Graphical modeling tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10776725-B2
Application number	US-81537510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2010
Priority date	Jun 18, 2009
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A method for implementing a graphical modeling tool in a web-based environment is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, such a method may include enabling a user to import, into a web-based environment, a domain meta model comprising a number of meta model elements. The method may further enable the user to associate the meta model elements with graphical representations in the web-based environment, thereby allowing the user to create palette elements. The user may then assemble the palette elements on a canvas to create a diagram. This diagram may be converted into an instance of the domain meta model. This instance may be validated for conformance with the rules and constraints associated with the domain meta model. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed and claimed herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for implementing a graphical modeling tool in a web-based environment, the method comprising:
enabling a user to import, in a web-based modeling tool executing in memory by at least one processor of a computer, a domain meta model comprising a plurality of meta model elements;
transforming the domain meta model into a model tree representing the plurality of meta model elements, the model tree being rendered in each of a first tab, a second tab and a third tab amongst a multiplicity of tabs of a web-based user interface of the web-based modeling tool, at least one branch of the model tree comprising nodes representing a model configuration of the domain meta model, at least one other branch of the model tree comprising nodes representing a data configuration of the domain meta model, and at least one other branch of the model tree comprising an organization configuration of the domain meta model;
enabling the user in the first tab to select one or more meta model elements from the branch of the model tree comprising nodes representing the model configuration wherein the one or more meta model elements of the model configuration comprise one or more activity elements, separately enabling the user in the second tab to select one or more meta model elements from the at least one other branch of the model tree comprising nodes representing the data configuration wherein the one or more meta model elements of the data configuration comprise one or more data elements, and separately enabling the user in the third tab to select one or more model elements representing the organization configuration wherein the one or more meta model elements of the model tree comprise organizational elements configured to associate and designate a person to perform each of the one or more activity elements;
enabling the user in each of the first, second and third tabs to associate, in the web-based environment, the one or more selected meta model elements organized in a tree hierarchy, with graphical representations selected by the user to create one or more desired palette elements, by providing the user with at least one of a list of graphical representations comprising notational shapes from which the user selects one of the notational shapes and a graphical user interface (GUI) widget allowing the user to upload the selected one of the notational shapes, so that when the user assembles one or more desired palette elements on a canvas, the one or more desired palette elements is rendered with the corresponding ones of the notational shapes, each desired palette element representing a mapping between a selected meta model element and a corresponding one of the notational shapes, each of the desired palette elements comprising a controller mapper declaratively specifying diagramming and domain rules associated with a corresponding one of the palette elements;
displaying the mapping between the one or more activity elements and the corresponding ones of the notational shapes within the first tab;
displaying the mapping between the one or more data elements and the corresponding ones of the notational shapes within the second tab;
displaying the mapping between the organizational elements and corresponding one of the notational shapes within the third tab;
enabling the user in a fourth tab amongst the user interface tabs of the user interface to assemble, in the web-based environment, the one or more desired palette elements on the canvas to create a diagram representative of a process definition for the domain meta model utilizing each of the model configuration, data configuration and organization configuration;
converting the created diagram into an instance of the domain meta model; and
validating the instance of the domain meta model for conformance with the diagramming and domain rules and constraints associated with the domain meta model the diagramming rules specifying which of the palette elements may proceed or follow others of the palette elements, the domain rules specifying how to validate the domain model elements represented by corresponding ones of the palette elements, to ensure that all relationships and connections mapped in the diagram representation are legal and where relationships are not legal, a display message is provided indicating errors within the diagram representation.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating multiple desired palette elements with a palette.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising storing at least one of the palette and desired palette elements as sharable server-side resources.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising storing at least one of the palette and desired palette elements as RESTful, URL able web resources.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising tagging each desired palette element in the palette to enable semantic association and searching.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising using declarative access control to enable multiple users to simultaneously access the palette and the one or more desired palette elements over the web.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more desired palette elements and palette are declarative constructs.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling the user to create diagrams associated with multiple domain meta models on the canvas.

9. The method of claim 2 , further comprising enabling the one or more desired palette elements from different domain meta models to be associated with the same palette.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein validating comprises dynamically validating the one or more desired palette elements in the context of the diagram and domain specific rules.

11. A computer program product for implementing a graphical modeling tool in a web-based environment, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-usable program code embodied therein, the computer-usable program code comprising:
computer-usable program code to enable a user to import, in a web-based environment, a domain meta model comprising a plurality of meta model elements;
computer-usable program code to transform the domain meta model into a model tree representing the plurality of meta model elements, the model tree being rendered in each of a first tab, a second tab and a third tab amongst a multiplicity of tabs of a web-based user interface of the web-based modeling tool, at least one branch of the model tree comprising nodes representing a model configuration of the domain meta model, at least one other branch of the model tree comprising nodes representing a data configuration of the domain meta model, and at least one other branch of the model tree comprising an organization configuration of the domain meta model;
computer-usable program code to enable the user in the first tab to select one or more meta model elements from the branch of the model tree comprising nodes representing the model configuration wherein the one or more meta model elements of the model configuration comprise one or more activity elements, separately enabling the user in the second tab to select one or more meta model elements from the at least one other branch of the model tree comprising nodes representing the data configuration wherein the one or more meta model elements of the data configuration comprise one or more data elements, and separately enabling the user in the third tab to select one or more meta model elements from the at least one other branch of the model tree comprising nodes representing organizational elements configured to associate and designate a person to perform each of the one or more activity elements;
computer-u

Assignees

• Ding Li
• Lau Diana H
• Litani Elena H
• Ng Joanna W
• Nigul Leho
• IBM

Inventors

• Ding Li
• Lau Diana H
• Litani Elena H
• Ng Joanna W
• Nigul Leho

Classifications

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G06Q10/04 Primary

  Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) · CPC title