Patent ID: 7340745

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for generating a message structure for a message for making an application program interface (API) call in a graphical user interface, the method comprising: displaying a representation for a root node in response to a request to display a new message structure, where the representation appears in a pane of the graphical user interface; receiving a request to add a child node to the root node, where the child node is selected from the group consisting of element nodes, field nodes, method nodes, and parameter nodes; displaying a representation of the added child node to the root node such that a hierarchical relationship between the added child node and the root node is illustrated in a hierarchical tree; automatically generating code for the message structure, wherein the message structure is represented by the hierarchical tree, wherein the code includes embedded delimiters that indicate a hierarchical structure of the message structure, and wherein the message structure corresponds to a message for making an API call; detecting that a pointer that is manipulated by a pointing device is guided over a portion of a displayed node in the hierarchical tree; receiving an indication that a button on the pointing device has been selected and continues to be selected when the pointer is over the portion of the displayed node; detecting movement of the pointer by the pointing device; visually dragging the displayed node in correspondence with the movement of the pointer; receiving an indication that the button on the pointing device has been released; detecting that the pointer has moved from an original point in the hierarchical tree to a second point in the hierarchical tree, where the second point corresponds to a location of the pointer when the button has been released; dropping the displayed node at the second point to display a revised hierarchical tree; and automatically regenerating code for the message structure, wherein the message structure is represented by the revised hierarchical tree, and wherein the code includes embedded delimiters that indicate the hierarchical structure of the message structure represented by the revised hierarchical tree.