Custom and customizable components, such as for workflow applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9342272-B2
Application number	US-39644509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2009
Priority date	Sep 11, 2003
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A software facility allows custom components to be created and used in an end user application, such as a workflow application that defines business processes or a graphical design application. The facility provides a custom component definition that includes an indication of criteria for custom components for use in the end user application. A designer of the custom component provides the software facility with an indication of functionality for the custom component, wherein the indication satisfies the criteria for custom components included in the provided definition. The custom component is registered with the end-user application. This registration enables the end user application to access the custom component from within the end user application without the use of programming scripts to call the customized component from outside of the end user application.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of adding new core components into existing host applications, comprising:
creating, by a first computer and responsive to a programmer user action in a development environment, a development environment project for a custom component, wherein naming of the custom component is at least partially based on a custom component definition, the custom component definition providing criteria including rules, definitions, and naming conventions for all custom components for use in a host application, the host application having an integrated development environment and associated with a shared cache;
responsive to the programmer user action in the development environment to add a host application reference to the custom component, the first computer incorporating the host application reference into the development environment project;
responsive to the programmer user action in the development environment to define one or more stub functions for the custom component, the first computer implementing the one or more stub functions that control, at least, display of the custom component in a toolbox view of the host application, the one or more stub functions including an execute stub function that executes the custom component, an execute parameter stub function that returns a string of parameter definitions for the execute stub function, and a return parameter stub function that returns a value and determines where the value is to be stored;
the first computer registering the custom component with the shared cache associated with the host application, the host application running on a second computer;
responsive to the custom component being selected for inclusion in the toolbox view of the host application, the first computer adding the custom component registered with the shared cache to the toolbox view of the host application that is part of the integrated development environment of the host application and that is accessible by an end user of the host application; and
responsive to an activity of the end user of the host application, the second computer automatically displaying the toolbox view of the host application containing the custom component such that the custom component is accessible by the end user and adds a custom functionality to the toolbox view of the host application already running on the second computer.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more stub functions further comprise an action image function that controls or determines an image displayed for the custom component in the toolbox view of the host application.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more stub functions further comprise a display wizard stub function for passing a parameter into the custom component.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the creating further comprises modifying the custom component to satisfy template parameters described in the criteria.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the custom component is compiled in the development environment prior to the registering.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the development environment project comprises a control library project.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the custom component is selected for inclusion in the toolbox view of the host application from a plurality of registered custom components.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adding comprises associating a file from a components list within the development environment project in the development environment with the integrated development environment of the host application.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the registering, adding functionality to the custom component using at least one third party application.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the host application comprises a workflow application and wherein the custom component is configured for repeated use by the end user to develop one or more workflow models.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the shared cache includes custom components shared by a plurality of host applications.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the host application comprises a workflow application and wherein the custom component is available for use by a plurality of workflow processes or workflow models in the workflow application.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the host application comprises a workflow application and wherein the custom component is useable with a plurality of workflow objects within a single workflow model in the workflow application.

14. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by at least one processor to perform:
creating, responsive to a programmer user action in a development environment running on a first computer, a development environment project for a custom component, wherein naming of the custom component is at least partially based on a custom component definition, the custom component definition providing criteria including rules, definitions, and naming conventions for all custom components for use in a host application, the host application having an integrated development environment and associated with a shared cache;
responsive to the programmer user action in the development environment to add a host application reference to the custom component, incorporating the host application reference into the development environment project;
responsive to the programmer user action in the development environment to define one or more stub functions for the custom component, implementing the one or more stub functions that control, at least, display of the custom component in a toolbox view of the host application, the one or more stub functions including an execute stub function that executes the custom component, an execute parameter stub function that returns a string of parameter definitions for the execute stub function, and a return parameter stub function that returns a value and determines where the value is to be stored;
registering the custom component with the shared cache associated with the host application, the host application running on a second computer;
responsive to the custom component being selected for inclusion in the toolbox view of the host application, adding the custom component registered with the shared cache to the toolbox view of the host application that is part of the integrated development environment of the host application and that is accessible by an end user of the host application; and
responsive to an activity of the end user of the host application, automatically displaying the toolbox view of the host application containing the custom component such that the custom component is accessible by the end user and adds a custom functionality to the toolbox view of the host application already running on the second computer.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the one or more stub functions further comprise an action image function that controls or determines an image displayed for the custom component in the toolbox view of the host application.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the one or more stub functions further comprise a display wizard stub function for passing a parameter into the custom component.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the creating further comprises modifying the custom component to satisfy template parameters described in the criteria.

Assignees

• Tattrie Scott I
• Dinn Trent S
• Open Text SA

Inventors

• Tattrie Scott I
• Dinn Trent S

Classifications

• G06F8/30 Primary

  Creation or generation of source code · CPC title

• G06Q10/0633

  Workflow analysis · CPC title

• G06F8/20 Primary

  Software design · CPC title