Workflow development system with ease-of-use features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11099816-B2
Application number	US-201916697880-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2019
Priority date	Nov 23, 2015
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A workflow development system is described that provides a developer with a search utility for finding steps for inclusion in a workflow. The system also automatically generates a meaningful name and/or graphical representation for a workflow. The system also provides a graphical user interface that represents output parameters of a first workflow step as user-interactive objects. These objects can be interacted with to cause the objects to be inserted into a data entry element that is used to specify a value for an input parameter of a second workflow step. When executable logic representing the first and second workflow steps is generated, the insertion of the objects into the data entry element has the effect of causing the value of the input parameter of the second workflow step to be defined to include the values of the output parameters that correspond to the inserted objects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
at least one processor circuit; and
at least one memory that stores program code configured to be executed by the at least one processor circuit, the program code comprising:
a user interface generator configured to:
provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes
a graphical representation of a first workflow step,
a graphical representation of a second workflow step, and
one or more user-interactive objects that respectively represent one or more output parameters of the first workflow step;

in response to user interaction with a first user-interactive object among the one or more user-interactive objects, copy the first user-interactive object into a data entry element included in the graphical representation of the second workflow step; and
in response to user interaction with a second user-interactive object among the one or more user-interactive objects, copy the second user-interactive object into the data entry element so that the first user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element and the second user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element are concurrently displayed in the data entry element; and

a workflow logic generator configured to generate executable workflow logic corresponding to at least the first workflow step and the second workflow step, the generating including defining a value of an input parameter of the second workflow step to include a value of a first output parameter of the first workflow step that corresponds to the first user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element and a value of a second output parameter of the first workflow step that corresponds to the second user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user-interactive objects are included within the graphical representation of the second workflow step.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more user-interactive objects includes an icon that identifies the first workflow step.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data entry element comprises a text box.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface generator is further configured to:
provide at least one of the graphical representation of the first workflow step and the graphical representation of the second workflow step within the GUI in response to a user selection of a workflow step, a workflow template, or a saved workflow.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interaction with the first user-interactive object comprises the user clicking on the first user-interactive object.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interaction with the first user-interactive object comprises the user dragging and dropping the first user-interactive object onto the data entry element.

8. A method performed by one or more computing devices, comprising:
providing a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes
a graphical representation of a first workflow step,
a graphical representation of a second workflow step, and
one or more user-interactive objects that respectively represent one or more output parameters of the first workflow step;

in response to user interaction with a first user-interactive object among the one or more user-interactive objects, copying the first user-interactive object into a data entry element included in the graphical representation of the second workflow step;
in response to user interaction with a second user-interactive object among the one or more user-interactive objects, copying the second user-interactive object into the data entry element so that the first user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element and the second user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element are concurrently displayed in the data entry element; and
generating executable workflow logic corresponding to at least the first workflow step and the second workflow step, the generating comprising defining a value of an input parameter of the second workflow step to include a value of a first output parameter of the first workflow step that corresponds to the first user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element and a value of a second output parameter of the first workflow step that corresponds to the second user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more user-interactive objects are included within the graphical representation of the second workflow step.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more user-interactive objects includes an icon that identifies the first workflow step.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data entry element comprises a text box.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
providing at least one of the graphical representation of the first workflow step and the graphical representation of the second workflow step within the GUI in response to a user selection of a workflow step, a workflow template, or a saved workflow.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the user interaction with the first user-interactive object comprises the user clicking on the first user-interactive object.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the user interaction with the first user-interactive object comprises the user dragging and dropping the first user-interactive object onto the data entry element.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable memory having computer program logic recorded thereon that when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
providing a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes
a graphical representation of a first workflow step,
a graphical representation of a second workflow step, and
one or more user-interactive objects that respectively represent one or more output parameters of the first workflow step;

in response to user interaction with a first user-interactive object among the one or more user-interactive objects, copying the first user-interactive object into a data entry element included in the graphical representation of the second workflow step;
in response to user interaction with a second user-interactive object among the one or more user-interactive objects, copying the second user-interactive object into the data entry element so that the first user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element and the second user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element are concurrently displayed in the data entry element; and
generating executable workflow logic corresponding to at least the first workflow step and the second workflow step, the generating comprising defining a value of an input parameter of the second workflow step to include a value of a first output parameter of the first workflow step that corresponds to the first user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element and a value of a second output parameter of the first workflow step that corresponds to the second user-interactive object that was copied into the data entry element.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the one or more user-interactive objects are included within the graphical representation of the second workflow step.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein each of the one or more user-interactive objects includes an icon that identifies the first workflow step.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Kumar Prashant
• Twist Jonjo
• Siciliano Stephen C
• Agrawal Himanshu
• Shrestha Prabir K
• Shyamsundar Balasubramanian

Classifications

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06F8/36

  Software reuse · CPC title

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06Q10/0633

  Workflow analysis · CPC title

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title