Annotation-Based Dependency Calculation for Complex Forms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for implementing complex form logic in software are slow and error-prone due to their monolithic approach, which limits parallelization and increases the likelihood of errors as form size and complexity grow, making full-coverage testing difficult.
Innovation Solution
Breaking down complex form logic into individual field logic, allowing users to specify precursor fields and automatically determining a global calculation order to ensure correct field dependencies, thereby enabling modularization and parallel development.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a monolithic implementation approach is used for complex form logic, then the implementation follows a traditional sequential methodology, but the development speed is slow and errors increase with form complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monolithic form logic into independent field-level logic units. Each field becomes a separate implementable unit with its own calculation logic, allowing multiple developers to work on different fields simultaneously without interfering with each other, thereby increasing development speed while maintaining reliability through modular isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an annotation-based intermediary layer that automatically manages field dependencies and generates the global calculation order. This intermediary annotation system mediates between simple field-level logic definitions and the complex coordination required for correct calculation sequencing, enabling parallel development while ensuring correctness.
2Productivity
If the form logic is broken down into individual field logic, then parallelization and modularization are enabled, but dependency management and calculation ordering become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service dependency management through annotations. Each field's annotation automatically declares its dependencies on other fields, and the system automatically processes these declarations to determine the global calculation order. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual dependency tracking while enabling parallel development.
Solution Approach 2:
The annotation system acts as an intermediary that automatically resolves dependency management complexity. By declaring dependencies in annotations rather than hardcoding them, the system automatically generates the correct calculation order, transforming complex manual dependency management into simple declarative specifications.
3Extent of automation
If manual implementation of field logic is performed, then flexibility in handling complex calculations is maintained, but automation and code generation reduce human intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes in the form of annotations to automatically generate field logic. By changing the state of fields from manual implementation to annotation-driven generation, the system automatically produces code while maintaining adaptability through configurable annotation parameters that can accommodate various calculation patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs copying by generating field logic code automatically from annotation templates. Instead of manually writing each field's logic, the system copies and adapts standardized logic patterns based on annotation specifications, reducing human intervention while maintaining versatility through parameterized template instantiation.
Data Source
AI summary
Media, method and system for creating software capable of performing the steps necessary to prepare a complex form, and more particularly to the use of annotations to specify dependency information for the fields of the form. Embodiments of the invention break down the logic of complex forms into the much simpler logic of individual form fields, greatly simplifying the implementation of the overall logic by allowing individual fields to be worked on independently, with clear delineation of structure and function between them. Embodiments of the invention further allow a user to specify the immediate precursors for a field, and then automatically determine a global calculation order for all fields that ensures that all of the precursor fields for each field being calculated have been previously calculated before that field is calculated.