Client-Server Grid Layout for Responsive UI Whitespace
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current client-server architectures face challenges in efficiently displaying and managing computationally intensive data on remote devices like smartphones and laptops, where computing power is limited compared to servers, while allowing for seamless data access and manipulation.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a client-server computing paradigm that includes a graphical user interface for data visualization and manipulation, where objects are displayed on a grid with metadata determining their position and span, and the use of iframe and clipping frames for integrated HTML content handling, along with component objects that bind data models and trigger event-handlers for efficient data exchange and UI composition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If computationally intensive applications are run on server farms, then processing power and data management capability are improved, but accessibility and responsiveness on remote devices are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The application is segmented into two parts: computationally intensive operations run on the server farm while the user interface and data visualization run on the remote client device. This allows the server to handle heavy processing while the client provides local responsiveness and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A client-server architecture acts as an intermediary between the server farm and remote devices. The client application on the remote device communicates with the server application, allowing users to access and interact with server-based applications locally while maintaining server-side processing power.
2Ease of operation
If all data is loaded and displayed on the client device, then data accessibility is improved, but bandwidth consumption and device memory usage are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of loading all data at once, the system loads and displays only the portion of data currently needed for the user's task. Data is transferred and displayed partially, with additional data loaded on-demand as the user interacts with the application, reducing initial bandwidth consumption while maintaining data accessibility.
3Loss of information
If the graphical user interface displays all component objects, then completeness of information is improved, but layout complexity and rendering time are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The graphical user interface uses dynamic layout where component objects can be positioned and sized based on available space and importance. The layout adapts dynamically to different screen sizes and user interactions, allowing all information to be displayed without requiring complex static layout arrangements.
Data Source
AI summary
Displaying a plurality of objects on a grid. Metadata indicates an object's display column and span. A lowest position is determined from objects displayed in the same column span. The object is displayed in the column span at the lowest position. A lowest position is determined after the last object is displayed. The grid is resized to minimize whitespace beyond the lowest position to border whitespace. Display overlay of first and second graphical objects. When the first object is directly manipulated in a GUI, the second object is automatically manipulated the same way. When the first object is scrolled in a first direction by a first amount, the second object is automatically displaced opposite the first direction by the first amount. When the first object is resized in a first dimension by a first amount, the second object can be automatically resized by the first amount in the first dimension.