Typelets - a rule-based evaluation model for dynamic, statically typed user interfaces

TY - GEN

T1 - Typelets - a rule-based evaluation model for dynamic, statically typed user interfaces

AU - Elsman, Martin

AU - Schack-Nielsen, Anders

N1 - Conference code: 16

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - We present the concept of typelets, a specification technique for dynamic graphical user interfaces (GUIs) based on types. The technique is implemented in a dialect of ML, called MLFi, which supports dynamic types, for migrating type-level information into the object level, so-called type properties, allowing easy specification of, for instance, GUI control attributes, and type paths, which allows for type-safe access to type components at runtime. Through the use of Hindley-Milner style type-inference in MLFi, the features allow for type-level programming of user interfaces. The dynamic behavior of typelets are specified using declarative rules. The technique extends the flat spreadsheet programming model with higher-order rule composition techniques, extensive reuse, and type safety. A layout specification language allows layout programmers (e.g., end-users) to reorganize layouts in a type-safe way without being allowed to alter the rule machinery. The resulting framework is highly flexible and allows for creating highly maintainable modules. It is used with success in the context of SimCorp's high-end performance-critical financial asset-management system with screens containing several hundreds of GUI controls located in group-boxes, sub-tabs, and menu structures and with very complex dependency structures defined using declarative rule composition.

AB - We present the concept of typelets, a specification technique for dynamic graphical user interfaces (GUIs) based on types. The technique is implemented in a dialect of ML, called MLFi, which supports dynamic types, for migrating type-level information into the object level, so-called type properties, allowing easy specification of, for instance, GUI control attributes, and type paths, which allows for type-safe access to type components at runtime. Through the use of Hindley-Milner style type-inference in MLFi, the features allow for type-level programming of user interfaces. The dynamic behavior of typelets are specified using declarative rules. The technique extends the flat spreadsheet programming model with higher-order rule composition techniques, extensive reuse, and type safety. A layout specification language allows layout programmers (e.g., end-users) to reorganize layouts in a type-safe way without being allowed to alter the rule machinery. The resulting framework is highly flexible and allows for creating highly maintainable modules. It is used with success in the context of SimCorp's high-end performance-critical financial asset-management system with screens containing several hundreds of GUI controls located in group-boxes, sub-tabs, and menu structures and with very complex dependency structures defined using declarative rule composition.

KW - Faculty of Science

KW - OCaml

KW - Functional programming

KW - User interfaces

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-04132-2_13

DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-04132-2_13

M3 - Article in proceedings

SN - 978-3-319-04131-5

T3 - Lecture notes in computer science

SP - 184

EP - 199

BT - Practical Aspects of Declarative Languages

A2 - Flatt, Matthew

A2 - Guo, Hai-Feng

PB - Springer

T2 - 16th International Symposium on Practical Aspects of Declarative Languages

Y2 - 20 January 2014 through 21 January 2014

ER -