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Abstract

A proposal based architecture system that converts a transaction submission process into a generic object in a computer environment. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a tool set which allows the user to create a set of Proposal Specifications which define the structure of the possible components of a Proposal. The user defines the complete characteristics (meta-data) for any kind of Proposal which define the hierarchy of domain relationships, interaction modes, validation references, and assumptions. The actual Proposal instance is formed using the definitions in the Proposal Specifications. A Proposal allows a user to add, change, and annotate data, is self aware and navigates between pages and skips to appropriate fields automatically and supports n-level undo/redo. It also tracks all versions of data updates and the user that is responsible for each data update, recognizes and corrects stale data, and enables long-lived transactions, off-line transaction processing, and collaborative transactions. A Proposal is accessed via multiple User Interfaces (UI), breaking the close coupling between the front-end and the back-end and allowing the user to add a Web or Graphical User Interface (GUI) front-end without having to rewrite the back-end application. A UI coordinator maps user input fields to components of the Proposal and communicates with different user interfaces such as: Internet; Graphical User Interface (GUI); Object Oriented User Interface (OOUI); proprietary interface; and devices such as bar code readers or keypads. The invention also provides a default UI and components. A set of Transaction Processing/Data Processing (TP/DP) interfaces are provided to communicate with back-end transactional interfaces such as Database Management Systems (DBMS), Transactional Processing (TP) Monitors, and Object Oriented Databases.

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First Claim