Apple patents tool that turns app sketches into working code
Apple has filed a patent for a development system that helps programmers build software applications by generating code from visual components. The system displays a wireframe of the app's screens, a data model, and a user interface skeleton, allowing developers to make changes that automatically update the underlying code.
In the filing’s own words
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating code for software applications. One of the methods includes causing presentation, in a development user interface, of at least some of the plurality of intermediate elements that include: a) a navigation flow wireframe; b) a data model; and c) a user interface skeleton that was generated using a navigation flow plan; receiving, via the development user interface of the development system, input data that causes a change to at least one intermediate element from the plurality of intermediate elements; updating, using the input data, the intermediate element from the plurality of intermediate elements; and after updating the intermediate element, causing generation of at least a portion of software code for the application using the navigation flow plan and the plurality of intermediate elements including the updated intermediate element.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A development system for presentation of a plurality of intermediate elements of an application and comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising: causing presentation, in a development user interface, of at least some of the plurality of intermediate elements for the application that were generated based on a prompt, and comprise: a) a navigation flow wireframe that identifies a plurality of views for the application, at least some views being selectable to trigger another view from the plurality of views; b) a data model for the application linking underlying logic for the application with a corresponding view from the plurality of views; and c) a user interface skeleton that identifies a representation of how a corresponding view will render content when the application is executed and was generated using a navigation flow plan that indicates transition points between various views from the plurality of views; receiving, via the development user interface of the development system, input data that causes a change to at least one intermediate element from the plurality of intermediate elements; updating, using the input data, the intermediate element from the plurality of intermediate elements; and after updating the intermediate element, causing generation of at least a portion of software code for the application using the navigation flow plan and the plurality of intermediate elements including the updated intermediate element.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- USER INTERFACE CODE GENERATION
- Publication number
- US20260329558A1
- Application number
- 19653460
- Filed
- Apr 21, 2026
- Published
- Oct 22, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G06F 8/38 Physics & computingG06F 11/3668 Physics & computingG06T 11/60 Physics & computingG06T 2200/24 Physics & computingMore from Apple in AI & software
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.