Systems and methods for building applications using building blocks linkable with metadata

• US 10,642,581 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Collins, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US16/221,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20190114152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 717109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

Systems and methods relate to creating applications using building blocks linked together with metadata. A user interface can enable a user to create an application. Creating the application can include defining a new building block configured to generate output data. The new building block can include one or more existing building blocks and the metadata associated with the existing building blocks. For example, a building block can include at least one input/output (I/O) feature configured to receive inputs and/or generate outputs. Further, the existing building block can correspond to a data structure including external I/O features. The new building block can be linked to an existing building block by mapping an external I/O feature of the existing building block to an open I/O feature of the new building block. The mapping can be stored in metadata associated with the new building block.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, by a computing device, a set of existing building blocks, each existing building block of the set of existing building blocks corresponding to a web service associated with a uniform resource identifier (URI), the set of existing building blocks including a first subset and a second subset, each building block of the first subset being exposed using a corresponding web service, each building block of the second subset not being exposed using a web service, and each existing building block of the set of existing building blocks corresponding to a data structure configured to receive an input and generate an output using executable logic;

selecting a building block from amongst the set of existing building blocks, the selected building block corresponding to a first building block from the first subset linked to a second building block from the second subset;

transforming the selected building block into a machine-readable description language that includes at least one input parameter and a representation of the output associated with the selected building block;

invoking the web service that corresponds to the selected building block, the invocation of the web service including executing each of the first and second building blocks causing the at least one input parameter to pass through the building block, such that the output is generated; and

receiving a communication corresponding to the output of the building block, the output being represented in accordance with the representation of the output included in the machine-readable description language.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selected building block is accessible as a building block that is combinable with one or more other building blocks within a secure building block architecture service, wherein the secure building block architecture service exposes, for building within the secure building block architecture service, one or more particular other building blocks that are not exposed using web services.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the web service is invoked outside of the secure building block architecture service using an exposed protocol.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the web service is invoked inside the secure building block architecture service.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the secure building block architecture service is accessible via authentication.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the representation of the output included in the machine-readable description language;

invoking the web service using the modified machine-readable description language; and

receiving the output associated with the building block, the output being represented in accordance with the modification of the representation of the output.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the web service is a Representational State Transfer (REST) service, wherein the selected building block is transformed into the machine-readable description language, and wherein the machine-readable description language is callable using an additional URI.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more data processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform operations including;

identifying a set of existing building blocks, each existing building block of the set of existing building blocks corresponding to a web service associated with a uniform resource identifier (URI), the set of existing building blocks including a first subset and a second subset, each building block of the first subset being exposed using a corresponding web service, each building block of the second subset not being exposed using a web service, and each existing building block of the set of existing building blocks corresponding to a data structure configured to receive an input and generate an output using executable logic;

selecting a building block from amongst the set of existing building blocks, the selected building block corresponding to a first building block from the first subset linked to a second building block from the second subset;

transforming the selected building block into a machine-readable description language that includes at least one input parameter and a representation of the output associated with the selected building block;

invoking the web service that corresponds to the selected building block, the invocation of the web service including executing each of the first and second building blocks causing the at least one input parameter to pass through the building block, such that the output is generated; and

receiving a communication corresponding to the output of the building block, the output being represented in accordance with the representation of the output included in the machine-readable description language.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the selected building block is accessible as a building block that is combinable with one or more other building blocks within a secure building block architecture service, wherein the secure building block architecture service exposes, for building within the secure building block architecture service, one or more particular other building blocks that are not exposed using web services.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the web service is invoked outside of the secure building block architecture service using an exposed protocol.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the web service is invoked inside the secure building block architecture service.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the secure building block architecture service is accessible via authentication.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

modifying the representation of the output included in the machine-readable description language;

invoking the web service using the modified machine-readable description language; and

receiving the output associated with the building block, the output being represented in accordance with the modification of the representation of the output.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the web service is a Representational State Transfer (REST) service, wherein the selected building block is transformed into the machine-readable description language, and wherein the machine-readable description language is callable using an additional URI.

15. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations including:

identifying, by a computing device, a set of existing building blocks, each existing building block of the set of existing building blocks corresponding to a web service associated with a uniform resource identifier (URI), the set of existing building blocks including a first subset and a second subset, each building block of the first subset being exposed using a corresponding web service, each building block of the second subset not being exposed using a web service, and each existing building block of the set of existing building blocks corresponding to a data structure configured to receive an input and generate an output using executable logic;

selecting a building block from amongst the set of existing building blocks, the selected building block corresponding to a first building block from the first subset linked to a second building block from the second subset;

transforming the selected building block into a machine-readable description language that includes at least one input parameter and a representation of the output associated with the selected building block;

invoking the web service that corresponds to the selected building block, the invocation of the web service including executing each of the first and second building blocks causing the at least one input parameter to pass through the building block, such that the output is generated; and

receiving a communication corresponding to the output of the building block, the output being represented in accordance with the representation of the output included in the machine-readable description language.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the selected building block is accessible as a building block that is combinable with one or more other building blocks within a secure building block architecture service, wherein the secure building block architecture service exposes, for building within the secure building block architecture service, one or more particular other building blocks that are not exposed using web services.

17. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein the web service is invoked outside of the secure building block architecture service using an exposed protocol.

18. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein the web service is invoked inside the secure building block architecture service.

19. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein the secure building block architecture service is accessible via authentication.

20. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

modifying the representation of the output included in the machine-readable description language;

invoking the web service using the modified machine-readable description language; and

receiving the output associated with the building block, the output being represented in accordance with the modification of the representation of the output.