Structure oriented graphical patchwork application environment

Abstract

A graphical application developing and managing environment is described capable of representing and editing program modules using multiple display formats, which include embedding source code written in a functional language into a spreadsheet-like format. Methods are described for enabling the sharing of program modules by defining standardized interfaces into program modules and existing documents and by centrally locating module definitions. A patchwork mechanism is described requiring only basic spreadsheet editing skills on behalf of the user, enabling a user of the environment to connect external documents and program modules into a new program application. The invention allows complicated programming and simple end user programming to be achieved within a unified environment and allows the execution of program modules and tracing of variables simultaneously with the writing of a program application. The invention defines methods for representing the various parts of a source code, defining a program application, along with the application icon as determined by a user creating the application and thereby making parts of the source code accessible to end-users for run-time execution.

1 . A method of representing table-, array- or graphical object variables in a spreadsheet cell frame displayed on a display device, specified by an advanced function, from a programming language capable of handling and returning variables of at least one of said object variable types in addition to text and numeric derived variable types, the method comprising:
 (a) communicating with the display device connected to a process device,   (b) accessing the cell frame containing multiple cells displayed on said display device,   (c) displaying text or numbers or icons or other symbols in said cell frame,   (d) associating at least one of said object variable types with a spreadsheet cell in said cell frame,   (e) displaying in the cells, associated with said object variable types, an indication value, containing text and/or icons or other symbols as determined by an indication value function.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying on said display device a table frame containing values from the table associated with said table object variable. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying on said display device a list containing values from the array associated with said array object variable. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying on said display device a graphical image representing the image associated with said graphical object variable. 
     
     
         5 . A computer based system for representing table-, array- or graphical object variables in a spreadsheet cell frame displayed on a display device, specified by an advanced function, from a programming language capable of handling and returning variables of at least one of said object variable types in addition to text and numeric derived variable types, the system comprising:
 (a) means for communicating with the display device connected to a process device,   (b) means for accessing the cell frame containing multiple cells displayed on said display device,   (c) means for displaying text or numbers or icons or other symbols in said cell frame,   (d) means for associating at least one of said object variable types with a spreadsheet cell in said cell frame,   (e) means for displaying in the cells, associated with said object variable types, an indication value, containing text and/or icons or other symbols as determined by an indication value function.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further including means for displaying on said display device a table frame containing values from the table associated with said table object variable. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , further including means for displaying on said display device a list containing values from the array associated with said array object variable. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , further including means for displaying on said display device a graphical image representing the image associated with said graphical object variable.