or on a device determined by its native application. Methods for activating a document in its native application are well known in the field and are usually restricted by the operating system and the native application itself. For other types such as text and numbers the full value is simply showing available details, determined using the value array, in a way which is not restricted, for ex. by size, by the cell format. Accordingly, since viewing the full value is restricted by the capabilities of the operating system and other applications, not all types are necessarily displayed using full value as indicated by (1202) in the flow chart. In 30 the pl e~ll ed embodiment, a list of methods for displaying the full value is W 096/26484 PCT~Dh~6/00080 available and searched (1203) and the corresponding method activated (1204) to display the full value of a variable/cell.
Fig. 13 shows a schem~tic block diagram. Fig. 13 gives an overview of 5 the duality between a text and cell format and explains the above methods further.
Program st~tem.o,ntc written in text format are denoted by blocks numbered 1301 and 1303. A statement written in a functional l~n~l~ge can be considered to be an ~ccignment y = f(x) where y is the res~llting variable, x represents the statement input variables and frepresents the st~t~.ment as defined by the prog~ "",i~g 10 l~n~l~ge. Variable y has a variable name and a type definition as shown in box 1301. The st~tçm~nt f(x) is represented in box 1303. Associated to text format 1301is a text editing mech~nicm as shown. Translation mech~ni.cm described by flow charts 1001, 1101 translate between the two formats. In cell format 1302 the variable y is assigned a cell and the variable - and cell name, also repreSPntinf;
15 the cell location as is standard for spreadsheet environm~nt.c, are equated and thus refer to the same variable y. The st~t~o-ment text f(x) is ~cci~ned to the cell and can thus be edited by allowing the user to select the cell for editing its contents as is standard with spreadsheet environment.c, A change in the cell contents results in a changed definition for the corresponding module. A cell in cell format (1302)iS
20 assigned a value array to store information including results of program execution as determined by a system (1306) capable of parsing and compiling module definitions (1304), stored in memory 102 and in storage devices 103, into an ~xeCIlt~ble code. Module definitions 1304 are stored in multiple formats inclllriing graphical specifications (e.g. 405) and on cell or text format. A change in a value 25 array triggered by system 1306 triggers a change in how the cell is displayed as explained in flow chart 901 and indicated by line 1307 in the diagram. System 1306iS responsible for displaying the full value of a value array as described by flow chart 1201 and expl~ined above. Changes in cell display are triggered by changes in module definitions 1304 which incllldes changes in cells being edited as 30 indicated by line 130~.
W O 96/26484 PCT~Dh~6/0 li'ig. 14 shows how, in a p~re.l~d embodiment, module definitions are used with traditional form desi~~nin.~ environments and other application development systems. Forms provide an alternative format for working with modules designed by using the above methods. Module definitions are exported (1404) by an exporting mech~ni~m (1403) into a format defined by an application environment (1405) being exported to allowing environment 1405 to access a module as a function with input values 203 and return values 204. Exporting mecl~ ;",~ are well known in the art. In a plt;r~ d embodiment, a collection of methods for a pred~fined set of application environments and operating systems is available d~.fining the export meçh~ni.~m 1403. Exporting of modules is controlled by users of the embodiment. In a p~er~ll ed embodiment, a form design and implçm~?nt~tion mech~ni~m (1401) is available to users allowing users to create alternative display follllals in accordance with the design gniclçlines specified by a predefined list of operating environments. Design me~h~ni~m 1401 is capable of accessing and using (1402) module definitions 1304 directly without using an export mech~ni~m by considering modules as functions with input - and return values.
-
Te~h~ lField In general the present invention relates to an application building environm~nt More specifically, the present invention relates to an application building and m~n~ging environment in which users of computer systems, inclurlingones with minim~l progln..,...ing knowledge, create and share powerful software applications.
Background of the I~lv~.~lion In a conventional application building ellvholllllent such as in most third and fourth generation pro~sln...~ g l~n~l~pes, the task of constructing an 15 application requires intensive knowledge of spe~i~li7ed methods and structures.
Fxi~ting application environrnents do not enable end-users with limited progln,....~ g knowledge to combine program modules from other users and program developers into complicated applications. The sharing of program components is done on a level in~c.ces~ihle by the end-user. Furthermore, f~xi~ting systems do not combine progln.. ;.. g at di~relc;ll~ skill and complication levels into a unified environment where complex progl~"".-i..g and simple end-user progln.-."~il-g follow the same approach. The components of an application are usually rigorously embedded into the program source code either in the form of text or as a colllbh~a~ion of text and objects. This results in difflculties in sharing 25 colllpu~el components. Module and data dictionaries and well organized program libraries provide a partial solution to this problem. However there are still very limited possibilities for end-users of computer systems to share or even build complicated applications involving rich modular prog.n,."..il-g structure without intensive knowledge of a complicated progl;.,...l.il.g environment.
The introduction of multi-dimensional spreadsheets allows users of such systems to create more complicated c~ls~ tion models through a smooth W 096126484 PCT~DR~6/~CU_ transaction from two--1imto.n~ nal sprea~1~heet~ and is thus a step toward making applications manageable by the end-user. Current sprça~l~h~et systems however do not focus the user's attention on the underlying logical modular structure ever-present in an application. Furthermore current spre~ h~et systems do not 5 generalize the spreadsheet concept in such a way that powerful pro~ ""~
techniques can be applied without leaving the methodology of the sprea-l~heet environment but instead employ add-on techniques such as the writing of macros to çnh~n~e. usability.
There exist numerous source code generators and fourth generation 10 pro~ """il-g environments using graphical structures as part of application generation. Source code generators however and most other application building environments, by definition, are int~nlled for program development and provide an envilolmlt;llL for developing applications which is entirely difr~;;lc;ll~ from the end-user environment. Thus the end-user is separated from the application 15 building environment and is unable to create or share application components without moving up to the application developing level.
U.S. PatentNo. 4,956,773, issued Sep.11,1990 to Saito et al., describes methods for creating programs using various diagrams.
U.S. Patent No. 5,255,363, issued Oct. 19, 1993 to Seyler, describes 20 methods for writing programs within a spreadsheet application.
U.S. Patent No. 5,317,686, issued May 31, 1994 to Salas et al., describes re-labelling of sprea-l.ch~et cells.
Summaly of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide a graphical application developing and m~n~ging environment in which the building and sharing of application components is done largely by the end-user.
The above object is accomplished by colllbhlillg a graphical logical 30 modular structure diagram, methods for embedding source code for a class of W 096/26484 PCTrDX~G~'~Q~
progl~""";ng l~n~ges into a visual spreadsheet-like format and standardized interfaces into modules and external applications.
Modular structure is present in any software application and can be vic-1~li7ed in many d~elellL ways depending on which program parts are grouped 5 together to form a module and how they are interconnected. However the term logical modular structure used above represents a modular structure describing asolution to a specific task an application is int~n~led to perform.
According to the present invention, application or module building is done by drawing on a display unit a logical modular structure diagram describing how 10 the new module is connected to other modules representing ~Yi~ting applications, previously written modules and llnfini~hed modules. Using this diagram detailed description about the application is ~tt~hed to the various parts of the diagram so as to represent the flow of information between the modules and the manipulationand visual representation of information. The new module is ~ igned an interface15 part. The interface part is a standardized interface, through which future applications communicate, and which can be used as an int~ ce to external applications such as ~t~b~es. The present invention thus enables the creation ofstandardized interfaces, visually reprçcçnte-l, into modules inchlrling modules which overlay external applications. The present invention provides methods for 20 using as an equivalent alternative to the text format a spreadsheet-like format when writing and ~xec~lting source code written in a functional prog~ "";.,g l~n~ ge, methods for moving back and forth from the spre~1sh~et format and the traditional text format and methods for ~tt~.hing source code to the parts oftheabove logical modular structure diagram. The term functional progr~mming 25 ls3n~ ge or a functional language refers to a progl~."",i"g language in whicheach statement written in the l~ngu~ge can be evaluated, based on its dependent variables, to a uniquely defined value of some type. This does not automaticallyexclude l~n~l~ges in which order of execution is important, since we do not require the l~n~ ges to be "pure functional l~n~l~ges", see for example in the 30 literature: Sethi, Ravi. Progl~l",l,il-g T ~n~l~es, Addison-Wesley PublishingCompany, 1990. The term advanced functional l~n~l~ge applies to a functional l~n~l~ge which can be used to handle and return more complex variables than the basic variable types text and number. An example of a very simple source code (module Audio) written according to the above principle is shown in connection with the description for Fig.8 of the drawings.
Detailed D~s~ lion of the Invention In one aspect, the invention relates to a method for visually repres~ontin~
in a computer system a program specification, i.e., source code, written in an 10 advanced functional l~n~l~ge in a spreadsheet-like cell format and for allowing the execution of the program specification within the cell format. The method comprlses:
(a) commlmic~ting with a display device connected to a process device, 15 (b) ~ccç~ing a cell frame co.~ ,g multiple cells displayed on said display device, (c) displaying text and icons in said cell frame, (d) associating selected variables and their definitions in said program specification to cells in said cell format, 20 (e) deterrnining values of said selected variables by executing said program specification, and (f) displaying in cells, associated to said selected variables, an indication value determined by an indication function represt?nting values of said selected variables.
The invention also relates to a system which is suitable for p~lrolming the method. The system comprises t (a) Means for communicating with a display device connected to a process device. In a normal setting, these means may be provided by a program which through the operating system of the computer displays cell-frames, text and figures on a display device.
W 096/26484 PCTnDh~f'~OD~0 (b) Means for ~cç~in~ a cell frame cn. ,~ .;..g multiple cells displayed on said display device. These means may, via a CO~ UIe1 program, be provided by naming the cells and by tracking information about the cells such as location and content.
(c) Means for displaying text and icons in said cell frame. The means are usually provided by a program capable of çh~ngin~ the content of a cell on request.
(d) Means for associating selected variables and their definitions in said program specification to cells in said cell format. Here the association means may be provided by a program connecting variable names from the source code to cell names in the cell frame.
(e) Means for determining values of said selected variables by executing said program specification. These means may be provided by a compiler and a parser or an interpreter ofthe pro~ ""i"g l~n~ge used.
(f) Means for displaying in cells, associated to said selected variables, an indication value d~l~lll~ined by an indication function representing values of said selected variables. These means may be provided by a program implementing an indication function capable of displaying in a cell an indication value of a variable, defined in the source code by a stz~tem~nt written in an advanced functional l~n~l~ge and associated to the cell, represçnting objects of a more general nature than formatted text or numbers. Such objects are, for example, tables from a database, databases, rows from tables, sound and video specifications, geometrical figures, program parts such as forms, mathematical formulas and many other objects.
Normal spreadsheet systems do not extend to allow the general representation of code written in an advanced functional l~n~l~ge as discussed in the present description.
In important embodiments, the system inçllldes means for displaying the full value of a variable associated to a cell in the cell format. These means may be provided by a program c~ ~icating to the user additional information about the object referred to by the value associated to the cell and possibly submitting W 096/26484 PCT~Dh~''00-~0 the value to another system capable of providing insight into the value when such a system is available. Displaying the full value thus attempts to display a value in a system native to the value. An example of a full value would be to open up a table frame to display the content of a table referred to in a cell. This is done, depending on the embodiment, by ~u~ lg the table value to a system capable of displaying and possibly allowing the editing of the content of the table in a table frame or incl~l-ling a procedure capable of displaying the content of the table in the embodiment itself. Another example is submitting a sound variable, referred to in a cell, to a sound system thus allowing the user to play or edit the sound within 10 the system.
In any practical embodiment, the system should include means for editing the st~t~ment defining the variable associated to a cell in the cell format. These means may, e.g., be provided by a program impl.o.mentin~: a text editor displaying the definition of a st~t~ment associated to a cell, upon request, and allowing the 15 user to edit the st~t~ment definition similar to the editing of functions andformulas in most spreadsheet applications. These means are at a lower level connecting an input device and a process device in a way which enables the editing.
In some cases it may be convenient for the user to be able to view some 20 part of the program specifications in a pure text format and the invention provides means for doing that and for going between the two formats, i.e., the cell and the standard text format. These means may be provided by using the standard text format and by implementing a translation algorithm, see, e.g., Fig.10 and Fig.ll, to move back and forth between the display formats.
In an embodiment of the invention, the cell format is used together with additional means to structure and visualize the writing and editing of a programapplication further. A system suitable for this embodiment would further includemeans co-llplisillg:, (a) Means for communicating with an input device connected to the 30 process device for allowing the editing of text and figures.
WO 96/26484 PCTADh~5~Ç~~
(h) Means, provided, e.g., by a program capable of drawing parent-child relational diagrams, for displaying a modular structure diagram on the display device represçnting the call declarations part of the program specification.
(i) Means for o~ the r~ program spe.-ific~tion, excluding 5 the call declarations, of said program specification into predetermined smaller parts each co..l~ g a selection of variables and their definitions. These means may be provided by a program, usually part of the parsing mech~ni~m and possibly accepting user input, to classify the statements in said program specification.
(i) Means for displaying at least some of said parts and, if desired, each of said parts, on the display device. These means may be provided by displaying thest~tçmçnt~ in each part either in text or cell format.
(k) Means for editing or creating the program specification by editing at least some of said parts and/or by editing said modular structure diagram. The 15 editing of the statements in text or cell format may be done by a text editor as described above. Editing said modular structure diagram is usually done with a graphical editor capable of representing parent-child modular relationships, andthe reslllting modular structure is tr~n~l~tecl to conform to the pro~ .. ing l~n~l~ge used.
In most pro~li.. ~i~-g l~n~l~ges, code can be divided into several parts which are expressed di~elellLly in difr~;lenL l~n~l~ges, but serve the same purpose.
Such a division is obtained by classifying program specifications into input declarations, output declarations, call declarations, call definitions and program statements. For this division it is assumed that said input declarations, when 25 assigned values, define values of said output declarations using said output declarations, said call declarations, said call definitions and said program statements. It is also assumed that said call definitions define a flow of information through the modular structure existing in the program and that the modular structure is described by said call declarations. An embodiment of the 30 invention uses this classification and represents each ofthe parts, not necessarily independently, in various formats for viewing, execution, tracing and editing.
W 096/26484 PCTAD~f'8~D8_ Logically this classification is related to the modular structure diagram and, in an embodiment, an association is created between areas of the diagram, for example knots repres.?nting modules and lines repres~nting the fiow between modules, by ~igning at least some of the program parts, or if desired each of the program parts, ~xclll~ing call declarations, to specific areas or objects ofthe diagram. The user can then access a specific part of the program spe~ific.~fions by using an input / pointing device to dçcign~te an object or area of the modular structure diagram. These additional means may be implemented using well-known program routines.
In another aspect, the invention relates to an application building and sharing environment, comprising:
(a) A collection of, possibly user defined, program modules stored on storage devices.
(b) Display means capable of defining a work area on a display device.
(c) Module O~ p means for Olg~ g a program module from said collection into pred~fin~d parts incl~-rling an interface part, call declaration part and call definition part. These means may be provided by a program, usually partof the parsing mech~ni.cm and possibly accepting and storing user input at some point, to classify the statements in said program module.
(d) Icon representation means capable of ~ceigning at least some ofthe program modules, or if desired each of the program modules, from said collectionicons and capable of displaying said icons on the work area. These means may be provided by associating each module to a geometrical figure or a bitmap and possibly also text and displaying the rf~ lting figure and text on said work area.
(e) Interface representation means capable of displaying on the work area said interface part of a program module from said collection using a cell format.
Means for viewing ~t~t~m~nt~ in the cell format are described above.
(f) Data fiow representation means capable of displaying on said work area using a cell format the call definition part of a parent-child module 3 0 relationship within a program module from said collection. Examples of such means are explained in connection with Fig.7.
W 096/26484 PCT~DK~C~
(g) Structure means capable of displaying on the work area a modular structure diagram for a program module from the collection repres~nting graphically the parent-child module relationships declaration part within the program module, see, e.g., Fig.4.
(h) Sharing means to allow users to select program modules from said collection and represent a selected program module by its icon on said work area.
These means may, in an embodiment, be provided by a shared folder-like system allowing users to select the program module and locate it on the work area usingan input / pointing device.
(i) Program module editing means capable of allowing users to edit and add program modules to said collection by editing each of said predefined parts of a program module from said collection.
(j) Program module execution means capable of d~Le.l.~i.~ g and displaying, using the interface cell format of a program module from said collection, indication values repres~nting results of executing said program module definitions. These means may be provided by an algo- iLhln implementing an indication function after the execution (implies parsing and compiling or illLe;l~lc;Ling) ofthe code has ~ ignçrl values to the relevant variables.
One embodiment of the environment is implemented as follows. The above program module editing means allow a user of the application environment to edit graphically said modular structure diagram to create and delete parent-child relationships within the module. The data flow definitions are edited within the data flow cell format, explained in connection with Fig.7, and wherein said interface part is edited within the interface cell format, see Fig.5 and Fig.6. The graphical editing of the modular structure (call declarations) and the editing of the flow between modules using the data flow cell format defines a patchwork me~h~nicm in the environment. Thus, it becomes possible for the user to define program and flow variables and view their values ~imlllt~neously using a patchwork mech~ni.cm For a user not allowed to change the definition of a particular module in the collection, this will be sufficient to allow the user to view results obtained by W096/26484 PCTADK~G/0 ~c~lting the module. In order to be able to define the module, using the cell format, the c~lvilunlnent must not exclude the ,~."~ g st~tem.?nt~ (the program part) from being edited in the cell format.
In an application environment, in which users have access to shared 5 progl~ -g modules, there should be means to control the access ofthe individuals to the modules. In an embodiment, these means may be provided by associating to each module h~ro""a~ion about the privileges required to use the module and comparing it to privileges of users trying to access the module.
In a pl ~ r~ll ed embodiment of the ellvhol~ ent it is important to be able to 10 adjust to at least some other existing progl~ g environments. This may be achieved by implementing a compiler, for the pro~"~."",il-g l~n~l~ge used, returning object code co"~palible to other systems, also referred to here as exporting a module to another system.
The above application building and sharing environment may further 15 include means for associating to and displaying with the module icon, of a program module from above collection, icons repr~onting user selected variables within the program module specification. These means may be provided by associating a control icon, usually a button, to a specific variable in the program specification. Then means for allowing a user to access the full value of the 20 variable, associated to the control icon, may be provided by exec-lting~ uponrequest, the program parts needed to define the variable and when the variable value has been determined the full value is displayed. Since, for non-constants~the value of a variable in a module is only defined when the input variables ared~.fin~1, this ~s.lmcs that the system has available input values for the module. A
25 suitable way is to store for each user the input values used in the last execution of the module or a set of default input values. In a spreadsheet system this is always the case, i.e., values are not removed from the cells after execution ofthe program.
In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a method of repres~ntinEg 30 with an application (e.g. module) icon, at least some ofthe executable parts from within an application. A system useful for pelrollllillg this method comprises:
W O 96/26484 11 PCT~D~ 0 (a) A program module, defining an application, specified using an advanced functional l~n~l~ge (b) An icon repres~nting said application.
(c) Means for displaying icons on a display device.
(d) Means for allowing a user to select variables from within said program module and represent at least some of the selected variable independently with arespective icon (such as icon 402 shown on Fig. 4). These means are provided by enabling the user to choose from the source code which variables should be represented individually.
(e) Means for allowing the user to define the display positions of the variable icons relative to the application icon. This may be done by storing andusing the relative position, selected by the user, of the variable icon.
(f) Means for displaying the application icon and the variable icons on a display device in the configuration determined by the user. These means are usually provided by a figure and bitmap display m~ch~ni~m and by retrieving the relative position of each of the variable icons from storage.
(g) Means for communicating with an input / pointing device and displaying the full value of at least some of the variables selected when the associated variable icon is de~ign~ted by said input device. Similar means are discussed above and require the system to have available input values for the module.
This generates a setting in which a user of the application can execute, at run-time, each of the selected variables from within the application. In the case of a value pointing to an external document or object, this allows the user to access the (selected) external documents used in the program module.
Updating child modules in the system generates the well known problem of col.lp~;hility with existing parent modules. This issue is addressed by providing the system with means for representing graphically multiple versions of modules as explained in connection with Fig.4.
Thus, the system inrlucles means for storing multiple versions of said program module and means for displaying with the application icon a time axis -CA 022l4972 l997-08-22 W 096/26484 PCTADh~C/~- 80 and time icons, means for associating to at least some of the time icons a specific version of said program module and means for displaying the icon configuration according to the version associated to a time icon d~ign~ted by said input device.
Using time axes in accordance with this embodiment can, of course, be S generalized, beoynd the environments otherwise discussed herein, to more generalized settings in graphical environmens where multiple versions of programs are used. Thus, this use oftime axes and icons c~ nctit~t~s a special, independent aspect of the present invention.
Brief De~ ion of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system arrangement for the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a program module divided into parts represtonting program parts dçfining the module; also shown are ~xt~rn~l applications used in the module definition.
Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a relationship between a parent module and child modules.
Fig. 4 shows modules and external applications represented by icons and relationships between parent and child modules represented by a modular structure diagram.
Fig. S explains the embedding of a program module into a cell format.
Fig. 6 Pxpl~in~ the embedding of a program module into a mixed text and cell format.
Fig. 7 explains the embedding of data flow specifications between parent and child modules into a cell format.
Fig. 8 is an overview diagram showing how the various parts of a program module on a text form are represented visually.
Fig. 9 is a flow chart for displaying a variable value of a statement in a functional l~n~l~ge in a cell.
W 096/26484 PCT~Dh~6/00080 Fig. 10 is a flow chart for embedding a program source code on text format into a cell format.
Fig. 11 is a fiow chart for tr~n~l~ting source code on cell format into text forrnat.
Fig. 12 is a flow chart for responding to a co~ and to display the full value of a variable.
Fig. 13 is a schematic block diagram ~xpl~ining multiple display formats.
Fig. 14 is a block diagram explaining the process of exporting module definitions to other systems and using module definitions with a form designer.
D~r~ ion of Preferred Embodiments In the following, examples of embodiments of the present invention are described.
Fig. 1 shows a typical system arrangement for pelr~ ing the present invention. Numeral 101 denotes one or more CPU, 102 denotes computer memory, 103 denotes data storage such as hard disks or any other type of data storage, 105 denotes one or more input devices such as a pointing device and a 20 keyboard, 106 denotes one or more display devices capable of displaying graphical and geometrical figures and text, 107 denotes zero or more output devices such as a printer. Numeral 104 ~le.cign~tes one or more processors, operating systems and mecl1~n;~ connecting 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 and 107 into a computer system. This arrangement includes, but is not limited to, 25 computers connected together by a network.
Fig. 2 illustrates a generic module. A generic module (202) incl~ldes an int~ e part (205), connections to other modules (206), data flow specifications ~ between modules (207) and other program st~t~m~nt.~ (208). Interface part 20~i is 30 composed from input (203) and output (204) specifications. Specifications 203, 204, 206, 207 and 208 define output 204, sometimes called results, as a function W 096/26484 14 PCT~Dh~ '00080 of input 203. The specifications (203,204,206,207 and 208) form a program specification (209) d~finin~ module 202. St~t~m~-nt.c in sperific~tion 209 can include st~t~?m~nt~ referring to and using other doc lm~nt~ or applications (201).
S Fig. 3 illustrates relationships (301) between modules. A module (302) of type 202, referred to as parent module, uses results from other modules, called child modules, by specifying input values or conditions for interface part 205 of child modules. F~i~t~n~e. of relationships 301is specified in the connections part 206,sometimes called call declarations, of module 302 and the flow of data between parent module 302 and child modules, sometimes called call definitions, is specified in flow part 207 of module 302.
Fig. 4 shows an icon (401) repre.s~.nting module 302. Icon 401is connected to other icons related to the module such as an icon (402)repre.sf!ntin~
an external application variable. Each child module is assigned an icon (one of which is numbered 404) and each parent-child relationship is assigned an icon (one of which is numbered 403, usually a curve) connccting icon 401 to a child module icon. Each icon is ~i n~.d methods capable of responding to input devices 105. This defines a diagram (405) called a modular structure diagram andis displayed on a display device. Diagram 405 replaces the need for text specification for call declarations 206 for module 302, and a user is allowed tocreate a graphical figure 405 instead of writing specifications 206. To icon 401the user has the option of associating another icon (406) referred to here as time axis. On icon 406, time axis, time icons (407) are located repr~s~.nting dirr~ Lversions of module specifications 209 for module 302. Which versions are represented by icons (e.g. 407)iS determined by the user(s) creating the module specifications. Versions of specification 209 for module 302 for which a time icon is placed on time axis 406 are stored along with the current version of thespe~.ific~tion. Modules having time axis associated with them are displayed in modular structure diagrams by their icons and with or without the time axis icondepending on whether the current version of specifications is to be used or an W 096/26484 PCTnDX~6/00080 older version is selected. The ve. sion selected is represented by a time icon (408) having attributes or shapes t1i~tin~~ hing it from other time icons on the time axis.
S Fig. 5 shows program module 302 represented in a spre~ heet like format (504), called cell format here, composed of cells displayed on a display device. Cell format 504 contains areas de~i~n~ted as input variables (501) also denoted by il, i2, ..., output variables (502) also denoted by ol, o2, ... and manipulation variables (503) dPfining respectively input 203, output 204 and program part 208 of module 302. Cell format 504 defines the input, output and program part of module 302 by a functional l~n~l?~ge embedded and viewed in the cell format as described by flow chart 901 and explained below. Cell format 504 also defines a runtime environment for module 302 by allowing the user to modifydefinitions of cells and .~imlllt~neously view result of program operations as is standard within spre~ hPet environment.c Fig. 6 shows program module 302 viewed in a mixed cell - and text format (601) composed of cells 501 and 502 representing input and output variables and program code 208 represented by a text area (602) Co~ g a program source code (603). Source code 603 together with S01 and 502 define elements number 208, 203 and 204 of module 302 respectively. Flow charts 1001 and 1101 together with flow chart 901 provide methods for tr~n~l~ting between text format 602 and cell format 503, if program source code 603 is written in a functional l~n~l~ge. Format 601 allows users to view results of program operations and modify program definitions .cimlllt~neously through cells 501 and502 as in format 504. A mixed cell - and text format enables the user to choose a prog~ ""il-g environment best suitable and enables the usage of more than one pro~ ."".,i"g l~n~ges. Users select which format to work with, to define and use module 302, by means of input devices 105 by choosing from methods attached to icon 401. A full text format is possible and can be tr~n.~l~tecl back and W O 96/26484 PCT~DK~CI~D80 forth to a full cell format or mixed cell - and text format ~.sllming that the text specification is done using a functional l~n~ge.
Fig. 7 shows the data flow specifications 301 between parent module 302 S and a single child module (702). Data flow specifications 301 is represented in a spre~ heet like cell format (701) by denoting the rows in 701 by input variables203 (denoted by i'l, i'2, . .) and output variables (denoted by o'l, o'2, ...) 204 from interface part 205 of module 702. Columns are denoted by call variables (denotedby cl, c2, ...) in such a way that each column cl, c2, ... corresponds to a call to child module 702 with input values in rows i'1, i'2, .. and results shown in rows o' 1, o'2, . . . if the user chooses to view results at the same time as specifying data flow 301. Values passed back and forth through relationship 301 are of a generaltype det~ormin~d by the pro~"~""";,~g l~n~l~ge in which program specification 209 of module 302 is specified in and the values are embedded into cell format by 1~ methods described by flow chart 901. An alias (denoted by A in 701) is ~ign~cl to the relationship between parent module 302 and child module 702. Variables (denoted by A:cl :i'l, ..., A:c2:o'2, ... ) in cell format 701 are made available to specification 209 of module 302. Each parent-child relationship of module 302 isassigned a user editable flow specification similar to 701 and in this way call definition part 207 of module 302 is replaced by a spreadsheet like environment.Methods for accessing the data flow specifications between parent modules and child modules are attached to icons (e.g. 403) between the modules.
Fig. 8 provides an overview over how in the present invention each part of 2~ program specification 209 is represented graphically or in cell forrnat replacing the need for a text specification df~.finin3~? 209. Module 302 is represented by icon 401 and time axis 406 to specify version as indicated by line 801 and explained in Fig.
4. Call declarations 206 for module 302 are represented by modular structure diagram 405 as indicated by 802 and explained in Fig. 4 also. Interface part 205of module 302 is represented by cell format 501 for input declarations 203 and by cell format 502 for output declarations 204 as indicated by lines 804 and 805 -W O 96/26484 PCTADh~ 0~~0 respectively and explained in Fig. 5. Program st~tçm~nt~ 208 of module 302 are represented by, spre~-lsheet like, cell forrnat 503, as indicated by line 806, or by text format 602 and explained in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 respectively. Call dP.finitinns 207 of module 302 dçfining the data flow between modules are represented by 5 sheets of cell format 701 one sheet for each relationship in modular structurediagram 405 as is explained in Fig. 7 and indicated by line 803. Interface part 205 of module 302 defines how other modules can access module 302 and in particular can be considered a interface into external applications 201 of module 302 or more generally a interface into a process which combines information from10 all modules in modular structure diagram 405 and connected external applications if present. Type definitions of variables used in input - 203, output - 204, call definitions 207 and program st~t~Qm~nt~ 208 are associated to their corresponding cells in the cell format.
In the pl ~rel l ~d embodiment all definitions of modules, representations, 15 users, and icons are stored in a centrally located d~t~b~e (in data storage 103) accessible to all users. Users share access to modules by placing icons (e.g. 401) in a folder directory structure, also stored in the database, dçfining access rights of other users and associating a description of the module to the icon for clarity.
This enables the sharing of components between users of the system (e.g.
20 network) having dirr~ n~ progl~ ..ir-g skills, in~ -cling users with only knowledge of spreadsheet systems, since data flow between modules can be defined using cell format (e.g. 701) and a runtime environment is defined by a cell format also (e.g. 501 and 502). In order to access a particular module, the user, using input devices 105, selects it from its folder, shown on a display device, and 25 places it in a modular structure diagram describing a new application or activates it (e.g. runtime environment 504). In the plefelled embodiment, compiling of modules is done relative to cells viewed at each moment on the display device used and all changes in underlying structures are reflected immediately. Users are warned and informed about how changes in module definitions affect other 30 modules and have the option of using time axis to leave parent-child relationships ----=
CA 022l4972 l997-08-22 W 096/26484 PCTfiDK~f~ ~J
-n~h~n~e~l The usage oftime axis allows ~xietin~ modules to function nch~n~ed when modules are upgraded.
Example: Here some of the features shown in Fig.8 are explained. The following is a simple source code written in text format. The l~n~ e used is classified as an "advanced functional l~n~l~ge" by the d~finition used earlier. The module (Audio) searches a table (B2 or "OPERAS.DB") cont~ining sound files and locates the sound according to a keyword (B5) in the default key for the table. The variable B3 represents the row in the table co~ P the sound specification (B7). The sound specification is in a column ofthe table with the he~-1ing "SOUND".
Module Audio -Input(B5 string) -Output(B7 sound) Begin B2 := table("C:\SOUND"; "OPERAS.DB").
B3 := row(B2; B5).
B7 := item(B3; "SOUND").
End.
When viewed in cell format the input 203, output 204 and the program statements 208 for the above source code are shown using indication values resulting from some choice (made by the user) of input values (B5 here, in the below B5 is ~igned the keyword "Otello"). Evaluation of the module binds the variable B2 to a table object "OPERAS.DB" located on a storage device indexed by "C:\SOIJND" in this case. The indication value for B2 is "~Operas" which informs the user of the system that variable B2 points to a table named "Operas". The variable B2 is then referred to in other cells, e.g., the formula row(B2; B5) defines cell /
variable B3, in the same way as in a normal spreadsheet application.
When the user is editing a particular cell the original definition of the W O 96/26484 PCTADh~Gl~ n~- 19 variable is displayed, e.g., when editing cell B2 the text fable(~c:lsouZvD~; "OPER~S.DB"~ is used. Similarly the variable B3 is ignçtl to a row of the table and has indication value "I~Otello" here below and the resl~ltin~ sound object located in the table and ~igned to S variable / cell B7 has indication value "6 Otello". An embodiment could thus represent the module using cell format 501, 502 and 503 as shown below:
Audio ~7f 31 = _ile Edit A B
' Table... ~ Operas File.... ~ 1~ Otello Title .. ~ Otello Sound .. ~ 6) Otello ~ , E~
When editing the cells B2, B3 and B7 the actual text definitions in the source code appear as formulas d~fining the values shown. When editing the input cell / variable B5 the input value chosen is displayed for editing, here "Otello".
In order to access the above Audio module from another module (Enhanced Audio below) the user places the audio module as a child module in a modular diagram, shown below:
W 096/26484 PCTADK~6/C0~80 ~nhancedAudio--Audio = File E~:
<Auc io> Selected B5 (T- tle) Don Giovanni B7 fSound) ~Don Giovanni ~5 ~3 ~
~,~ Audio CFnhAnc~(l Aud _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~
Defining the flow (call definition) between the new module and the Audio module is then done by the user using cell format 701 as shown above. In the above the input variable of the Audio module (named here Audio:Selected:BS) is ~e.cip~ned the value "Don Giovanni" and the resulting sound object is assigned to the variable in~.Y~d (named) by "Audio:Selected:B7" and shown using indication value "~Don Giovanni".
The variable "Audio:Selected:B7" is recognized in the module Enhanced Audio above and is used to refer to the sound object reslllting from the call to the Audio module.
Fig. 9 shows flow chart (901) describing a method for displaying a variable value of a general type in a cell in such a way that extends the way 15 m~th~.m~tical formulas with number values and text is viewed in cells. A variable - or a cell value, can be considered an array holding information about the value as determined by the variable type and the variable definition. The value array is associated to the cell holding the variable/cell definition. Information in the variable/cell value array is entered into the array by a program execution me~h~ni~m which updates the value array to reflect changes in other related variables/cells or in the variable/cell definition itself. One type of the information W 096/26484 PCTADK~ 0 in the array is the variable type. The program execution mçch~ni.em also triggers the display me~.h~niem to change the displayed value ofthe cell. Values considered are of general types such as a number, formula, array, geometrical object, form, ~t~b~e~ table or a row type as determined by the prog~ g 5 l~n~l~ge. A variable of a text or number type is displayed in a cell by its fulmdlLed value. The same applies to some other types such as date and time. In p~r~ ;d embodiments, values of more general types are displayed in cells by applying a function, called indication function here, to the value array which specifies a method, based on the value type, for determining the displayed cell 10 value ofthe variable. The re.s-llting displayed cell value is a combination oftext and icons fitting into a cell. The icons are selected from an icon font and combined with the text to form the cell display. Attributes such as color can beapplied to the cells in a standard way. An example of such a function is an indication function which assigns to a variable an icon, representing the variable 15 type, and conc~ten~tes to the icon a keyword selected from the information about the variable in the variable array. A value re.s--lting from applying the indication function to a variable is referred to as the indication value of the variable. The variable array is not displayed but is associated to the cell. As is standard with spreadsheets, a syntax error in the definition of a variable is indicated with an error flag in the cell. Flow chart 1201 describes a method for viewing a variable of a general type in another way namely by its full value.
Fig. 10 shows a flow chart (1001) for embedding a program source code on text format into a cell format ~esllming that the pro~ g l~n~l~ge used is25 a functional l~n~l~ge. Each statement in a functional l~n~l~ge is associated with a variable of some general type and it is therefore possible to associate each st~tt~m~nt and its variable to a cell in a cell format as described below. The mer.h~niem described by the flow chart reads the statements in the source code and determines (1002 and 1003) into which cell to put each statement. To which 30 cell a statement belongs, can be determined by its variable name, information in a cross reference table about a previous embedding from a cell format into text W 096/26484 PCTADK~6/8D_~_ format (see flow chart 1101) and adjusted during modification of the text to keep track of variables, user input and sequential mapping (that is a mapping of variables into some area co.,~ enough cells). The me-~h~ni~m shown stores separately illrulllldlion about the text format, not used in the cell format, such as S the sequential order of the st~tPment~ in the text (1004). The mP~h~ni~m shownalso reads information about a previous cell format for the program, if one exists, and formats the cell format accordingly. Once a location for the st~tP.ment in acell and existing attributes have been determined by the above measures, the variable name for the st~tPm~ nt and the cell name are equated and the variable 10 type is registered in the type array associated to the cell (1005). Conflicts which arise from naming of st~tçment variables are resolved by always mapping a statement, whose variable name is the name of a cell in the cell format into thecorresponding cell. Variable values are then displayed in the cell format (1006) as described by flow chart 901 for each cell after a compiling and parsing meeh~ni~m 15 has been activated to determine the variable/cell value array for each cell used.
The program is then edited in the cell format in a similar way as a conventionalsprç~ hPet When adding or modifying st~tement~ in a cell format the variable type is determined from the syntax of the st~tçment entered but can, when more than one types are possible, be adjusted by the user.
Fig. 11 shows a fiow chart (1101) for tr~n~l~ting source code on cell format into text format. The meeh~ni.em described by the flow chart reads the st~tPmPnt associated to each cell and detP.rminPs which variable name to use in the text format for the ~,L~ (1102 and 1103). Which variable name to use for a 25 cell can be deter nined by the cell name or by a tr~n~l~ting table (referred to in flow charts as cell cross reference table). The tr~n~1~ting table may contain information from a previous embedding of the source code into cell format.
St~tPment.~ in the source code are modified to use the variable name instead of the cell name and attributes and illrulllld~ion about the cells are stored separately 30 (1104) to allow for an embedding back into cell format. Information from a previous embedding into cell format can be used along with other methods such W 096/26484 PCT~Dh~f'~ 80 as sequential ordering of st~tPmPnts in text and using current attributes of st~tPment.~ in cells to place and format statements in the text format. Statements are written into the text format (1105) and ~ igned to their corresponding'' variables. Il~rolll,aLion about the type of a variable is contained in the value array 5 associated to the variable cell in the cell format and variables in the text format are declared accordingly using the format specified by the (functional) l~n~l~ge used.
Fig. 12 shows a flow chart (1201) describing a meçh~ni.~m for displaying the full value, by definition here, of a variable/cell value. This mer.h~ni.cm is 10 triggered for a cell in a cell format by the user using an input device such as a mouse. The mech~ni~m uses a classification of variables by types to determine methods for displaying the full value of a variable value. Information contained in the variable/cell value array associated to a cell in a cell format points to and is centered around external documents for many variable types. Example of such 15 types are table types reprPsçnting ~l~t~h~e tables in ~l~t~h~.~e systems, graphical -and picture types, sound types represPnting sound specifications, types reprçsçnting word processor documents written in di~t;lell~ formats and many other variable types. For variable types centered around external/underlying documents, the full value is displayed by activating a process rçs-]lting in the20 document being viewed/represented and being editable in its native application on a separated but possibly overlying area, from the cell format, of the display device or on a device determined by its native application. Methods for activating a document in its native application are well known in the field and are usually restricted by the operating system and the native application itself. For other types such as text and numbers the full value is simply showing available details, determined using the value array, in a way which is not restricted, for ex. by size, by the cell format. Accordingly, since viewing the full value is restricted by the capabilities of the operating system and other applications, not all types are necessarily displayed using full value as indicated by (1202) in the flow chart. In 30 the pl e~ll ed embodiment, a list of methods for displaying the full value is W 096/26484 PCT~Dh~6/00080 available and searched (1203) and the corresponding method activated (1204) to display the full value of a variable/cell.
Fig. 13 shows a schem~tic block diagram. Fig. 13 gives an overview of 5 the duality between a text and cell format and explains the above methods further.
Program st~tem.o,ntc written in text format are denoted by blocks numbered 1301 and 1303. A statement written in a functional l~n~l~ge can be considered to be an ~ccignment y = f(x) where y is the res~llting variable, x represents the statement input variables and frepresents the st~t~.ment as defined by the prog~ "",i~g 10 l~n~l~ge. Variable y has a variable name and a type definition as shown in box 1301. The st~tçm~nt f(x) is represented in box 1303. Associated to text format 1301is a text editing mech~nicm as shown. Translation mech~ni.cm described by flow charts 1001, 1101 translate between the two formats. In cell format 1302 the variable y is assigned a cell and the variable - and cell name, also repreSPntinf;
15 the cell location as is standard for spreadsheet environm~nt.c, are equated and thus refer to the same variable y. The st~t~o-ment text f(x) is ~cci~ned to the cell and can thus be edited by allowing the user to select the cell for editing its contents as is standard with spreadsheet environment.c, A change in the cell contents results in a changed definition for the corresponding module. A cell in cell format (1302)iS
20 assigned a value array to store information including results of program execution as determined by a system (1306) capable of parsing and compiling module definitions (1304), stored in memory 102 and in storage devices 103, into an ~xeCIlt~ble code. Module definitions 1304 are stored in multiple formats inclllriing graphical specifications (e.g. 405) and on cell or text format. A change in a value 25 array triggered by system 1306 triggers a change in how the cell is displayed as explained in flow chart 901 and indicated by line 1307 in the diagram. System 1306iS responsible for displaying the full value of a value array as described by flow chart 1201 and expl~ined above. Changes in cell display are triggered by changes in module definitions 1304 which incllldes changes in cells being edited as 30 indicated by line 130~.
W O 96/26484 PCT~Dh~6/0 li'ig. 14 shows how, in a p~re.l~d embodiment, module definitions are used with traditional form desi~~nin.~ environments and other application development systems. Forms provide an alternative format for working with modules designed by using the above methods. Module definitions are exported (1404) by an exporting mech~ni~m (1403) into a format defined by an application environment (1405) being exported to allowing environment 1405 to access a module as a function with input values 203 and return values 204. Exporting mecl~ ;",~ are well known in the art. In a plt;r~ d embodiment, a collection of methods for a pred~fined set of application environments and operating systems is available d~.fining the export meçh~ni.~m 1403. Exporting of modules is controlled by users of the embodiment. In a p~er~ll ed embodiment, a form design and implçm~?nt~tion mech~ni~m (1401) is available to users allowing users to create alternative display follllals in accordance with the design gniclçlines specified by a predefined list of operating environments. Design me~h~ni~m 1401 is capable of accessing and using (1402) module definitions 1304 directly without using an export mech~ni~m by considering modules as functions with input - and return values.
-
Claims (20)
1. A method of representing a program specification, of an advanced functional language, the advanced functional language being defined as a programming language capable of handling and returning more complex variables than the basic variable types text and number and in which each statement written in the language can be evaluated, based on its dependent variables, to a uniquely defined value, and representing program execution in a cell format, comprising:
(a) communicating with a display device connected to a process device, (b) accessing a cell frame containing multiple cells displayed on said display device, (c) displaying text and icons in said cell frame, (d) associating selected variables and their definitions in said program specification to cells in said cell frame, (e) determining values of said selected variables by executing said program specification, and (f) displaying in cells, associated to said selected variables, an indication value determined by an indication function representing values of said selected variables.
(a) communicating with a display device connected to a process device, (b) accessing a cell frame containing multiple cells displayed on said display device, (c) displaying text and icons in said cell frame, (d) associating selected variables and their definitions in said program specification to cells in said cell frame, (e) determining values of said selected variables by executing said program specification, and (f) displaying in cells, associated to said selected variables, an indication value determined by an indication function representing values of said selected variables.
2. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying a full value of at least some of said selected variables.
3. The method of claim 2, comprising editing values of at least some of said selected variables by editing the full value of the variables.
4. The method of claim 1, comprising communicating with an input device connected to said process device for controlling the editing of said specification within said cell format.
5. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying on said display device said selected variables using a text format and translating selected variables back or forth from being displayed in said cell format and said text format.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising editing and/or defining at least some of the variables of said program specifications by using a cell format to display and edit the variables.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising editing and/or defining at least some of the data flow specifications of said program specifications by using the data flow cell format to display and edit data flow specifications between program modules.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
(a) communicating with an input device connected to said process device, (b) displaying a modular structure diagram on said display device and/or using variables in said program specification to represent the call declarations part of said program specification, (c) organizing the remaining program specification, excluding the call declarations, of said program specification into predetermined smaller parts each containing a selection of variables and their definitions, (d) displaying at least some of said parts on said display device using cell formats, and (e) editing or creating said program specification by editing at least some of said parts using the associated cell formats and/or by editing said modular structure diagram.
(a) communicating with an input device connected to said process device, (b) displaying a modular structure diagram on said display device and/or using variables in said program specification to represent the call declarations part of said program specification, (c) organizing the remaining program specification, excluding the call declarations, of said program specification into predetermined smaller parts each containing a selection of variables and their definitions, (d) displaying at least some of said parts on said display device using cell formats, and (e) editing or creating said program specification by editing at least some of said parts using the associated cell formats and/or by editing said modular structure diagram.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said program specification is organized into input declarations, output declarations, call declarations, call definitions andprogram statements and wherein said input declarations when assigned values define values of said output declarations using said output declarations, said call declarations, said call definitions and said program statements and whereinsaid call definitions define a flow of information through said modular structure diagram and/or define the variables in said program specification representing said call declarations.
10. The method of claim 9, comprising attaching at least some of the parts of said program specification, excluding call declarations, to predefined areas of said modular structure diagram and allowing a user to access and display the cell format of a specific part by designating, using an input device, an area of saidmodular structure diagram attached to said specific part.
11. A system for representing a program specification, of an advanced functional language, the advanced functional language being defined as a programming language capable of handling and returning more complex variables than the basic variable types text and number and in which each statement written in the language can be evaluated, based on its dependent variables, to a uniquely defined value, and representing program execution in a cell format, the system comprising:
(a) means for communicating with a display device connected to a process device, (b) means for accessing a cell frame containing multiple cells displayed on said display device, (c) means for displaying text and icons in said cell frame, (d) means for associating selected variables and their definitions in said program specification to cells in said cell frame, (e) means for determining values of said selected variables by executing said program specification, and (f) means for displaying in cells, associated to said selected variables, an indication value determined by an indication function representing values of said selected variables.
(a) means for communicating with a display device connected to a process device, (b) means for accessing a cell frame containing multiple cells displayed on said display device, (c) means for displaying text and icons in said cell frame, (d) means for associating selected variables and their definitions in said program specification to cells in said cell frame, (e) means for determining values of said selected variables by executing said program specification, and (f) means for displaying in cells, associated to said selected variables, an indication value determined by an indication function representing values of said selected variables.
12. The system of claim 11, further including means for displaying a full value of at least some of said selected variables.
13. The system of claim 12, further including means for editing values of at least some of said selected variables by editing the full value of the variables.
14. The system of claim 11, further including means for communicating with an input device connected to said process device for controlling the editing of said specification within said cell format.
15. The system of claim 11, further including means for displaying on said display device said selected variables using a text format and means for translating selected variables back or forth from being displayed in said cell format and said text format.
16. The system of claim 11, further including means for editing and/or defining at least some of the variables of said program specifications by using a cell format to display and edit the variables.
17. The system of claim 11, further including means for editing and/or defining at least some of the data flow specifications of said program specifications by using the data flow cell format to display and edit data flow specifications between program modules.
18. The system of claim 11, in which the system further includes means comprising:
(a) means for communicating with an input device connected to said process device, (b) means for displaying a modular structure diagram on said display device and/or using variables in said program specification to represent the call declarations part of said program specification, (c) means for organizing the remaining program specification, excluding the call declarations, of said program specification into predetermined smaller parts each containing a selection of variables and their definitions, (d) means for displaying at least some of said parts on said display device using cell formats, and (e) means for editing or creating said program specification by editing at least some of said parts using the associated cell formats and/or by editing said modular structure diagram.
(a) means for communicating with an input device connected to said process device, (b) means for displaying a modular structure diagram on said display device and/or using variables in said program specification to represent the call declarations part of said program specification, (c) means for organizing the remaining program specification, excluding the call declarations, of said program specification into predetermined smaller parts each containing a selection of variables and their definitions, (d) means for displaying at least some of said parts on said display device using cell formats, and (e) means for editing or creating said program specification by editing at least some of said parts using the associated cell formats and/or by editing said modular structure diagram.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein said program specification is organized into input declarations, output declarations, call declarations, call definitions andprogram statements and wherein said input declarations when assigned values define values of said output declarations using said output declarations, said call declarations, said call definitions and said program statements and whereinsaid call definitions define a flow of information through said modular structure diagram and/or define the variables in said program specification representing said call declarations.
20. The system of claim 19, further including means for attaching at least some of the parts of said program specification, excluding call declarations, to predefined areas of said modular structure diagram and means for allowing a user to access and display the cell format of a specific part by designating, using an input device, an area of said modular structure diagram attached to said specific part.
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| PCT/DK1996/000080 WO1996026484A2 (en) | 1995-02-22 | 1996-02-22 | Graphical environment for managing and developing applications |
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| CA2214972A1 CA2214972A1 (en) | 1996-08-29 |
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| CA002214972A Expired - Lifetime CA2214972C (en) | 1995-02-22 | 1996-02-22 | Graphical environment for managing and developing applications |
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| EP (1) | EP0811193B1 (en) |
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-
1996
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- 1996-02-22 EP EP96903932A patent/EP0811193B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1996-02-22 WO PCT/DK1996/000080 patent/WO1996026484A2/en active IP Right Grant
- 1996-02-22 CA CA002214972A patent/CA2214972C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1996-02-22 DE DE69600794T patent/DE69600794T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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2001
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2004
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2010
- 2010-08-11 US US12/805,643 patent/US20110022939A1/en not_active Abandoned
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| AU4783796A (en) | 1996-09-11 |
| US6763498B2 (en) | 2004-07-13 |
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| US7853867B2 (en) | 2010-12-14 |
| US20040225957A1 (en) | 2004-11-11 |
| US20110022939A1 (en) | 2011-01-27 |
| EP0811193A2 (en) | 1997-12-10 |
| US6286017B1 (en) | 2001-09-04 |
| CA2214972A1 (en) | 1996-08-29 |
| WO1996026484A2 (en) | 1996-08-29 |
| WO1996026484A3 (en) | 1996-11-07 |
| DE69600794D1 (en) | 1998-11-19 |
| US20020010713A1 (en) | 2002-01-24 |
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