Model-Driven GUI Development for Database-Centric Enterprise Applications
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for developing Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) for Database-centric Business application Product Lines are computationally expensive and inefficient, with high maintenance and evolution costs due to redundancy in specifications across enterprises from the same domain, and lack effective configurability and extensibility.
Innovation Solution
A computationally efficient system using model-driven techniques to define and configure GUIs, allowing for modeling of commonality and variability, enabling a single GUI with pre-defined variants and runtime configurability, and supporting structural and behavioral extensions through metamodels and code generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional hard-coding methods are used for GUI implementation, then initial development is straightforward, but adaptation to environmental changes becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic configurability by separating GUI definition from hard-coded implementation. The system uses a configuration mechanism that allows runtime adjustment of GUI parameters, control arrangements, and navigation paths without requiring code changes. This enables the GUI to adapt dynamically to different operating environments and business requirements while maintaining development efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs preliminary modeling of GUI specifications before actual implementation. By defining the complete GUI configuration, controls, and navigation paths in advance using a standardized model, the system enables rapid instantiation and adaptation. The pre-defined model serves as a template that can be quickly configured for different scenarios without rework.
2Adaptability or versatility
If GUI is extended to meet new business opportunities, then functionality is enhanced, but existing implementation may be broken
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the GUI into independent, modular components including controls, navigation paths, and configuration parameters. Each component can be extended or modified independently without affecting the entire system. This modular architecture allows new business opportunities to be addressed by adding specific components while preserving the stability of existing functional areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal GUI framework that can accommodate multiple business scenarios through a single extensible model. The standardized configuration mechanism allows the same base implementation to serve multiple purposes by simply changing configuration parameters, eliminating the need to break existing code to support new functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If specifications are created for each enterprise separately, then customization is achieved, but redundancy and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops a universal GUI specification model that can be applied across multiple enterprises in the same business domain. The standardized model captures common patterns and allows enterprises to be configured using the same template, eliminating redundancy. Customization is achieved through parameter configuration rather than creating separate specifications from scratch.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges common GUI specifications across enterprises by identifying and extracting shared patterns. Instead of maintaining separate specifications for each enterprise, the system combines them into a unified model that can be instantiated for different enterprises by configuring specific parameters, thereby reducing maintenance efforts and eliminating redundant work.
4Adaptability or versatility
If model-driven techniques are used for GUI development, then configurability and extensibility are improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by instantiating a standardized GUI model multiple times with different configurations rather than creating unique GUIs from scratch. The same underlying model structure is copied and adapted for different enterprises and scenarios, reducing computational complexity compared to developing entirely new GUIs for each requirement while maintaining full configurability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a computationally efficient system and method for developing extensible and configurable Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) for Database-centric Business application Product Lines using model driven techniques and also reduce the cost as well as time for creating new GUIs for Database-centric Business application Product Lines that enables effective maintenance and smooth evolution using model driven technique. The invention provides modeling of commonality and variability of GUI thus leading to a single GUI for Database-centric Business application Product Lines. The invention enables a model-based solution to address extensibility and configurability of both structural and behavioral aspects in a GUI of Database-centric Business application Product Lines and it also support to realize variations at runtime in the presentation layer by using the variable fields which can check the configuration data from a configuration database and decide whether to render itself or not.