Method and apparatus for importing and exporting archive files for a graphical user interface

Claim 1

A user interface object archive system for use in an object oriented programming (OOP) based computer system which utilizes a first application program having user interface objects for building a second application program, said archive system comprising: (a) storage means for storing objects in a hierarchical locale tree, said locale tree having a root locale level associated with a first locale and at least one other locale level associated with a second locale; (b) object creation means, operatively coupled to said storage means, for creating a first plurality of user interface objects having interface object controls and a second plurality of user interface objects not having interface object controls of said first locale, said second plurality of user interface objects being stored in said other locale level associated with said second locale; (c) tree traversal means, operatively coupled to said storage means, for traversing said locale tree starting at said other locale level associated with the second local and proceeding to said root locale level to assemble a set of available user interface objects from said user interface objects stored in said other locale level and said root locale level; (d) application generation means, operatively coupled to said tree transversal means, for utilizing user interface objects stored in said storage means to develop a third application program derived in part from said first and second application programs by utilizing polymorphic streaming and a presentation framework such that users can design a new user interface and then load that new user interface into a running program without stopping and restarting the running program; and (f) interface means, operatively coupled to the application generation means, for importing and exporting objects during processing for use in other program applications by segmenting an object into a human readable and a binary representation.

Claim 7

A method for use in an object oriented programming (OOP) based computer system which utilizes a first application program having interface objects for building a second application program having additional interface objects, said method comprising the steps of: (a) storing objects in a hierarchical locale tree in a storage device, said locale tree having a root locale level and at least one other locale level associated with the second locale; (b) creating a first plurality of user interface objects having at least one interface object control and a second plurality of user interface objects not having interface object controls of said first locale; (c) storing said second plurality of user interface objects in said other locale level associated with the second locale; (d) traversing said locale tree starting at said other locale level associated with the second local and proceeding to said root locale level to assemble a set of available user interface objects from the user interface objects stored in said other locale level and said root locale level; (e) utilizing user interface objects stored in said storage device to develop a third application program derived in part from said first and second application programs by utilizing polymorphic streaming and a presentation framework such that users can design a new user interface and then load that new user interface into a running program without stopping and restarting the running program; and (f) importing and exporting objects during processing for use in other program applications by segmenting an object into a human readable and a binary representation.

Claim 8

A method for use in an object oriented programming (OOP) based computer system which utilizes a first application program having interface objects for building a second application program having additional interface objects, said method comprising the steps of: (a) storing objects in a hierarchical locale tree in a storage device, said locale tree having a root locale level and at least one other locale level associated with the second locale; (b) creating a first plurality of user interface objects having at least one interface object control and a second plurality of user interface objects not having interface object controls of said first locale; (c) storing said second plurality of user interface objects in said other locale level associated with the second locale; (d) traversing said locale tree starting at said other locale level associated with the second local and proceeding to said root locale level to assemble a set of available user interface objects from the user interface objects stored in said other locale level and said root locale level; (e) utilizing user interface objects stored in said storage device to develop a third application program derived in part from said first and second application programs by utilizing polymorphic streaming and a presentation framework such that users can design a new user interface and then load that new user interface into a running program without stopping and restarting the running program; and (f) importing and exporting objects during processing for use in other program applications by segmenting an object into a human readable and a binary representation.