Graphical Program Execution On A Handheld Computer

Abstract

A system and method for deploying one or more graphical programs on a personal digital assistant (PDA). One or more selected graphical programs may be programmatically converted to an executable format that can be executed by the portable computing device. For example, the graphical programs may be initially represented as a plurality of data structures that define or specify the operation of the respective graphical programs, and conversion software program may operate to access these data structures from memory and convert the data structures to an executable format suitable for the portable computing device. The executable may be transferred to the portable computing device for execution.

1 . A method for remote debugging of a graphical program on a handheld computer, the method comprising: 
 executing the graphical program on the handheld computer, wherein the graphical program comprises a block diagram, wherein the block diagram comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program;    displaying the block diagram on a display device of a second computing device, wherein the second computing device is coupled to the handheld computer through one of a wired or wireless medium; and    displaying execution information on the block diagram displayed on the display device in response to said executing the graphical program on the handheld computer, wherein the execution information is useable in debugging the graphical program.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld computer comprises a pen-based computing device.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 converting the graphical program to an executable that can be executed by the handheld computer prior to said executing the graphical program on the handheld computer; and    transferring the executable to the handheld computer;    wherein said executing the graphical program on the handheld computer comprises executing the executable on the handheld computer.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the second computing device comprises a desktop computer system.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving user input to the second computing device to debug the graphical program.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said debugging the graphical program comprises performing one or more of: 
 single stepping through the graphical program;    setting break points in the graphical program; and/or    performing execution highlighting for the graphical program.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second computing device is coupled to the handheld computer through a network.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 transferring data produced by said executing to the second computing device.    
   
   
       9 . A system for remote debugging of a graphical program on a handheld computer, the system comprising: 
 a handheld computer, comprising: 
 a first processor; and  
 a first memory medium coupled to the first processor, wherein the memory medium stores a graphical program, wherein the graphical program comprises a block diagram, wherein the block diagram comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program; and  
   a second computing device, comprising: 
 a second processor;  
 a second memory medium coupled to the second processor; and  
 a display device, coupled to the second processor and the second memory medium;  
   wherein the handheld computer is coupled to the second computing device via a wired or wireless medium;    wherein the handheld computer is operable to execute the graphical program; and    wherein the second computing device is operable to: 
 display the block diagram on the display device; and  
 display execution information on the block diagram displayed on the display device in response to the handheld computer executing the graphical program, wherein the execution information is useable in debugging the graphical program.  
   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld computer comprises a pen-based computing device.  
   
   
       11 . A method for executing a graphical program on a handheld computer, the method comprising: 
 storing a first graphical program on the handheld computer, wherein the first graphical program is configured to invoke execution of a second graphical program;    storing the second graphical program on a second computing device;    executing the first graphical program on the handheld computer; and    invoking execution of the second graphical program on the second computing device in response to said executing.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the handheld computer comprises a pen-based computing device.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second computing device is coupled to the handheld computer through a wireless medium.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 converting the graphical program to an executable that can be executed by the handheld computer prior to said executing the graphical program on the handheld computer; and    transferring the executable to the handheld computer;    wherein said executing the graphical program on the handheld computer comprises executing the executable on the handheld computer.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , 
 wherein the second computing device comprises a desktop computer system.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , 
 wherein said executing the first graphical program on the handheld computer comprises executing a node in the first graphical program that performs said invoking execution of the second graphical program on the second computing device.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second computing device is coupled to the handheld computer through a network.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 transferring data produced by said executing to the second computing device.    
   
   
       19 . A system for executing a graphical program on a handheld computer, the system comprising: 
 a handheld computer, comprising: 
 a first processor; and  
 a first memory medium coupled to the first processor, wherein the memory medium stores a first graphical program, wherein the first graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the first graphical program, and wherein the first graphical program is configured to invoke execution of a second graphical program; and  
   a second computing device, comprising: 
 a second processor; and  
 a second memory medium coupled to the second processor, wherein the second memory medium stores the second graphical program;  
   wherein the handheld computer is coupled to the second computing device;    wherein the handheld computer is operable to execute the first graphical program; and    wherein the second computing device is operable to execute the second graphical program in response to the handheld computer executing the first graphical program.    
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the handheld computer comprises a pen-based computing device.