RenderXML A Multiplatform Software Development Tool

1
RenderXML A Multiplatform Software Development
Tool

• Francisco Trindade
• Marcelo Pimenta
• Institute of Informatics
• Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

2
Outline

• Introduction
• UsiXML
• RenderXML
• Case Study
• Conclusion

3
IntroductionMultiplatform Software
4
UsiXML

• XML based UIDL (User Interface Description
  Language)
• User Interface eXtensible Markup Language
• Strong academic community

5
UsiXML

• Based on the Cameleon Reference Framework

6
RenderXML

• Objectives
• UsiXML CUIs rendering in multiple devices
• Allow the connection to functional cores
  developed in multiple programming languages

7
RenderXML
8
RenderXML

• Benefits
• Helps the UI developer
• Acts in the UI engineering process
• The UI developer needs to know only UsiXML
• Can be used with multiple programming languages

9
RenderXML

• Limitations
• RenderXML is a rendering tool, and not a design
  tool
• RenderXML does not detect or solve usability
  problems of the specified UI
• This kind of problems should be solved in earlier
  phases of the UI mapping process

10
RenderXML

• Architecture Overview

11
Case Studies

• Multiplatform Calculator
• Electronic Inspection

12
Case Study

• Multiplatform Calculator
• Simple example
• Development in a multidevice environment
• Java Swing (JSE) - desktop
• C - desktop
• Java Swing (JME CDC) - mobile.

13
Case Study

• Process
• UI development in UsiXML
• Functional core development in C and Java

14
Case Study

• Result

15
Case Study

• Eletronic Inspection Project
• Developed in cooperation with PROCEMPA (The Data
  Processing Public Company of the City of
  Porto Alegre)
• Adaptation of an existing system to a
  multi-device environment
• Java Swing (J2SE) - desktop
• Java Swing (J2ME CDC) - mobile.

16
Case Study

• Two use cases
• Search License and Enable License
• Original Interfaces
• Microsoft .Net

17
Case Study

• Process
• The original UIs were specified in UsiXML
• Not only the UI components description, but
  also the UI behavior and content definition
• The original application logic source code
  could be used without any modification
• C
• RenderXML programming language independence

18
Case Study

• Result

19
Conclusion

• Practical approach to the development of
  multiplatform applications
• Prototyping
• Development
• RenderXML is both
• UI renderer in multiple platforms
• UI connection to functional cores developed in
  multiple programming languages

20
Conclusion

• Future work consists in the evolution of
  RenderXML
• Creation of UIs to other devices
• Conventional or not
• Multimodal UIs.

21
Thank you!

• Questions?
• Francisco Trindade
• fmtrindade_at_inf.ufrgs.br
• Marcelo Pimenta
• mpimenta_at_inf.ufrgs.br