A user interface builder for a user interface server

Claim 2

The system in claim 1 wherein the interactive editor means is coupled to a win dow management system such that the window management system controls displaying on the display means.

Claim 3

The system in claim 1 wherein the interactive display means also displays a list of resource names and associated resource values for a component selected by the developer in a third portion of the display means, and were the editing commands permit modification of the resource values selected from the list.

Claim 5

An interactive method of editing a window system independent user interface in a computer system which includes a computing means, a memory means, a display means, input means interconnected by a system bus, the user interface being represented by a plurality of hierarchically related user interface components, each component having a plurality of resources the method comprising the steps of: retrieving a first user interface from a display object store in the memory means; displaying in a first window one or more editor commands; displaying in a second window a hierarchical representation of the user interface components of the first user interface; displaying in a third window a WYSIWYG representation of the user interface; editing the user interface in response to editing commands selected by a developer in the first window; storing the edited user interface in the display object store.

Claim 6

An interactive method of creating a window system independent user interface in a computer system which includes a computing means, a memory means, a display means, input means interconnected by a system bus, the user interface being represented by a plurality of hierarchically related user interface components, each component having a one or more resources, the method comprising the steps of: a) displaying in a first portion of the display means, a primary window containing a main menu, a status line, a user interface component creation control panel and a user interface component hierarchy display area; b) creating a active user interface hierarchy in the memory means having a root user interface component and displaying said root user interface component as a symbol in the user inter face component hierarchy display area, where the root user interface component is designated a active component; c) displaying a WYSIWYG representation of the active user interface hierarchy in a second portion of the display means; d) adding a user interface component to the active user interface hierarchy, as a child of the active component, when a developer selects a user interface component type from the user interface component creation control panel; e) updating the user interface component hierarchy display area to display the added user interface component as a symbol with a interconnection symbol to the active component; f) updating the WYSIWYG representation of the active user interface hierarchy in the second portion of the display means; g) repeating steps d) through f) until the developer has added all components of the user interface; h) storing the user interface represented by the active user interface hierarchy in a display object store.

Claim 7

The method of claim 6 where in step e) the added user interface component is designated the active component.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 wherein the developer designates the active component before selecting the user interface component type, where the designation is accomplished by the developer selecting the symbol in the user interface component hierarchy display area associated with the active component to be designated.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6 wherein a component resource list having a resource name and an associated resource value is displayed for the active component in a third portion of the display means said resource list: permitting the developer to select resources and modify the value of the selected resource for the active component in the memory means, and in response to such modification updating the user interface component hierarchy display area and the WYSIWYG representation of the active user interface hierarchy on the display means to reflect the modified resource value.

Claim 10

The method of claim 9 wherein in response to the developer selecting a resource a resource editor associated with the resource is invoked to allow the developer to interactively modify the resource value.

Claim 11

An interactive method of creating a window system independent user interface in a computer system which includes a computing means, a memory means, a display means, input means interconnected by a system bus, the user interface being represented by a plurality of hierarchically related user interface components, each user interface component having a one or more associated resources, the method comprising the steps of: a) displaying in a first portion of the display means, a primary window containing a main menu, a status line, a user interface component creation control panel and a user interface component hierarchy display area; b) creating a active user interface hierarchy in the memory means having a root user interface component and displaying said root user interface component as a symbol in the user inter face component hierarchy display area, where the root user interface component is designated a active component, displaying a WYSIWYG representation of the active user interface hierarchy in a second portion of the display means displaying a list of resource names and associated resource values for the root component in a third portion of the display means; c) adding a user interface component to the active user interface hierarchy, as a child of the active component, when a developer selects a user interface component type from the user interface component creation control panel, updating the user interface component hierarchy display area to display the added user interface component as a symbol with a interconnection symbol to the active component, and updating the WYSIWYG representation of the active user interface hierarchy in the second portion of the display means to reflect the added user interface component; d) designating the added user interface component the active component and displaying the list of resource names and associated resources values for the active component in the third portion of the display means; e) permitting the developer to change a resource value in memory associated with the active component by a resource editing means; said resource editing means causing the updating of the WYSIWYG representation of the active user interface hierarchy, the active component in the user interface component hierarchy display area, the associated resource value in the third portion of the display means to reflect the changed resource value; f) repeating steps c) through e) until the user interface is completed; g) storing the user interface represented by the active user interface hierarchy in a display object store.

Claim 12

An interactive method of editing a window system independent user interface in a computer system which includes a computing means, a memory means, a display means, input means interconnected by a system bus, the user interface being represented by a plurality of hierarchically related user interface components, each user interface component having a one or more associated resources, the method comprising the steps of: a) displaying in a first portion of the display means, a primary window containing a main menu, a status line, a user interface component creation control panel and a user interface component hierarchy display area; b) retrieving a user interface from a display object store, in response to a developer selection in the primary window; c) creating a active user interface hierarchy in the memory means from the retrieved user interface, displaying a hierarchical representation the components of the active hierarchy in the user interface component hierarchy display area, displaying a WYSIWYG representation of the active user interface hierarchy in a second portion of the display means, displaying a list of resource names and associated resource values for the root component in a third portion of the display means; d) editing the active user interface hierarchy in the memory means in response to developer selections, updating the user interface component hierarchy display area, the WYSIWYG representation of the active user interface hierarchy in the second portion of the display means, and the list of resource names and associated resource values in the third portion of the display means, to reflect the editing; e) storing the user interface represented by the active user interface hierarchy in a display object store after the developer has completed editing the active hierarchy.