Abstract:
A composer of integrated systems solves the technical problem of enabling graphical user interface applications (GAPs) to interoperate (e.g., exchange information) with each other and web services over the Internet, effectively and non-invasively. The system provides a user friendly visualization mechanism that interacts with an accessibility layer to enable organizations to economically and easily define web service driven information exchange between GAPs, by performing point-and-click, drag-and-drop operations on GAPs. The system allows users to rapidly create integrated systems composing GAPs enabled to interoperate with other GAPs and web services, so that organizations extend the life-cycle use of their legacy GAPs in business operations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    This disclosure concerns systems and methods for building graphical user interface application (GAP) based integrated systems. In particular, this disclosure relates to an efficient and non-invasive approach to creating integrated systems from GAPs and web services. 
         [0003]    2. Background Information 
         [0004]    There is a strong demand for modern systems to integrate (e.g., exchange information) with other systems. However, modern systems often incorporate Graphical User Interface (GUI) Applications (GAPs) implemented in a closed and monolithic manner. System integrators find retrofitting existing GAPs to interoperate a particularly difficult technical challenge, especially for closed and monolithic GAPs. Thus, a fundamental technical problem of interoperability for system integrators is how to compose integrated systems with existing GAPs that do not already interoperate with each other and web services, efficiently and non-invasively. 
         [0005]    System Integrators and organizations purchasing system integration services recognize the difficulty and enormous expense of building integrated applications. Beyond developing integrated applications components, system integrators and applications programmers must define protocols and implement functionality required to enable information exchanges between the integrated applications&#39; components, which may include GAPs and web services. Organizations tend to use legacy GAPs as long as possible in business operations, primarily to realize the return on investment for the legacy GAPs. However, system integrators find enabling GAPs to interoperate difficult, because system integrators consider the vast majority of GAPs encountered as closed and monolithic. In other words, most GAPs do not expose programming interfaces or data in known formats. Thus, while system integrators find the use of GAPs as components in integrated applications desirable, often the original implementation of a GAP makes enabling interoperability impossible. 
         [0006]    In contrast to GAPs, developers design web services as software components that flexibly exchange information over networks, including the Internet. Consequently, business industry demand for applications that easily and inexpensively exchange information has partly caused widespread acceptance of web services. Employing web services, unlike GAPs, enables organizations to quickly build integrated systems by composing (i.e., configuring) the web services for information exchange. Organizations have invested heavily in legacy GAPs, but GAPs are not easily added to an existing framework of web services. System integrators find it difficult to modify source code of GAPs to enable interoperability, because of brittle legacy architectures, poor documentation, significant programming effort, and subsequently, the large cost of such projects. Organizations often do not have access to the source code necessary to modify third-party GAPs. Given the complexity of GAPs and the cost to make GAPs interoperable, a fundamental problem exists of how to enable GAPs to exchange information with each other and web services, and build integrated systems using the GAPs and web services, efficiently and non-invasively. 
         [0007]    Organizations consider e-procurement systems (EPS) critical, because EPS influence all areas of the organization performance. Businesses employ elaborate EPS that often include different GAPs that support different steps of a purchasing process. In EPS, the rule of separation of duty requires operations separated into subparts and performed by independent persons (i.e., agents) to maintain integrity. The separation of duty rule prevents a person from causing a problem that will go unnoticed, because a person who creates or certifies a transaction may not also execute the transaction. Implementing the separation of duty rule results in agents requiring different GAPs that provide different services for different parts of a purchasing process. 
         [0008]    Consider a typical e-procurement scenario, where employees order items using an electronic shopping cart service of a web-based application BuyMoreStuff (BMS). Department managers review selected items in the shopping cart, approve and order the items, and enter the ordered items into Acme Expense GAP (AEG), which is a third-party closed and monolithic Windows GAP that the company uses internally to keep track of purchases. The BMS web service sends a notification to a company accountant, who uses a closed and monolithic GAP named My Invoices and Estimates (MIE) to create invoices for ordered goods. When a receiving agent receives the ordered goods from BMS, a receiving agent compares them with the entries in AEG. The accountant can view the AEG records, but cannot modify the AEG records, and likewise, only the accountant can insert and modify data in MIE. If the received goods match the AEG records, then the receiving agent marks the entries for the received goods in AEG and notifies the accountant. After comparing the invoices in MIE with the marked entries in AEG and determining that they match, the accountant authorizes payments. In this example, each procurement agent uses a different GAP to accomplish different portion of a business process. Conceivably, several GAPs used together accomplish a single business goal, and agents transfer data between GAPs and perform other operations manually. Organizations clearly recognize automation as critical to improving the quality and efficiency of business services. 
         [0009]    A need has long existed for a system and method to enable GAPs to interoperate with each other and with web services. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    Composing legacy GAPs with each other and web services into integrated systems allow organizations to improve their business processes, and extend the usability of legacy GAP systems. The Composer of Integrated Systems (Coins) provides an approach for creating integrated systems composing GAPs and web services. Coins combines a non-standard use of accessibility technologies used to access and control GAPs in a uniform way with a visualization mechanism that enable nonprogrammers to compose GAPs with each other and web services. Coins uses accessibility technologies to control GAPs and their user interface (UI) elements as programming objects, set and retrieve UI elements, and associates methods with actions that users perform on the UI elements. For example, when a user selects a combo box item the combo box invokes a method that performs some computation. A web service would invoke methods, and set or retrieve field values of a programming object representing the combo box to control the combo box programmatically. Coins controls GAPs as programming objects, and UI elements as fields of the programming objects, and invokes methods on the objects to perform actions and manipulate the GAPs and UI elements. Unfortunately, web services cannot access and manipulate UI elements as pure programming objects, because UI elements only support user-level interactions. However, accessibility technologies expose a special interface that allows the Coins to invoke methods, and set and retrieve UI element values, and thereby control UI elements and GAPs. 
         [0011]    Accessibility technologies provide different aids to disabled computer users, including, as examples: screen readers for the visually impaired; visual indicators or captions for users with hearing loss; and software to compensate for motion disabilities. Under 36 CFR part 1194, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board&#39;s Electronic and Information accessibility Standards requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology, the electronic and information technology allows Federal employees with disabilities access and use of information and data comparable to Federal employees without disabilities. Accordingly, because the Federal Government&#39;s large appetite for technology, and the desire of the technology industry to sell technology to the Federal Government, most computing platforms include accessibility technologies. For example, Microsoft designed Microsoft&#39;s Active accessibility (MSAA) technology to improve the way accessibility aids work with applications running on Windows, and Sun Microsystems accessibility technology assists disabled users who run software on top of Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Many computing platforms, as well as libraries and applications incorporate accessibility technologies in order to expose information about user interface elements. Accessibility technologies provide a wealth of sophisticated services useable to retrieve UI elements attributes, set and retrieve UI element values, and generate and intercept different events. Most implementations of accessibility technologies exploit the fact that UI elements expose a well-known interface (i.e., accessibility interface) that exports methods for accessing and manipulating the properties and the behaviour of UI elements. For example, a Windows UI element employs the IAccessible interface to allow access and control of the UI element using the MSAA API calls. Programmers may write code to access and control UI elements as if the UI elements were standard programming objects. Accessibility API calls may include: get into object; perform action on object; get value from object; set value on object; navigate to object; and set property on object. 
         [0012]    Organizations may require legacy GAPs to support new business processes. Coins allows users to extend the functionality of GAPs by integrating them with web services. For example, a new business procedure may require users to submit information about entered or modified expenses to a web service that verifies the expenses using a set of business rules before saving the expenses in QE. Because the business invested in AEG and used AEG for many years, integrating AEG with a new service allows the business to achieve new functionality at a low cost. Coins allows a user to connect UI elements of AEG with properties of the web service to specifying how to transfer data from the AEG GAP to the new service. Coins user selects a method of the web service, and determines how to invoke the web service, for example, a user performing some action on a UI element (e.g., clicking a button on a GAP screen) invokes the method. Coins user defines whether to pass the values of the UI elements as parameters to the invoked method, or use the values to set properties of the web service before invoking the method. In addition, the Coins user specifies how to use the return values of the invoked method, for example, whether to update selected UI elements of the GAPs with the values, or display the values in message dialogs. Coins user may define an action in response to certain return values of the invoked method. 
         [0013]    Other systems, methods, and features of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts or elements throughout the different views. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an integrated system composing GUI-Based Applications and web services. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a dispatcher coordinating communication between GAPs and web services. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates a GAP host computer concurrently running two GAPs. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  shows a dispatcher and dispatcher components. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  shows a composition integration design tool system. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  shows one example implementation of a design tool user interface. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  shows a design tool user interface and composite web service. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  shows a design tool user interface and web service parameter relationship. 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  shows the acts that a proxy may take to register GAPs with a dispatcher. 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  shows the acts that a dispatcher may take to register a web service, and coordinate communication between web services and proxies. 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  shows the acts that a hook may take to command and control a UI element. 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  shows the acts the composition integration design tool system may take to capture the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP. 
           [0027]      FIG. 13  shows a web service creation tool. 
           [0028]      FIG. 14  shows a structural representation of a GUI of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP. 
           [0029]      FIG. 15  shows a design tool user interface for a web service creation tool. 
           [0030]      FIG. 16  shows one example implementation of the web service creation tool. 
           [0031]      FIG. 17  shows the acts that a proxy and dispatcher may take in a web service creation tool. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0032]    The Composer of Integrated Systems (Coins) addresses the technical challenge of enabling GAPS to exchange information (i.e., interoperate) with each other and web services over the Internet, and solves the technical problem of composing integrated systems using GAPs and web services, efficiently and non-invasively. Coins allows users to create composite web services from multiple GAPS and web services. Coins identifies and registers multiple GAPS, as a result of the Coins capturing, through the accessibility layer (i.e., accessibility API), information regarding GAPs and user interface (UI) elements of the GAPS. Coins registers GAPS and web services using a design tool user interface to capture user interface interaction specifications that create user interface element correspondence between a UI element of one GAP and a different UI element in a different GAP. Coins defines a web service parameter relationship between a web service parameter and one or more UI elements of a GAP, and defines a composite web service definition for a composite web service from one or more web service parameters. Coins generates and deploys composite web services based on composite web service definitions, one or more user interface interaction specifications, and one or more web service parameter relationships. Coins may also generate and deploy web services based on web service definitions that include one or more user interface interaction specifications between UI elements of different GAPS, and one or more web service parameter relationships. 
         [0033]    Coins uses proxies to command and control GAPs and UI elements of GAPs to fulfil web service requests. When a proxy receives a response from a GAP, the proxy extracts data from the GAP, and forwards the extracted data to one or more web services. Proxies use hooks to perform various actions on UI elements and GAPs programmatically through accessibility API calls. Accessibility technologies allow hooks to register for different events produced by UI elements and GAPs monitored by accessibility APIs. One or more GAPs may run with a proxy and corresponding hooks on a single designated GAP host computer along with a accessibility API. 
         [0034]    Coins uses a dispatcher as a central point for coordinating proxies in a distributed environment. A proxy registers with the dispatcher under a unique name, collects GAP identification data and information about GAPs running with the proxy on a GAP host computer, and sends the collected GAP identification and information about GAPs to the dispatcher. The dispatcher uses the information collected from the proxies to route web service requests to proxies. The dispatcher routes web service request components of composite web services to one or more GAP host computers, where corresponding proxies ultimately command and control GAPs and UI elements. The dispatcher acts as an intermediary that enables web services and GAPs to run on separate computers while presenting a common view to client programs. Because organizations may move web services and GAPs around the enterprise computing environment for various reasons (e.g., to improve business processes efficiencies or the performance of applications) the dispatcher provides web services and GAPs migration and location transparency to client programs. 
         [0035]    The elements illustrated in the Figures interoperate as explained in more detail below. Before setting forth the detailed explanation, however, it is noted that all of the discussion below, regardless of the particular implementation being described, is exemplary in nature, rather than limiting. For example, although selected aspects, features, or components of the implementations may be depicted as being stored in memories, all or part of systems and methods consistent with Coins may be stored on, distributed across, or read from other machine-readable media, for example, secondary storage devices such as hard disks, floppy disks, and CD-ROMs; a signal received from a network; or other forms of ROM or RAM either currently known or later developed. 
         [0036]    Furthermore, although specific components of the Coins will be described, methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the system may include additional or different components. For example, a processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, microcontroller, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), discrete logic, or a combination of other type of circuits or logic. Similarly, memories may be DRAM, SRAM, Flash or any other type of memory. Logic that implements the processing and programs described below may be stored (e.g., as computer executable instructions) on a computer readable medium such as an optical or magnetic disk or other memory. Alternatively or additionally, the logic may be realized in an electromagnetic or optical signal that may be transmitted between entities. Flags, data, databases, tables, and other data structures may be separately stored and managed, may be incorporated into a single memory or database, may be distributed, or may be logically and physically organized in many different ways. Programs may be parts of a single program, separate programs, or distributed across several memories and processors, and may be implemented or distributed as shared libraries, application programming interfaces (APIs), or in other forms. Furthermore, the programs, or any portion of the programs, may instead be implemented in hardware. 
         [0037]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example of an Integrated System  100  that includes composed GUI-Based Applications and web services. In the example shown in  FIG. 1 , the Integrated System  100  includes the following components: a dispatcher  102 ; a client program  104 ; composite web services  106 ,  108 , and  110 ; GAP host computers  112 ,  114 , and  116 ; and web services  120 ,  122 ,  124 , and  126 . The Integrated System  100  components may communicate through a Network  130  such as the Internet. The Integrated System  100  uses the dispatcher  102  to coordinate communication between GAPs, web services, and composite web services. When a client program  104  invokes a web service method managed by a web service  120 - 126  or composite web service  106 - 110 , the designated web service sends one or more requests to the dispatcher  102 , which routes the requests to the appropriate GAP host computers  112 ,  114 ,  116  and  118 . The GAPs running on their respective GAP host computers  112 ,  114 ,  116 , and  118  complete the requests and return responses to the dispatcher  102 . The dispatcher  102  forwards the responses to the appropriate web services (e.g., web services  120 - 126  or composite web services  106 - 110 ), which send responses to the client program  104 . Prior to composing the Integrated System  100  using the GAPs and web services, each business process operation that the client program  104  invoked required agents to interact with the one or more GAPs separately, because of a lack of interoperability between the one or more GAPs. 
         [0038]      FIG. 2  shows a dispatcher  102  coordinating communication between GAPs and web services. The dispatcher  102  acts as an intermediary that enables web services and GAPs to run on separate computers while presenting a common view to client programs  104 . Because organizations may move web services and GAPs around the enterprise computing environment for various reasons (e.g., to improve business processes efficiencies or the performance of applications) the dispatcher  102  provides web services and GAPs migration and location transparency to client programs  104 . In one implementation of Coins, when a client program  104  invokes a web service method corresponding to a composite web service  202 , the composite web service  202  sends one or more web service request components to dispatchers, such as the dispatcher  102 . A composite web service may include multiple request components (e.g., methods that need to be invoked to implement full control over multiple GAPs). The dispatcher  102  determines to which proxies (e.g., proxy- 1   206 , proxy- 2   220  and proxy- 3   230 ) to route the web service request components, based on information collected from the proxies. A proxy registers with the dispatcher  102  under a unique name, collects GAP identification data and information about the GAPs running on the GAP host computer (e.g., GAP- 1  host computer  112 , GAP- 2  host computer  114 , and GAP- 3  host computer  116 ) with the proxy, and sends the GAP identification data and information to the dispatcher  102 . 
         [0039]    In one implementation, when proxy- 1   206  receives a web service request component the proxy- 1   206  interacts with one or more UI elements of the GAP- 1  with UI elements  208  through the hook- 1   214 , in response to the web service request component. The accessibility layer- 1   212  may support hook- 1   214  to perform various actions on GAP- 1  with UI elements  208  programmatically. Proxy- 2   220  in communication with GAP- 2  host computer  114  for GAP- 2  with UI elements  222  and hook- 2   228  may register the GAP- 2  with UI elements  222  with the dispatcher  102 , resulting in a second composite web service request component of the composite web service to route through the dispatcher  102  to the GAP- 2  host computer  114 . In one implementation, when proxy- 2   220  receives the second web service request component the proxy- 2   220  interacts with one or more of the UI elements of the GAP- 2  with UI elements  222  through the hook- 2   228 , in response to the second web service request component. The accessibility layer- 2   226  may support hook- 2   228  to perform various actions on GAP- 2  with UI elements  222  programmatically. The dispatcher  102  may use a load balancer  240  to route web service requests to multiple GAP host computers. 
         [0040]    In one implementation of the Integrated System  100  multiple instances of a GAP (e.g., Acme Expense GAP (AEG)) run concurrently on separate GAP host computers (e.g., GAP- 1  host computer  112 , GAP- 2  host computer  114 , and GAP- 3  host computer  116 ). The dispatcher  102  assigns each instance of AEG a unique GAP identifier, enabling the dispatcher  102  to coordinate parallel execution of multiple instances of AEG, so that when the composite web service  202  sends a composite web service request component to the dispatcher  102  in response to a request from a client program  104  the dispatcher  102  routes the composite web service request component to the correct instance of AEG. 
         [0041]      FIG. 3  illustrates a GAP host computer  302  concurrently running two GAPs. In one implementation, a single GAP host computer may run multiple GAPs, and include, in addition to a communications interface  304  to communicate with various components of an Integrated System  100 , a processor  306 , memory  308 , and external storage  310 . The memory  308  may include: instances of different GAPs running (e.g., GAP- 1   312 , and GAP- 2   314 ); GAP- 1  UI elements and GAP- 2  UI elements corresponding to GAP- 1   312  and GAP- 2   314 , respectively; a hook- 1   320  and hook- 2   321 ; accessibility layer  322 ; a structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI element of the GAP  323 ; and a proxy  324 . In one implementation GAP- 1   312  may represent an instance of a third-party closed and monolithic Windows GAP (e.g., an Acme Expense GAP (AEG)) that a company uses internally to keep track of purchases, and GAP- 2   314  may represent a closed and monolithic GAP named My Invoices and Estimates (MIE) that the company uses to create invoices for ordered goods. 
         [0042]    In one implementation, the accessibility layer  322  supports hook- 1   320  and hook- 2  to perform various actions programmatically on GAP- 1   312 , GAP- 1  UI elements  316 , and GAP- 2   314  and GAP- 2  UI elements  318 , respectively. The accessibility layer  322  may also assist with capturing a structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  323 , as a result of interactions with the GAP. The structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  323  may provide the proxy  324 , hook- 1   320  and hook- 2   321  comprehensive information to locate, control, and manipulate GAP- 1   312 , GAP- 2   314 , GAP- 1  UI elements  316 , and GAP- 2  UI elements  318 . The structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  323  may be implemented with a data structure (e.g., an XML file) that captures a depth first traversal of the GUI, breadth first traversal of the GUI, or that otherwise stores the interface elements and screen sequences of the GUI. The proxy  324  may analyze the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  323  to locate a GAP UI element in the GAP GUI. 
         [0043]    The proxy  324  may include registration logic  326 , an accessibility layer command coordinator  328 , and a GAPs identification table  330 . The proxy  324  may use the registration logic  326  to register GAP- 1   312  and GAP- 2   314  with the dispatcher. The accessibility layer command coordinator  328  may control GAP- 1   312  and GAP- 1  UI elements  316  through hook- 1   320 , in response to a web service request component. To that end, the accessibility layer command coordinator  328  may receive web service request components, extract the graphical user interface element identifiers, a structural representation of a GAP, and the requested action on the identified graphical user interface element. The accessibility layer command coordinator  328  may then traverse the structural representation  323  to determine where the identified graphical user interface element resides in the GAP user interface, and make calls to the hook to navigate the GAP to the interface that includes the identified graphical user interface element. Once at the appropriate interface, the accessibility layer command coordinator  328  may then exercise the graphical user interface element through the hook to perform the requested action. 
         [0044]    In another implementation, proxy- 1   206  uses an accessibility layer command coordinator running on and dedicated to GAP- 1  host computer  112  to control GAP- 1  with UI elements  208  through hook- 1   214 , in response to a web service request component. The proxy  324  may collect GAP identification data and information about GAPs (e.g., GAP- 1   312 , and GAP- 2   314 ) hosted with proxy  324  on the multiple GAPs host computer  302 , and stores the collected GAP identification data and information about the GAPs in the GAPs identification table  330 . In one implementation, the proxy  324  may store GAP Identifiers for multiple locally hosted GAPs (e.g., GAP- 1   312 , and GAP- 2   314 ) in the GAP identification table  330 . The proxy  324  may periodically send the collected GAP identification data and information about the GAPs to the dispatcher  102 . The multiple GAPs host computer  302  may use the external storage  310  to store the GAP- 1  exe  332  and GAP- 2  exe  334  programs. 
         [0045]    In an alternative implementation, the dispatcher  102  receives a web service request message from the web service  204  that includes a GAP UI element Identifier and an action request identifier for a specific GAP UI element (e.g., GAP- 1  UI elements  316 ). The GAP UI element may correspond to a GAP (e.g., GAP- 1   312 ) executing in memory  308 . The dispatcher  102  may send the web service request message to proxy  324 , which extracts the GAP UI element identifier and action request identifier from the web service request message. The proxy  324  may perform an action against the GAP- 1  UI elements  316  specified in the action request identifier through hook- 1   320 . The action request identifier may include a GUI element data setting action, or a GUI element data retrieval action that the proxy performs through hook- 1   320  against the GAP- 1  UI elements  316  specified in the action request identifier. 
         [0046]      FIG. 4  shows a dispatcher  102  and dispatcher components. The dispatcher  102  may include a communications interface  402 , a processor  404 , and memory  406 . The dispatcher  102  memory  406  may include: a proxy- 1  GAPs identification table  410 ; a proxy- 2  GAPs identification table  412 ; Registration logic  414 ; Routing logic  424 ; web services registration requests  428 ; GAP registration requests  430 ; and a GAPs request queue  432 . Coins uses the dispatcher  102  as a central point for coordinating proxies (e.g., proxy- 1   206  and proxy- 2   220 ) in a distributed environment. A proxy (e.g., proxy- 1   206  and proxy- 2   220 ) may register with the dispatcher  102  under a unique name, and periodically collect GAP identification data and information about GAPs running with the proxy on the GAP Host computers (e.g., GAP- 1  host computer  112 , and GAP- 2  host computer  114 ), and send the collected GAP identification data and information about GAPs to the dispatcher  102 . The dispatcher  102  may store the collected information from each proxy in separate proxy GAPs identification tables (e.g., proxy- 1  GAPs identification table  410 , and proxy- 2  GAPs identification table  412 ). The proxy GAPs identification tables may contain GAP identification data and information for multiple GAPs. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the proxy  324  may periodically send the dispatcher  102  the GAPs identification table  330 , which may include GAP identification data and information for GAP- 1   312  and GAP- 2   314 . 
         [0047]    In one implementation, when a client program  104  invokes a method of a web service  204  or composite web service  202 , the web service  204  or composite web service  202  to which the method belongs sends a web services registration request  428  to the dispatcher  102 . The dispatcher  102  may identify the GAPs required to fulfil a method of a web service  204 , or a composite web service  202 . The dispatcher  102  may use registration logic  414  to receive GAP registration requests  430  from GAPs and web services registration requests  428  from web services  204 , and composite web services  202 . The dispatcher  102  may also use the registration logic  414  to control GAPs to web services assignments logic  418  to analyze the proxy GAPs identification tables to assign GAPs and UI elements to methods of web services  204 , and methods of composite web services  202 . In one implementation, the registration logic  414  instantiates the proxy GAPs identification table (e.g., proxy- 1  GAPs identification table  410 , and proxy- 2  GAPs identification table  412 ) in response to a GAP registration request  430  from a GAP. The dispatcher  102  may include a GAPs request queue  432  to store web service requests and web service request components when a web service requests an unavailable GAP, which will be explained in further detail below. 
         [0048]      FIG. 5  shows a composition integration design tool system  500 . The composition integration design tool system  500  may include a communications interface  502 , a processor  504 , and memory  506 . The composition integration design tool system  500  memory  506  may include: interaction logic  508 ; accessibility layer  510 ; hook logic  512 ; proxy logic  513 ; a structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  514 ; registration logic  516 ; design tool user interface logic  518 ; definition logic  520 ; specification logic  522 ; and relation logic  524 . 
         [0049]    The interaction logic  508  captures one or more GAP- 1  UI elements  526 , and one or more GAP- 2  UI elements  528  using the accessibility layer  510 . In other words, the Interaction logic  508  may capture a structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  514  through the accessibility layer  510  using the hook logic  512  to communicate with the GAPs (e.g., GAP- 1   530 , GAP- 2   532 , and corresponding GAP- 1  UI elements  526  and GAP- 2  UI elements  528 ). Proxy logic  513  may control the GAPs through the hook logic  512 , and the proxy logic  513  may use the registration logic  516  to send GAP registration requests  430  to the dispatcher  102 . The structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  514  may include a GAP UI element label, a UI element Identifier, and location information in the GAP GUI for the GAP UI elements (e.g., GAP- 1  UI elements  526  and GAP- 2  UI elements  528 ), and may also include a GAP GUI screen sequence representation for each GAP GUI screen sequence. 
         [0050]      FIG. 6  shows one example implementation of a design tool user interface  518 . The design tool user interface logic  518  may generate a design tool user interface  534  that includes an input parameter area  602  and a screen sequence area  620 . The design tool user interface logic  518  provides additional, fewer, or different interface elements. The design tool user interface logic  518  may include a point-and-click interface, drag-and-drop interface or both a point-and-click interface, drag-and-drop interface between GAP UI elements (e.g., GAP- 1  UI elements  526  and GAP- 2  UI elements  528 ) and the input parameter area  602 , and determine operator selections (i.e., UI interactions) of GAP UI elements, as well as web service parameters  604  (e.g., WS parameter- 1   608 , WS parameter- 2   610 , and WS parameter- 3   612 ). The design tool user interface  534  may use the drag-and-drop interface to move GAP UI elements (e.g., GAP- 1  UI elements  526  and GAP- 2  UI elements  528 ) and web service parameters  604  into the input parameter area  602 , and the GAP GUI screen sequences into the screen sequence area  620  to establish a user interface interaction specification  622  that creates a UI element correspondence  624  between at least one of the GAP- 1  UI elements  526  (e.g., GAP- 1  UI element- 1   626 , GAP- 1  UI element- 2   628 , and GAP- 1  UI element- 3   630 ) and at least one of the GAP- 2  UI elements  528  (e.g., GAP- 2  UI element- 1   634 , GAP- 2  UI element- 2   636 , and GAP- 2  UI element- 3   638 ). For example,  FIG. 6  shows an arrow  642  drawn (e.g., by an operator or from input from an automated analysis tool) from GAP- 2  UI element- 1   634  to GAP- 1  UI element- 2   628 , which establishes a UI element correspondence  624  between the two GAP UI elements. The design tool user interface  534  may include a method signature  650  that defines the name of a web service method, the parameters, and the method type. The method signature  650  may also specify error or exception handling procedures and the parameter types of each method parameter. 
         [0051]      FIG. 7  shows a design tool user interface and composite web service. The design tool user interface  534  may use the definition logic  520  to establish a composite web service definition  702 . Thus, the definition logic  520  may establish the composite web service definition  702  for a composite web service  202 , including one or more web service parameters  604  (e.g., WS parameter- 1   608 , WS parameter- 2   610 , and WS parameter- 3   612 ), a web service name, or other web service parameters. The design tool user interface  534  may generate the composite web service  202 , and publish the composite web service  202 . The design tool user interface  534  may use the definition logic  520  to establish a web service definition  704  for a web service  706 , based on the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  514  using the accessibility layer  510 . The design tool user interface  534  may use the specification logic  522  to establish the user interface interaction specifications  622 . For example, the specification logic  522  may create the UI element correspondence  624  between at least one of the GAP- 1  UI elements  526  (e.g., GAP- 1  UI element- 1   626 , GAP- 1  UI element- 2   628 , and GAP- 1  UI element- 3   630 ) and at least one of the GAP- 2  UI elements  528  (e.g., GAP- 2  UI element- 1   634 , GAP- 2  UI element- 2   636 , and GAP- 2  UI element- 3   638 ). For example, the user interface interaction specification  622  may create a UI element correspondence  624  between the GAP- 2  UI element- 1   634  and the GAP- 1  UI element- 2   628  that defines an exchange of an invoice amount from the GAP- 2  UI element- 1   634  (e.g., an invoice field amount in the MIE GAP) to an expense amount in the GAP- 1  UI element- 2   628  (e.g., an expense field amount in the AEG). The specification logic  522  may establish the user interface interaction specification  622  from multiple GAP- 1  UI elements  526  (e.g., GAP- 1  UI element- 1   626 , GAP- 1  UI element- 2   628 , and GAP- 1  UI element- 3   630 ), to multiple GAP- 2  UI elements  528  (e.g., GAP- 2  UI element- 1   634 , GAP- 2  UI element- 2   636 , and GAP- 2  UI element- 3   638 ). 
         [0052]      FIG. 8  shows a design tool user interface and web service parameter relationship. The relation logic  524  may establish a web service parameter relationship  802  between at least one of the web service parameters  604  (e.g., WS parameter- 1   608 , WS parameter- 2   610 , and WS parameter- 3   612 ), and at least one of the GAP- 2  UI elements  528  (e.g., GAP- 2  UI element- 1   556 , GAP- 2  UI element- 2   558 , and GAP- 2  UI element- 3   560 ). For example,  FIG. 8  shows arrows  804  drawn (e.g., by an operator or from input from an automated analysis tool) from WS parameter- 3   612  to GAP- 2  UI element- 3   638 , that establish a web service parameter relationship  802  between a web service parameter and GAP UI element. The web service parameter relationship  802  may specify each of the GAP UI element labels of the GAP UI elements used. In another implementation, the relation logic  514  may establish a web service parameter relationship  802  between at least one of the web service parameters  604  (e.g., WS parameter- 1   608 , WS parameter- 2   610 , and WS parameter- 3   612 ), and at least one of the GAP- 1  UI elements  526  (e.g., GAP- 1  UI element- 1   626 , GAP- 1  UI element- 2   628 , and GAP- 1  UI element- 3   630 ) or at least one of the GAP- 2  UI elements  528  (e.g., GAP- 2  UI element- 1   634 , GAP- 2  UI element- 2   636 , and GAP- 2  UI element- 3   638 ). In one implementation, the composite web service definition  702  for a composite web service  202  may include multiple web service parameters defined by a combination of GAP- 1  UI elements  526 , GAP- 2  UI elements  528 , and web service parameters  604  (e.g., WS parameter- 1   608 , WS parameter- 2   610 , and WS parameter- 3   612 ) of a web service  804 . The composition integration design tool system  500  may generate a web service  706  based on the web service definition  704  and the web service parameter relationship  802 , and publish the web service  706 . 
         [0053]      FIG. 9  shows the acts that a proxy, including the registration logic  326 , may take to register GAPs with a dispatcher. Each GAP host computer runs a dedicated proxy that commands and controls the GAPs and UI elements hosted on the GAP host computer through dedicated hooks also hosted on the GAP host computer. The hooks perform actions on the GAPs and UI elements through the accessibility layer. Once the GAP host computer starts (Act  902 ) and the operating system completes initialization (Act  904 ), the operating system or GAP host computer makes the accessibility layer available (Act  906 ). The proxy starts (Act  908 ), and the proxy initiates the accessibility API command coordinator (Act  910 ). GAPs start or stop execution on the host computer (Act  912 ), during the operation of the host computer. The proxy injects (e.g., load) a hook into a GAP after the GAP starts (Act  913 ). Through the accessibility API command coordinator, the proxy directs the hook to monitor a GAP and GAP UI elements (Act  914 ). The hook forwards monitored GAP and UI element data and information to the proxy, which updates the GAPs Table (Act  916 ). If another GAP starts or stops execution (Act  918 ) the proxy updates the GAPs Table (Act  916 ). The proxy may periodically forward the GAPs Table to the dispatcher (Act  920 ). 
         [0054]      FIG. 10  shows the acts that a dispatcher may take to register a web service, and coordinate communication between web services and proxies. When a client program invokes a method of a web service or a web service request component (Act  1002 ), the requesting web service or composite web service (e.g., web service  204  or composite web service  202 ) to which the method belongs connects to the dispatcher  102 , and sends a web services registration request  428  (Act  1004 ). The dispatcher  102  may determine from the web services registration request  428  the identity of the GAPs required to fulfil the web service or composite web service method (Act  1006 ). The dispatcher may analyze the GAP Tables received from connected proxies (Act  1008 ), and sends web service requests or web service request components to the appropriate proxies to reserve the required GAPs (Act  1010 ). Web service requests and web service request components may include GAP identification data and information about the required GAP, the GAP UI elements, requested actions to perform on the GAP and UI elements, and the information to return to the requesting web service or composite web service. The dispatcher and proxy corresponding to a required GAP may communicate to determine the availability of a GAP (Act  1012 ). For unavailable GAPs, the dispatcher  102  may place the web service request or web service request component on the dispatchers GAP request queue and notifies the requesting web service or composite web service (e.g., web service  204  or composite web service  202 ) (Act  1016 ). The requesting web service or composite web service may determine whether to wait for an unavailable GAP to change status to available (Act  1018 ). For available GAPs, the dispatcher may forward the web service request or web service request component to the proxies corresponding to the required GAPs (Act  1020 ). The proxies corresponding to the required GAPs may command and control the GAPs and UI elements according to the web service request or web service request component, and return responses to the dispatcher  102  (Act  1022 ). The dispatcher may forward responses from proxies to the requesting web service or composite web service, or other web services or composite web services if required (Act  1024 ). 
         [0055]      FIG. 11  shows the acts that a hook may take to command and control a UI element. The hook monitors a GAP and UI elements for event and state changes (Act  1102 ). When a GAP or UI element event or state changes the hook intercepts the event or state change (Act  1104 ). The hook forwards GAP and UI element event and state change information to the controlling proxy (Act  1106 ). The proxy parses GAP and UI element data, and prepares to send information in a request or response to the appropriate destination (Act  1108 ). The proxy identifies the destination of the request or response as Local or Remote (Act  1110 ). For Local requests or responses, the proxy forwards the request or response to the hook, and the hook manipulates the GAP or UI elements through accessibility layer API calls (Act  1112 ). For remote requests or responses, the proxy forwards the request or response to the dispatcher (Act  1114 ), and the proxy determines whether to parse additional GAP and UI elements data from the hook (Act  1116 ). 
         [0056]      FIG. 12  shows the acts the composition integration design tool system may take to capture the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP. The operator assigns a name to the composite web service (Act  1204 ), and the operator assigns a name to the exported or published method of the composite web service (Act  1206 ). The operator registers each GAP, UI element and web service parameters required by the composite web service (Act  1208 ). The operator interacts with the registered GAPs, UI elements and web service parameters through the design tool&#39;s GUI Interface (Act  1210 ). The design tool captures the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP through the accessibility layer as a result of the operator interactions with the registered GAPs and UI elements (Act  1212 ). The design tool may translate the GAP and UI elements actions resulting from the operator interactions into executable instructions for the composite web service (Act  1214 ). The design tool, through the accessibility layer, records the structures of the GAP screens and operator actions on the GAPs to intercept user-level events (e.g., operator interactions with the GAP and UI elements) (Act  1216 ). The design tool stores the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP for use operationally after generating and publishing the composite web service (Act  1218 ). 
         [0057]      FIG. 13  shows a web service creation tool  1300 . In  FIG. 13 , the web service creation tool  1300  may include: a dispatcher  1302 ; a client program  1304 ; a web service  1306 ; a GAP  1  host computer  1308 ; and external storage  1310 . The web service creation tool  1300  components may communicate through the networks  1312  (e.g., the Internet).  FIG. 13  also shows the dispatcher  1302  coordinating communication between a single web service  1306  and proxy- 1   1314 . The dispatcher  1302  acts as an intermediary that enables web services and GAPs to run on separate computers while presenting a common view to client programs  1304 . In one implementation of the web service creation tool  1300 , when a client program  1304  invokes a web service method corresponding to web service  1306 , the web service  1306  sends a web service request to the dispatcher  1302 . The dispatcher  1302  may route the web service request to proxy- 1   1314  based on GAP identification data and GAP information collected from the proxy- 1   1314 . The GAP- 1  host computer  1308  runs an operating system  1316 , provides an accessibility layer  1318 , and hosts the proxy- 1   1314 , the hook- 1   1320  and GAP- 1  with GUI elements  1322 . The operating system  1316  may provide the accessibility layer  1318  with an accessibility API. The proxy- 1   1314  registers with the dispatcher  1302  under a unique name, collects GAP identification data and information about the GAP- 1  with GUI elements  1322  running with the proxy- 1   1314  on the GAP- 1  host computer  1308 , and sends the GAP identification data and information to the dispatcher  102 . In one implementation, when proxy- 1   1322  receives a web service request, the proxy- 1   1322  interacts with one or more UI elements of the GAP- 1  with UI elements  1322  through the hook- 1   1320 , in response to the web service request. The accessibility layer  1318  may support hook- 1   1320  to monitor and control execution of GAP- 1  with UI elements  1322 , and perform various actions on GAP- 1  with UI elements  1322  programmatically. 
         [0058]      FIG. 14  shows a structural representation of a GUI of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP. The structural representation of a GUI of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  1402  may include: a GAP- 1  UI element- 1  label  1404 ; a GAP- 1  UI element- 1  Identifier  1406 ; location information in the GAP GUI for the GAP UI elements (e.g., GAP- 1  UI element- 1  location  1408 , GAP- 1  UI element- 2  location  1410 , and GAP- 1  UI element- 3  location  1412 ); and a GAP GUI screen sequence Representation  1416  for each GAP GUI Screen sequence. The structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  1402  may represent multiple GAP- 1  GUI Screens (e.g., GAP- 1  GUI screen sequence- 1   1416 , GAP- 1  GUI screen sequence- 2   1418 , and GAP- 1  GUI screen sequence- 3   1420 ), and encode location information for the GAP- 1  with UI elements  1322  (e.g., GAP- 1  GUI element- 1  encoded location information  1432 ). 
         [0059]      FIG. 15  shows a design tool user interface for a web service creation tool. The design tool user interface  1502  may include an input parameter area  1504  and a screen sequence area  1506 . The design tool user interface  1502  may include a drag-and-drop interface used to move GAP- 1  UI elements  1508  and GAP GUI Screens represented in the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  1402  into the input parameter area  1504  and screen sequence area  1506 . The design tool user interface  1502  may consider the act of moving GAP- 1  UI elements  1508  and GAP GUI Screens represented in the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  1402  into the input parameter area  1504  and screen sequence area  1506  as adding objects to or registering objects with the web service definition  1510 . The design tool user interface  1502  may highlight a GAP- 1  GUI element in the GAP- 1  GUI, add the GAP- 1  GUI element to the web service definition  1510  or move the GAP- 1  GUI element the input parameter area  1504 , in response to an operator&#39;s selection of a GAP- 1  UI element or a GAP GUI Screen represented in the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  1402 . The web service creation tool  1300  may include a GAP GUI rendering  1511  of a GAP GUI screen sequence illustrating traversal through multiple GAP GUI Screens, and at least one of the web service parameters  1512  (e.g., WS parameter- 1   1514 , WS parameter- 2   1516 , and WS parameter- 3   1518 ) for the web service  1306 . The design tool user interface  1502  may create a web service parameter relationship  1520  between at least one of the web service parameters  1512  and at least one of the GAP- 1  UI elements  1508 , and generate the web service  1306  based on the web service definition  1510  and the web service parameter relationship  1520 . For example,  FIG. 15  shows an arrow  1521  drawn (e.g., by an operator or from input from an automated analysis tool) from WS parameter- 3   1518  to GAP- 2  UI element- 3   1519 , which establishes a web service parameter relationship  1520  between a web service parameter and GAP UI element. The design tool user interface  1502  may create additional web service parameter relationships  1512  between the web service  1306  and additional GAP- 1  UI elements  1508  as a result of adding the additional GAP- 1  UI elements  1508  to the input parameter area  1504 . The design tool user interface  1502  may use the accessibility layer  1318  to support the hook- 1   1320  to monitor execution of GAP- 1  with UI elements  1322 , and GAP- 1  UI elements  1508  through multiple GAP GUI Screens, and capture the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  1402 . 
         [0060]      FIG. 16  shows one example implementation of the web service creation tool. The web service creation tool  1300  may include: Interaction logic  1602 ; design tool user interface logic  1604 ; definition logic  1606 ; and relation logic  1608 . The Interaction logic  1602  may use the accessibility layer  1318  to capture the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  1402 . The Interaction logic  1602  may monitor operator interactions with GAP- 1  through multiple GAP- 1  GUI Screens and GAP UI elements  1508 , and establish the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  1402  across multiple GAP- 1  GUI Screens. The Interaction logic  1602  may also obtain location information and identification information for multiple GAP- 1  UI elements  1508 , and record the location information and the identification information in the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  1402 . 
         [0061]    The design tool user interface logic  1604  may generate the design tool user interface  1502  that includes the input parameter area  1504  and a screen sequence area  1506 , monitor and determine an operator&#39;s selection of at least one of the GAP- 1  UI elements  1508  in the GAP GUI represented in the structural representation of GUIs of a GAP and UI elements of the GAP  1402 , and add the selected GAP- 1  UI elements  1508  to the input parameter area  1504 . The definition logic  1526  may establish the web service definition with at least one of the web service parameters  1512  (e.g., WS parameter- 1   1514 , WS parameter- 2   1516 , and WS parameter- 3   1518 ) that will interact with the at least one of the GAP- 1  UI elements  1508 . The relation logic  1608  may establish a web service parameter relationship  1520  between at least one of the web service parameters  1512  (e.g., WS parameter- 1   1514 , WS parameter- 2   1516 , and WS parameter- 3   1518 ) and at least one of the GAP- 1  UI elements  1508 . The relations logic  1608  may establish multiple web service parameter relationships  1520  with multiple web service parameters  1512  (e.g., WS parameter- 1   1514 , WS parameter- 2   1516 , and WS parameter- 3   1518 ) and each of the GAP- 1  UI elements  1508 . 
         [0062]      FIG. 17  shows the acts that a proxy and dispatcher may take in a web service creation tool. When a client program invokes a method of a web service (Act  1702 ), the requesting web service (e.g., web service  204 ) to which the method belongs connects to the dispatcher  102 , and sends a web services registration request  428  (Act  1704 ). The dispatcher  102  may determine from the web service registration request  428  and analyze the GAP Table received from connected proxy the identity of the GAP required to fulfil the web service method, and send web service requests to the proxy to reserve the GAP (Act  1710 ). Web service requests may include GAP identification data and information about the required GAP, the GAP UI elements, requested actions to perform on the GAP and UI elements, and the information to return to the requesting web service. The dispatcher  102  and proxy corresponding to the required GAP may communicate to determine the availability of the GAP (Act  1712 ). For an unavailable GAP, the dispatcher  102  may place the web service request on the dispatchers GAP request queue and notifies the requesting web service or composite web service (e.g., web service  204 ) (Act  1716 ). The requesting web service may determine whether to wait for the unavailable GAP to change status to available (Act  1718 ). For an available GAP, the dispatcher may forward the web service request to the proxy (Act  1720 ). The proxy for the required GAP may command and control the GAP and UI elements according to the web service request, and return responses to the dispatcher  102  (Act  1722 ). The hook monitors the GAP and UI elements for event and state changes (Act  1724 ). When a GAP or UI element event or state changes the hook intercepts the event or state change, and forwards GAP and UI element event and state change information to the controlling proxy (Act  1726 ). The proxy parses GAP and UI element data, and prepares and sends information in a response to the dispatcher (Act  1728 ). The dispatcher forwards the response to the client program (Act  1730 ). 
         [0063]    A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.