Patent ID: 8875095

Claim:
A system for displaying a graphical user interface that permits a user to develop a mobile application or portion thereof, the system comprising: a processor configured to: store a data model that defines relationships among a hierarchy of tables including: a head table that is used to represent an instance of the mobile application and that includes an identifier for the mobile application; an app type table that includes a first set of attributes for one or more templates that can be applied to the mobile application; and a module table that includes a second set of attributes that are used to represent one or more customizable components included in the mobile application; transmit instructions for rendering a development window for the mobile application; receive a selection that identifies a template included in the app type table; query one or more of the tables in the data model to identify a plurality of customizable components that are available for use with the identified template, each one pertaining to a functionality, design or content of the mobile application or portion thereof; receive a plurality of customizable component selections related to the identified plurality the customizable components; associate application data with the mobile application or portion thereof based, at least in part, on the plurality of customizable component selections; store the application data associated with the mobile application in accordance with the data model; generate compiled data for the mobile application or portion thereof based, at least in part, on the stored application data, wherein generating compiled data includes querying a database that stores the tables associated with the data model to retrieve information associated with the mobile application and including at least a portion of the retrieved information in a configuration file; and generate the configuration file comprising the identifier for the mobile application or portion thereof, the configuration file being adapted for transmission to, and execution on, a mobile device, wherein the identifier enables the retrieval of at least a portion of the compiled data by the mobile device from a remote storage location in response to the mobile application or portion thereof being installed on or executed by the mobile device.