Abstract: Systems and methods for defining a form with a plurality of layout items for data presentation by a business application provide a tree view with tree nodes to represent the layout items, wherein the view visualizes structure information, a processing order, a selected tree node to represent a selected layout item; provide a property view to display properties of the selected layout item; provide a layout view to display items, wherein the selected layout item is highlighted; modify the selected layout item and the processing order through interaction with a user; and create a form definition document. The compatibility of layout items and processing order with a predefined data interface of the business application is verified as well.

Abstract: Methods and systems, including computer program products, implementing techniques for configuring data structures. The techniques include receiving a description of a logical structure of a data model, the logical structure comprising a first set of elements; displaying a first display structure in a graphical user interface (GUI), the first display structure being a graphical representation of the description of the logical structure, the first display structure comprising visual representations of the elements of the logical structure; generating a data structure based on one or more user-selected visual representations of the elements of the logical structure, the data structure comprising a second set of elements; and displaying a second display structure in the GUI, the second display structure being a graphical representation of the data structure, the second display structure comprising visual representations of the elements of the data structure.

Abstract: A form with a plurality of layout items for data presentation by a business application is defined by—simultaneously and one a single screen—providing (410) a tree view with tree nodes to represent the layout items, wherein the view visualizes structure information, a processing order, a selected tree node to represent a selected layout item; providing (420) a property view to display properties of the selected layout item; providing (430) a layout view to display items, wherein the selected layout item is highlighted; modifying (440) the selected layout item and the processing order through interaction with a user; and creating (450) a form definition document. The compatibility of layout items and processing order with a predefined data interface of the business application is verified as well.