XML Based Graphical User Interface Editor and Runtime Parser for ISO 11783 Machine Automation Systems

Graphical user interface design is a very visual process which requires graphical tools. Modern integrated development environments have text editors for writing code and graphical user interface editors for designing the user interface. In ISO 11783 systems this distinction between the program logic and the user interface elements is even more pronounced as the program is executed by the electronic control unit on the agricultural implement while the user interface is being loaded to the virtual terminal in the tractor cabin. The ISO 11783 standard defines a binary format for loading user interfaces to the virtual terminal. However, using XML format for manipulating and storing user interfaces has many advantages. XML files can be validated and parsed by standard tools and libraries. They are human readable which makes debugging relatively easy. XML files can also be extended to contain new information without breaking existing implementations. Most importantly, describing user interfaces as structured documents allows efficient reuse of composite user interface objects such as entire displays.