Universal client engine for a client-server environment

Abstract

A system, and associated methods, for generating a user interface with respect to a server are provided. The system includes a client engine, which is connected by a real or virtual connection to an interface repository, an object interface module, a server interface module, and a user interface device. The client engine has the capability to transmit a request for an object reference to the object interface module, and to receive an object reference from the object interface module. The client engine also has the capability to request object type definition data from the interface repository based on the object reference and to receive the object type definition data from the interface repository. A user may then invoke a selected method on the server and receive a response generated by the server. The client engine can generate a display on a user interface connected to the client engine based on the object type definition data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for generating a user interface comprising: a client engine connected to an interface repository, an object interface module, a server interface module and a user interface device; and   wherein the client engine is operable to transmit a request for object reference to the object interface module, to receive an object reference from the object interface module, to request object type definition data from the interface repository based on the object reference, to receive the object type definition data from the interface repository, and to cause a display on a user interface connected to the client engine based on the object type definition data.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an object interface module connected to a server that is operable to query the server for object reference data, to receive the object reference data from the server and to cause the object reference data or an error code to be transmitted to the client engine. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a server interface module connected to a server is operable to query the server with argument data, and to receive data generated by the server in response to the argument data, and to cause the server generated data to be transmitted to the service interface engine. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an interface repository that is operable to store server interface data, including operation data, argument data and output format data. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 2 further comprising a server connected to the object interface module, wherein the server is operable to receive object marker data from the object interface module, to verify that the object is known to the server, and to return an error if the object is not known to the server. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 3 further comprising a server connected to the server interface module, wherein the server is operable to receive argument data from the serve interface module and to generate data in response to the argument data. 
     
     
       7. A method for generating a user interface comprising: causing transmission of an object marker to a server from a client engine system;   receiving an object reference from the server at the client engine system;   causing transmission of an interface description request from the client engine system to an interface repository;   receiving interface description data from the interface repository at the client engine system; and   generating a display based on the interface description data.   
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7 wherein transmitting an object marker to a server from a client engine system comprises: prompting a user for one or more of host data, server data, and object marker data;   causing the host data, server data and object marker data received from a user to be transmitted to the server from the object interface module.   
     
     
       9. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving an object reference from the server at the client engine system comprises: receiving an error code if an object reference is not found; and   receiving object reference data if an object reference is found.   
     
     
       10. The method of claim 7 wherein transmitting an interface description request from the client engine system to an interface repository comprises transmitting a request for one or more of operation data, argument data, and output format data associated with an object reference to the interface. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving interface description data from the interface repository at the client engine system comprises receiving one or more of operation data, argument data, and output format data from the interface repository that pertains to an object reference. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving interface description data from the interface repository at the client engine system comprises: receiving operation data at the client engine system;   prompting a user to select one or more operations based on the operation data;   causing a request for argument data to be transmitted from the client engine system to the interface repository; and   receiving argument data pertaining to the operations at the client engine system.   
     
     
       13. The method of claim 7 wherein generating a display containing the interface description data comprises: prompting a user to select one or more operations from a list of available operations;   prompting the user to enter argument data for arguments pertaining to the selected operations;   causing the argument data entered by the user to be transmitted to the server; and   generating a display based on the server response to the argument data.   
     
     
       14. A method for generating a user interface comprising: requesting object marker data with a client engine;   causing trnamission of the object marker data to a server;   receiving an object reference from a server at the client engine;   requesting interface data from an interface repository using the object reference;   receiving the interface data from the interface repository at the client engine; and,   generating a data prompt containing the interface data.   
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14 wherein requesting object marker data with a client engine comprises: generating a user interface with the client engine that includes a prompt for one or more of host data, server data, and object marker data;   receiving data at the client engine in response to the prompt; and   converting the received data into a format that is compatible with a predetermined server.   
     
     
       16. The method of claim 14 wherein causing transmission of the object marker data to a server comprises: transmission of the object marker data to an object interface module from the client engine;   causing further transmission of the object marker data to the server from the object interface module; and   transmitting an error code of object reference data from the server to the client engine.   
     
     
       17. The method of claim 14 wherein generating a data prompt containing the interface data comprises: generating a data prompt containing a list of operations; and   receiving a user-entered selection of one or more operations from the list of operations.   
     
     
       18. The method of claim 14 further comprising: receiving one or more operations identifiers at the client engine;   prompting the user with the client engine for argument data pertaining to the one or more operations identifiers;   receiving the argument data at the client engine; and   converting the argument data into a format that is compatible with a predetermined server.   
     
     
       19. The method of claim 18 further comprising: causing transmission of the converted argument data to a server interface module from the client engine;   causing transmission of the converted argument data to a predetermined server from the server interface module;   receiving server-generated response data at the client engine; and   generating a display based on the server-generated response data.   
     
     
       20. The method of claim 19 wherein generating a display based on the server-generated response data comprises: converting the server generated response into user data in accordance with output format data received from the interface repository; and   converting the user data into a user-readable format.