Method, system and program product for building collaboration applications using multiple-peer user interface libraries

Abstract

A method, system and program product for building a collaboration server for deploying a collaboration application. The method includes installing on a server a collaboration server application having multiple-peer user interface libraries capable of creating and synchronizing multiple peer widgets for each widget created by a collaboration application. The method further includes deploying a collaboration application written using standard user interface libraries, and launching execution of the collaboration application on the server when one or more users connect to the server, such that a rendering of a shared state of the user interface is displayed on a client program corresponding to the users. Further, the method includes displaying the shared state on a client program of a new user connecting to the server. Also, when a change is made to the state of a shared widget by a user, the method includes updating the client programs of all remaining users.

1 . A method of collaboration between users at respective client computers, the method comprising the steps of:
 in response to a plurality of the users at respective different times requesting, via their respective client computers and one or more networks coupled to a collaboration server computer, participation in a collaboration specified in the request, the collaboration server computer
 identifying, for each of the plurality of users, a respective set of peer Java widgets for objects in a shared user interface for the specified collaboration, and mapping the respective set of peer Java widgets to a respective set of base Java widgets stored in the collaboration server computer and previously identified for the shared user interface of the specified collaboration, 
 updating, for each of the plurality of users, states of the respective set of peer Java widgets to represent a state of the specified collaboration which is approximately current at the respective time of the respective request, and 
 sending to the client computers of the respective collaboration users data defining the shared user interface including the respective set of peer widgets with the respective state of the collaboration which is approximately current at the respective time of the respective request. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the collaboration server computer at different times receives notifications of events from the plurality of users via the respective client computers, the events identifying updates to the respective peer widgets at the respective shared user interfaces of the respective users, and in response, the collaboration server computer updating the status of the base Java widget, identifying from the mapping the peer Java widgets of the respective users, and sending data identifying corresponding updates to the peer Java widgets at the client computers of the respective users. 
     
     
         3 . A computer program product for collaboration between users at respective client computers, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer-readable, tangible storage device; and   program instructions, for execution in a collaboration server computer, responsive to a plurality of the users at different respective times requesting, via their respective client computers and one or more networks coupled to the collaboration server computer, participation in a collaboration specified in the request, to
 identify, for each of the plurality of users, a respective set of peer Java widgets for objects in a shared user interface for the specified collaboration, and map the respective set of peer Java widgets to a respective set of base Java widgets stored in the collaboration server computer and previously identified for the shared user interface of the specified collaboration, 
 update, for each of the plurality of users, states of the respective set of peer Java widgets to represent a state of the specified collaboration which is approximately current at the respective time of the respective request, and 
 send to the client computers of the respective collaboration users data defining the shared user interface including the respective set of peer widgets with the respective state of the collaboration which is approximately current at the respective time of the respective request; and wherein 
   the program instructions are stored in the computer-readable tangible storage device.   
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 3  further comprising:
 second program instructions, for execution in the collaboration server computer, to receive at different times notifications of events from the plurality of users via the respective client computers, the events identifying updates to the respective peer widgets at the respective shared user interfaces of the respective users, and in response, update the status of the base Java widget, identify from the mapping the peer Java widgets of other of the respective users, and send data identifying corresponding updates to the peer Java widgets at the client computers of the other respective users; and wherein 
 the second program instructions are stored in the computer-readable tangible storage device. 
 
     
     
         5 . A computer system for collaboration between users at respective client computers, the computer program product comprising:
 a CPU, a computer-readable memory and a computer-readable, tangible storage device; and   program instructions, for execution in a collaboration server computer, responsive to a plurality of the users at different respective times requesting, via their respective client computers and one or more networks coupled to the collaboration server computer, participation in a collaboration specified in the request, to
 identify, for each of the plurality of users, a respective set of peer Java widgets for objects in a shared user interface for the specified collaboration, and map the respective set of peer Java widgets to a respective set of base Java widgets stored in the collaboration server computer and previously identified for the shared user interface of the specified collaboration, 
 update, for each of the plurality of users, states of the respective set of peer Java widgets to represent a state of the specified collaboration which is approximately current at the respective time of the respective request, and 
 send to the client computers of the respective collaboration users data defining the shared user interface including the respective set of peer widgets with the respective state of the collaboration which is approximately current at the respective time of the respective request; and wherein 
   the program instructions are stored in the computer-readable tangible storage device for execution by the CPU via the computer-readable memory.   
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 5  further comprising:
 second program instructions, for execution in the collaboration server computer, to receive at different times notifications of events from the plurality of users via the respective client computers, the events identifying updates to the respective peer widgets at the respective shared user interfaces of the respective users, and in response, update the status of the base Java widget, identify from the mapping the peer Java widgets of other of the respective users, and send data identifying corresponding updates to the peer Java widgets at the client computers of the other respective users; and wherein 
 the second program instructions are stored in the computer-readable tangible storage device for execution by the CPU via the computer-readable memory.