System and Method for an Intelligent Drag and Drop Designer

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for a design tool with built-in intelligence that automatically senses the location of one or more placeholders for selectable actions when designing a form or workflow. The design tool intuitively determines which placeholder should logically be used next; visually emphasizes, when an action is selected, the location and designation of the placeholder predicted to be used next; visually emphasizes alternative placeholders relevant to the position of the selected action by detecting minor changes in the position of the selected action; and automatically positions the selected action into the predicted or selected placeholder when the action is released.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for an intelligent designer, comprising:
 a computer system having a hardware processor and a physical memory using executable instructions that, as a result of being executed by the hardware processor, cause the computer system to:   display a graphical user interface comprising at least one movable action and a first placeholder and a second placeholder associated with placement of the at least one movable action;   identify a selection of the at least one movable action;   determine a first selection-probability of a first placeholder;   determine a second selection-probability of a second placeholder;   compare the first selection-probability of the first placeholder and the second selection-probability of the second placeholder; and   display a visual emphasizing aid based at least in part on the comparing.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the computer system to compare further comprise instructions that, as a result of being executed by the hardware processor, cause the computer system to:
 determine which of the first selection-probability of the first placeholder and the second selection-probability of the second placeholder is higher.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the displaying further comprises displaying the visual emphasizing aid surrounding the placeholder with the determined higher selection-probability. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the executable instructions further comprise instructions that, as a result of being executed by the hardware processor, cause the computer system to:
 configure placement of the at least one selected movable action onto at least one position associated with the placeholder surrounded by the visual emphasizing aid.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the determined higher selection-probability is based at least in part on one of the first placeholder or the second placeholder being closer in proximity to the selected movable action. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first selection-probability comprises a degree of likelihood that the selected at least one movable action will be placed into the first placeholder, and wherein the second selection-probability comprises a degree of likelihood that the selected at least one movable action will be placed into the second placeholder. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first selection-probability and the second selection-probability is based at least in part on at least one of a workflow subject matter form, a pattern of previous selections, and a prior user history. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the determining the first selection-probability of the first placeholder, and the determining the second selection-probability of the second placeholder, are in response to the identifying the selection of the movable action. 
     
     
         9 . A method for an intelligent designer, comprising:
 displaying a graphical user interface comprising at least one movable action and a first placeholder and a second placeholder associated with placement of the at least one movable action;   identifying, via a hardware processor, a selection the at least one movable action;   determining, via the hardware processor, a first election-probability of a first placeholder;   determining, via the hardware processor, a second selection-probability of a second placeholder;   comparing, via the hardware processor, the first selection-probability of the first placeholder and the second selection-probability of the second placeholder; and   displaying a visual emphasizing aid based at least in part on the comparing.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 determining, via the hardware processor, which of the first selection-probability of the first placeholder and the second selection-probability of the second placeholder is higher.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the displaying further comprises displaying the visual emphasizing aid surrounding the placeholder with the determined higher selection-probability. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 configuring, via the hardware processor, placement of the at least one selected movable action onto at least one position associated with the placeholder surrounded by the visual emphasizing aid.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the determined higher selection-probability is based at least in part on one of the first placeholder or the second placeholder being closer in proximity to the selected movable action. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first selection-probability comprises a degree of likelihood that the selected at least one movable action will be placed into the first placeholder, and wherein the second selection-probability comprises a degree of likelihood that the selected at least one movable action will be placed into the second placeholder. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one of first selection-probability and the second selection-probability is based at least in part on at least one of a workflow subject matter form, a pattern of previous selections, and a prior user history. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the determining the first selection-probability of the first placeholder, and the determining the second selection-probability of the second placeholder, are in response to the identifying the selection of the movable action. 
     
     
         17 . A device for facilitating use of an intelligent designer, comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory containing instructions executable by the processor to cause the device to:
 display a graphical user interface comprising at least one movable action and a first placeholder and a second placeholder associated with placement of the at least one movable action;   identify a selection the at least one movable action;   determine a first selection-probability of a first placeholder;   determine a second selection-probability of a second placeholder, wherein the first selection-probability comprises a degree of likelihood that the selected at least one movable action will be placed into the first placeholder, and wherein the second selection-probability comprises a degree of likelihood that the selected at least one movable action will be placed into the second placeholder;   compare the first selection-probability of the first placeholder and the second selection-probability of the second placeholder; and   display a visual emphasizing aid based at least in part on the comparing.   
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the memory contains additional instructions executable by the processor to cause the device to:
 determine which of the first selection-probability of the first placeholder and the second selection-probability of the second placeholder is higher.   
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the displaying further comprises displaying the visual emphasizing aid surrounding the placeholder with the determined higher selection-probability. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the determined higher selection-probability is based at least in part on one of the first placeholder or the second placeholder being closer in proximity to the selected movable action.