Visual Variations Editor for Conditional Logic
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current application development processes are slow due to the need for coordination between programmers and designers, with designers lacking the ability to implement complex conditional logic without coding skills.
Innovation Solution
A processor-implemented method using a declarative textual language and graphical user interface to allow non-programmers to manage variations in application conditions and actions through a checklist metaphor, enabling the creation of robust applications with complex conditional logic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If designers use traditional programming methods to implement conditional logic, then the application can achieve complex conditional logic behaviors, but the development process becomes slow due to coordination between programmers and designers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a visual variations editor as an intermediary tool between designers and programmers. This editor provides a checklist metaphor that allows designers to specify conditional logic behaviors visually without writing code. The system translates these visual specifications into executable conditional logic, eliminating the need for direct programmer involvement in the design phase while maintaining full conditional logic capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of manual coordination between designers and programmers with an automated system. The variations editor and underlying engine automatically handle the translation from visual specifications to conditional logic implementation, substituting the manual mechanical coordination process with an automated computational system.
2Reliability
If programmers code the application logic, then the application achieves correct and functional conditional logic, but designers cannot focus on their strength of user interface and interaction design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the application development process into distinct domains: designers focus on user interface and interaction design using the visual variations editor, while the system automatically handles the conditional logic implementation. This segmentation allows each professional to work in their area of expertise without compromising the other's work quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service by automatically generating and managing conditional logic based on designer specifications. The variations editor enables designers to independently configure conditional behaviors through visual checks and selections, and the engine automatically processes these specifications into correct conditional logic without requiring programmer intervention.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a declarative textual language is used as internal representation, then the system can simulate and display user interface implications of variations, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a declarative textual language as an intermediary representation layer between the visual variations editor and the simulation engine. This intermediary language provides a structured way to represent variations and their implications, enabling the engine to systematically process and simulate user interface changes while keeping the overall system architecture manageable through clear separation of concerns.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An application development editor displays in a graphical user interface a list or other arrangement of variations based on or applying to conditions in the application, each variation being associated with one or more changes in properties or events in the application. The editor enables a user to select a specific variation and then displays the user interface implications or consequences of that selection. Selecting a specific variation is programmatically equivalent to a specific conditional logic branch or 'if...then' code sequence. The invention enable someone with no, or very limited, code writing skills, such as a designer, to be able to produce an application with fully functioning, correct and potentially complex conditional logic.