Reverse engineering user interface mockups from working software

摘要

The subject disclosure relates to capturing window definitions of an executing user interface application and/or website and generating an editable model representation. A starter storyboard or screens can be generated quickly by recording a manipulation of an existing application or website. States associated with a multitude of user interface control hierarchies of a target application are captured, stored in a generic user interface model, and used for generation of mockups, code, and so forth. In an aspect, an indication is received that an application or website is be captured. Thereafter, the state of the website or application window and subsequent windows are observed and captured. For each of the subsequent windows traversed in a live control hierarchy, basic information about each item is captured. The information gathered for a given window and its control hierarchy can be serialized into a simple XML representation.

主权项

1. A method executed by at least one central processing unit for creating a model of a user interface, comprising:
identifying an application within the user interface from a plurality of applications for which the model is to be created; recording a first set of data representative of a state of a first interface window of the application wherein the first set of data is one of a plurality of states that comprises a series of progressions between a plurality of windows to a second interface window and interaction details associated with the series of progressions, wherein each of the plurality of windows is a distinct window accessed during the series of progressions between the plurality of states; inputting the first set of data into the model; creating a navigation that details a movement from the first interface window to a subsequent interface window, the subsequent interface window distinct from the first window; retaining a first state for the first interface window and a second state for the subsequent interface window; and sending the first state and the second state to the model, wherein the first state and the second state are output in a format compatible with a target application; and outputting the model in a consumable format.