System and method for updating or modifying an application without manual coding
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for enabling enhanced functionality in an application, the method comprising:
- executing, on a computer, an enhancement engine communicatively coupled to at least one of a rules base that contains rules and a rules engine that executes the rules;
receiving, with the enhancement engine, a request that specifies a selected rule from among a plurality of rules, and a type of an enhanced functionality to be enabled in an application, wherein the application is defined, at least in part, by said plurality of rules, wherein the selected rule references a data element in a process flow that specifies a plurality of actions associated with the application, and wherein the type of the enhanced functionality includes auditing;
identifying, with the enhancement engine, a new rule based on the type of the enhanced functionality and based on the selected rule specified in the request, wherein the new rule defines at least a portion of the enhanced functionality to be enabled in the application, wherein the new rule comprises an additional rule other than the selected rule that supplements the selected rule in the rules base, wherein at least the portion of the enhanced functionality defined by the new rule enables the application to generate an audit record of an attempt to assign a new value to the data element, and wherein the audit record includes the new value assigned to the data element, and an other value of the data element that was previously stored in a memory; and
effecting, with the enhancement engine, at least one of (i) updating the application to include the new rule in addition to the selected rule for execution with the plurality of rules that define the application at least in part, and (ii) execution of the new rule in addition to the selected rule by the rules engine with said plurality of rules, wherein said execution of the new rule enables at least the portion of the enhanced functionality,wherein the new rule enables the application to identify an attempt to assign the new value to the data element by detecting a discrepancy between the new value and the other value of the data element that was previously stored in the memory,wherein the updating step includes(i) inserting a first action into the process flow prior to an action in the process flow that is configured to assign the new value to the data element, wherein the first action is configured to store the other value of the data element in the memory, and(ii) inserting a second action into the process flow after the action in the process flow that is configured to assign the new value to the data element, wherein the second action is configured to detect the discrepancy between the new value and the other value of the data element by comparing the new value with the other value.
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Abstract
The invention provides, in some aspects, a computer-implemented method for enabling enhanced functionality in a software application. The method includes executing, on a computer, an enhancement engine that is communicatively coupled to a rules base (or other store that contains rules) and/or a rules engine that executes rules (e.g., from the rules base). The enhancement engine receives a request to enable enhanced functionality in an application that is defined, at least in part, by a plurality of such rules, where the request specifies a selected rule in the application for such enhancement. The enhancement engine identifies (or ascertains) a new rule at least partially providing the enhanced functionality and (i) updates the rules base (or other store) to include the new rule along with the others that define at least a portion of the application and/or (ii) effects execution by the rules engine of the new rule along with those others.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for enabling enhanced functionality in an application, the method comprising:
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executing, on a computer, an enhancement engine communicatively coupled to at least one of a rules base that contains rules and a rules engine that executes the rules; receiving, with the enhancement engine, a request that specifies a selected rule from among a plurality of rules, and a type of an enhanced functionality to be enabled in an application, wherein the application is defined, at least in part, by said plurality of rules, wherein the selected rule references a data element in a process flow that specifies a plurality of actions associated with the application, and wherein the type of the enhanced functionality includes auditing; identifying, with the enhancement engine, a new rule based on the type of the enhanced functionality and based on the selected rule specified in the request, wherein the new rule defines at least a portion of the enhanced functionality to be enabled in the application, wherein the new rule comprises an additional rule other than the selected rule that supplements the selected rule in the rules base, wherein at least the portion of the enhanced functionality defined by the new rule enables the application to generate an audit record of an attempt to assign a new value to the data element, and wherein the audit record includes the new value assigned to the data element, and an other value of the data element that was previously stored in a memory; and effecting, with the enhancement engine, at least one of (i) updating the application to include the new rule in addition to the selected rule for execution with the plurality of rules that define the application at least in part, and (ii) execution of the new rule in addition to the selected rule by the rules engine with said plurality of rules, wherein said execution of the new rule enables at least the portion of the enhanced functionality, wherein the new rule enables the application to identify an attempt to assign the new value to the data element by detecting a discrepancy between the new value and the other value of the data element that was previously stored in the memory, wherein the updating step includes (i) inserting a first action into the process flow prior to an action in the process flow that is configured to assign the new value to the data element, wherein the first action is configured to store the other value of the data element in the memory, and (ii) inserting a second action into the process flow after the action in the process flow that is configured to assign the new value to the data element, wherein the second action is configured to detect the discrepancy between the new value and the other value of the data element by comparing the new value with the other value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for enabling enhanced functionality in an application, the system comprising:
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a rules base that contains rules; a rules engine that executes the rules; an enhancement engine communicatively coupled to at least one of the rules base and the rules engine; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the enhancement engine, wherein the at least one processor is configured to; receive a request that specifies a selected rule from among a plurality of rules, and a type of an enhanced functionality to be enabled in an application, wherein the application is defined, at least in part, by said plurality of rules, wherein the selected rule references a data element in a process flow that specifies a plurality of actions associated with the application, and wherein the type of the enhanced functionality includes auditing; identify a new rule based on the type of the enhanced functionality and based on the selected rule specified in the request, wherein the new rule defines at least a portion of the enhanced functionality to be enabled in the application, wherein the new rule comprises an additional rule other than the selected rule that supplements the selected rule in the rules base, wherein at least the portion of the enhanced functionality defined by the new rule enables the application to generate an audit record of an attempt to assign a new value to the data element, and wherein the audit record includes the new value assigned to the data element, and an other value of the data element that was previously stored in a memory; and effect at least one of (i) updating the application to include the new rule in addition to the selected rule for execution with the plurality of rules that define the application at least in part, and (ii) execution of the new rule in addition to the selected rule by the rules engine with said plurality of rules, wherein said execution of the new rule enables at least the portion of the enhanced functionality wherein the processor is further configured to identify a said new rule that defines at least a portion of the enhanced functionality enabling the application to identify the attempt to assign the new value to the data element by detecting a discrepancy between the new value and the other value of the data element that was previously stored in the memory, wherein the processor is configured to detect the discrepancy by; identifying an action in the process flow that is configured to assign the new value to the data element; inserting a first action into the process flow prior to the identified action, wherein the first action is configured to store the other value of the data element in the memory, and inserting a second action into the process flow after the identified action, wherein the second action is configured to detect the discrepancy between the new value and the other value of the data element by comparing the new value with the other value. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification