Platform for generating composite applications

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to composite applications that can be created and implemented using components of a platform disclosed herein. Widgets associated with one or more products available in a mashup container can be implemented based on a selection by a user of the widgets from a widget catalog. A behavior of, and an interaction between, the widgets can be defined using metadata data associated with the widgets without requiring assistance from the user. A skin can be applied to the composite application that controls a visual presentation of the application on a display.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of creating a composite application comprising:
 providing a widget event mediator;   connecting a first one of a plurality of widgets with a second one of a plurality of widgets;   translating events associated with the first widget to a form compatible with the second widget; and,   applying domain rules involving interactions between the first widget and the second widget for transfer of the events between the first widget and the second widget so that the first widget is unaffected by the implementation of the second widget in a mashup container environment, the interactions between the first widget and the second widget and their corresponding behavior representing domain rules of the composite application facilitated by the widget event mediator.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 defining a behavior of, and an interaction between, the widgets using metadata data associated with the widgets without requiring software development effort from a user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising
 retrieving the first and second widgets and metadata data associated therewith; 
 loading the first and second widgets based on the metadata data into the mashup container at runtime; and 
 depicting, graphically, the first and second widgets based on the metadata data. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 retrieving layout specification metadata corresponding to a layout of the first and second widgets; and 
 depicting, graphically, the first and second widgets based on the layout specification metadata. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 applying a skin to the composite application, the skin controlling a visual presentation of the application on a display. 
 
     
     
         6 . A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by at least one computing device facilitates creating a composite application by:
 providing a widget event mediator;   connecting a first one of a plurality of widgets with a second one of a plurality of widgets;   translating events associated with the first widget to a form compatible with the second widget; and,   applying domain rules involving interactions between the first widget and the second widget for transfer of the events between the first widget and the second widget so that the first widget is unaffected by the implementation of the second widget in a mashup container environment, the interactions between the first widget and the second widget and their corresponding behavior representing domain rules of the composite application facilitated by the widget event mediator.   
     
     
         7 . The medium of  claim 6  further comprising:
 defining a behavior of, and an interaction between, the widgets using metadata data associated with the widgets without requiring software development effort from a user. 
 
     
     
         8 . The medium of  claim 6  further comprising:
 retrieving the first and second widgets and metadata data associated therewith; 
 loading the first and second widgets based on the metadata data into the mashup container at runtime; and 
 depicting, graphically, the first and second widgets based on the metadata data. 
 
     
     
         9 . The medium of  claim 6  further comprising:
 retrieving layout specification metadata corresponding to a layout of the first and second widgets; and 
 depicting, graphically, the first and second widgets based on the layout specification metadata. 
 
     
     
         10 . The medium of  claim 6  further comprising:
 applying a skin to the composite application, the skin controlling a visual presentation of the application on a display.