Systems for designing custom applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12393402-B2
Application number	US-202218080708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2022
Priority date	Dec 13, 2022
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for designing custom applications. In some implementations, a system identifies a predetermined set of application elements that are available to be selectively included in a custom application. The system provides an interface for generating the custom application, wherein the interface includes features to specify each of a plurality of adjustable settings, such that input through the interface can adjust an appearance of the custom application and select which of the predetermined application features are included in the custom application. The system receives input through the interface that specifies settings for the custom application. Based on the input received through the interface, the system generates configuration data for the custom application and updates one or more records to make the custom application available to one or more client devices of one or more users.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by one or more computers, the method comprising:
identifying, by the one or more computers, a predetermined set of application features that are available to be selectively included in a custom application hosted by a server system;
storing, by the one or more computers, a repository of application elements corresponding to the application features, wherein the application elements in the repository include software modules for at least some of the application features;
storing, by the one or more computers, a mapping of application features to application elements;
providing, by the one or more computers, an interface for generating the custom application, wherein the interface includes features to specify each of a plurality of adjustable settings, such that the interface is configured to receive input information that specifies adjustments to an appearance of the custom application and selects application features from the predetermined set of application features for inclusion in the custom application;
receiving, by the one or more computers, input through the interface that specifies settings for the custom application including at least one of (i) a change to the appearance of the custom application or (ii) a customized set of the application features;
based on the input received through the interface, generating, by the one or more computers, configuration data for the custom application, wherein the configuration data specifies a configuration of the application features to provide in the custom application based on the input received through the interface;
configuring, by the one or more computers, the server system to make the custom application available to one or more client devices of one or more users, wherein the server system is configured to dynamically generate the custom application from application elements in the repository when the custom application is requested by a client device, wherein the server system is configured to respond to a request for the custom application from the client device over a communication network by generating and providing application data based on the configuration data, including, in response to receiving the request for the custom application from the client device:
based on the configuration data for the custom application, selecting application elements from the repository that correspond to application features specified by the configuration data for the custom application based on the mapping of application features to application elements in the repository;
assembling the selected application elements from the repository according to the configuration data for the custom application to generate the application data for the custom application; and
providing the application data to the client device over the communication network; and
after generating the configuration data for the custom application:
updating one or more of the application elements in the repository from a first version of the application element to a second version of the application element; and
updating the mapping such that a particular application feature of the application features is mapped to the second version of the application element instead of the first version of the application element, wherein updating the mapping configures the server system to serve the custom application using the second version of the application element without modifying the configuration data for the custom application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the interface comprises providing a web page or web application that includes data that, when rendered, provides a user interface for designing the custom application.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input received through the interface specifies formatting for the application, and the configuration data stores the formatting such that, when the application is provided based on the configuration data, the formatting is propagated to each of multiple application elements selected to be included in the custom application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface is a user interface having controls that enable a user to (i) specify content for access within the custom application, wherein the content is selected from among content hosted by a database system, and (ii) restrict the custom application to providing the content specified through the interface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application features include features that respectively perform different functions, the features including at least one of search, filter, share, comment on, or export data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application features include navigation features for navigating within the custom application, the features including at least one of a toolbar, a sidebar, or menu item.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application features include features representing different types of user interaction or application behavior that are provided in the custom application.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application features include cross-platform features available in each of multiple platforms and platform-specific features available only in specific platforms, wherein the interface provides controls to select from among the cross-platform features and the platform-specific features.

9. A system comprising:
one or more computers of a server system; and
one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
identifying, by the one or more computers, a predetermined set of application features that are available to be selectively included in a custom application hosted by a server system;
storing, by the one or more computers, a repository of application elements corresponding to the application features, wherein the application elements in the repository include software modules for at least some of the application features;
storing, by the one or more computers, a mapping of application features to application elements;
providing, by the one or more computers, an interface for generating the custom application, wherein the interface includes features to specify each of a plurality of adjustable settings, such that the interface is configured to receive input information that specifies adjustments to an appearance of the custom application and selects application features from the predetermined set of application features for inclusion in the custom application;
receiving, by the one or more computers, input through the interface that specifies settings for the custom application including at least one of (i) a change to the appearance of the custom application or (ii) a customized set of the application features;
based on the input received through the interface, generating, by the one or more computers, configuration data for the custom application, wherein the configuration data specifies a configuration of the application features to provide in the custom application based on the input received through the interface;
configuring, by the one or more computers, the server system to make the custom application available to one or more client devices of one or more users, wherein the server system is configured to dynamically generate the custom application from application elements in the repository when the custom application is requested by a client device, wherein the server system is configured to respond to a request for the custom application from the client device over a communication network by generating and providing application data based on the configuration dat

Assignees

• Microstrategy Inc

Inventors

• Velasco Alejandro Olvera
• Nocedal De La Garza Jose
• Lang Timothy
• Stevens Holly
• Smith Andrew
• Jiang Wei
• Liu Jin
• Singh Divya
• Shen Qingru

Classifications

• G06F8/71 Primary

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G06F8/20 Primary

  Software design · CPC title