Dynamic User Interface Generation via Structured XML Control Files
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current user interfaces in corporate computing environments are inflexible and outdated, failing to adapt to changing user needs and data structures, leading to inefficient data access and interaction, particularly in import/export trade transactions where roles and responsibilities evolve over time.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing structured XML files to customize user interfaces, allowing users to define hierarchies and control files that adapt to individual user needs, enabling dynamic customization of data presentation and interaction capabilities, even as data structures change.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hard-coded user interface screens are used, then the interface structure is simple and stable, but the interface becomes inflexible and cannot adapt to changing user needs or data structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic user interface generation by separating the interface definition from the actual interface code. Users can define custom interfaces through configuration files that describe the desired screen layout and data display. The system then dynamically generates the actual interface code based on these configurations, allowing the interface to adapt to changing user needs without modifying the core system structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the user interface and the underlying data structure. This intermediary is represented by interface definition files that act as a mediator, translating user interface requirements into database queries and data retrieval operations. This intermediary layer allows the interface to be independent of the actual data structure, enabling flexibility while maintaining system stability.
2Ease of operation
If a one-size fits all user interface is designed, then the development process is simplified, but individual users cannot customize the interface to their specific needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables users to self-customize their interfaces without requiring programming knowledge or developer intervention. Users can define their own interface configurations through user-friendly configuration files that specify desired screen layouts, data fields, and display formats. The system automatically processes these configurations and generates the corresponding interface code, allowing users to serve their own customization needs independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows interface customization by changing configuration parameters rather than modifying code. Users can adjust interface parameters such as displayed fields, sorting criteria, filtering conditions, and layout arrangements through configuration files. The system interprets these parameter changes and dynamically adjusts the interface accordingly, providing flexibility without requiring complex development processes.
3Productivity
If user interface screens are designed at design time long before actual usage, then the development cycle is efficient, but the interface becomes outdated and shows data not of interest to users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary definition of interface configurations before actual usage, but these configurations are not hard-coded. Instead, users can pre-define their preferred interface layouts and data displays through configuration files that are processed at runtime. This allows the system to prepare interface definitions in advance while still adapting them to current user needs when actually executed, preventing obsolescence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms static interface designs into dynamic interface generations. The interface is no longer fixed at design time but can be regenerated based on current user configurations and data structures. This dynamic approach allows the interface to evolve with user needs while maintaining the efficiency of automated generation, resolving the contradiction between development efficiency and interface relevance.
4Adaptability or versatility
If data structure changes over time, then the system can adapt to new requirements, but existing user interfaces cannot adapt and require redesign
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into independent components: the data structure layer, the interface definition layer, and the code generation layer. This segmentation allows the data structure to change independently without affecting the interface definitions. When data structures evolve, users can simply update their configuration files to reflect new data organization, and the system generates updated interface code automatically, avoiding complex manual redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses interface definition files as an intermediary between the data structure and the generated interface code. This intermediary layer absorbs the changes in data structure organization and translates them into appropriate interface adaptations. When data structures change, the intermediary files can be updated to describe the new structure, and the generation process automatically creates interfaces that work with the updated data, eliminating the need for manual interface redesign.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method allowing customization of a user-interface into a data repository are disclosed. Customization options are provided via a hierarchy and/or compartmentalization of structured control files such as Extensible Markup Language (XML) files. The control files may be defined in a hierarchical fashion allowing a particular end-user or group of end-users to customize their interface without impacting other users of the same data and user-interface system. Compartmentalization of functions to specific files may also aid in ease of maintenance of customizations. Customization may include an ability to customize what data is shown on a screen and which capabilities are available on each screen for data interaction pertaining to a particular job responsibility. Capabilities to provide these and other customization options to an end-user are disclosed in a non-limiting embodiment of an import export trade transaction storage and retrieval system.