Method for designing a graphical interface program

Abstract

A computer implemented method of generating a graphical interface including receiving and displaying a selection of elements among a plurality of graphical and/or data entry elements, each element having at least a property among a plurality of graphical and/or activation and/or content properties; receiving and displaying formulas, each formula linking at least two properties of one element or several elements of the selection; and determining from the selection of elements and the formulas a separate graphical interface program, the execution of the separate graphical interface program resulting in the display of the selection of elements, the properties of which are linked by the formulas.

1 . A computer implemented method of generating a graphical interface program comprising:
 receiving and displaying a selection of elements among a plurality of graphical and/or data entry elements, each element having at least a property among a plurality of graphical and/or activation and/or content properties;   receiving and displaying referentially transparent formulas, each formula linking at least two properties of one element or several elements of said selection; and   determining from said selection of elements and said formulas a separate graphical interface program, the execution of said separate graphical interface program resulting in the display of said selection of elements, the properties of which are linked by said formulas, any input of a user modifying an element with linked properties resulting in a re-evaluation of the formula and a possible update of the display of the linked element.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the program defined with the components can be recursively used as a component itself, the properties of which will be defined by formulas. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of checking the formulas for inconsistencies before determining said separate graphical interface program and of displaying an alert message when at least one inconsistency is determined. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of displaying an alert message when none of said formulas includes a first property among the plurality of graphics and/or activation and/or content properties. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of displaying an alert message when a second property included in the formulas remains unchanged when the other properties of the formulas are modified. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein, for at least one formula among said formulas, at least one property of the at least two properties of said at least one formula is representative of whether or not, during the execution of said graphical interface program, the element associated with said at least one property is allowed to be activated. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein, for at least one formula among said formulas, at least one property of the at least two properties of said at least one formula is representative of whether or not, during the execution of said graphical interface program, the element associated with said at least one property was used. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein, for at least one formula among said formulas, at least one property of the at least two properties of said at least one formula is representative of whether or not, during the execution of said graphical interface program, the element associated with said at least one property is displayed. 
     
     
         9 . A general purpose data processor operating under control of a stored program containing a set of instructions that, when executed, control the data processor to perform the following functions:
 receiving and displaying a selection of elements among a plurality of graphical and/or data entry elements, each element having at least a property among a plurality of graphical and/or activation and/or content properties;   receiving and displaying referentially transparent formulas, each formula linking at least two properties of one element or several elements of said selection;   determining from said selection of elements and said formulas a separate graphical interface program, the execution of said separate graphical interface program resulting in the display of said selection of elements, the properties of which are linked by said formulas, any input of a user modifying an element with linked properties resulting in a re-evaluation of the formula and a possible update of the display of the linked element.   
     
     
         10 . The general purpose data processor of  claim 9 , operating under the control of the stored program containing a set of instructions that, when executed, control the data processor to check the formulas for inconsistencies before the determining of said separate graphical interface program and of displaying an alert message when at least one inconsistency is determined. 
     
     
         11 . The general purpose data processor of  claim 9 , operating under the control of the stored program containing a set of instructions that, when executed, control the data processor to display an alert message when none of said formulas includes a specific property among the plurality of graphical and/or activation and/or content properties.