Cell based data processing

• US 20020133808A1
• Filed: 12/19/2000
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Vasilik, Kenneth Eric, Bosworth, Adam, Bau, David III
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution

Abstract

A data processing program is specified using a specification having a number of cell specifications specifying a number of data processing cells, with each data processing cell having a formula specifying an action or a computation. A cell may have one or more attributes referencing other cells. A cell formula may reference a value of another cell or be executed conditionally. In one embodiment, one of the cell is reserved as an output cell specifying the output, and a mnemonic is reserved for providing input to the specified data processing. An execution analyzer is provided to analyze the data processing specification, and identify the execution order of the cells. Further, an execution engine is provided to effectuate the specified data processing by executing the specified actions/computations of the cells in accordance with the determined execution order.

Claims

1. A method of computing comprising:

analyzing a data processing specification having a plurality data processing cell specifications with each data processing cell specification containing a formula specifying an action or computation;

determining execution order of said actions/computations specified by said data processing cell specifications; and

effectuating the data processing specified by the data processing specification in accordance with the determined execution order of said actions/computations specified by said data processing cell specifications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said data processing cell specifications is delineated by a beginning and an ending data processing cell specification tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said data processing cell specifications comprise a first and a second data processing cell specification with the second cell data processing specification having a formula referencing a value of said first data processing cell specification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of said data processing cell specifications comprise one or more attribute specifications specifying one or more attributes of the data processing cell specifications.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said data processing cell specifications comprise a first and a second data processing cell specification with the second cell data processing specification having an attribute referencing said first data processing cell specification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first of said data processing cell specification comprises a reserved mnemonic for providing input to the data processing specified by the data processing specification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a first of said data processing cell specification is a reserved output cell specification specifying output of the data processing specified by the data processing specification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a first of said data processing cell specification comprises a conditionally executed formula.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said data processing specification further includes one or more global attributes specifying one or more global processing characteristics for the specified data processing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more global attributes include a global attribute specifying a format for providing the specified data processing with an HTTP request.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one storage unit having stored thereon programming instructions designed to

analyze a data processing specification having a plurality data processing cell specifications with each data processing cell specification containing a formula specifying an action or computation,

determine execution order of said actions/computations specified by said data processing cell specifications, and

effectuate the data processing specified by the data processing specification in accordance with the determined execution order of said actions/computations specified by said data processing cell specifications; and

at least one processor coupled to said at least one storage unit to execute said programming instructions.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the programming instructions are designed to recognize delineation of each of said data processing cell specifications by a beginning and an ending data processing cell specification tag.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said programming instructions are designed to support a first of said data processing cell specifications having a formula referencing a value of a second of said data processing cell specifications.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said programming instructions are designed to support one or more of said data processing cell specifications having one or more attribute specifications specifying one or more attributes of the data processing cell specifications.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said programming instructions are designed to support said data processing cell specifications having a first and a second data processing cell specification with the second cell data processing specification having an attribute referencing said first data processing cell specification.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said programming instructions are designed to support a first of said data processing cell specification having a reserved mnemonic for facilitating provision of input to the data processing specified by the data processing specification.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said programming instructions are designed to support a first of said data processing cell specification being a reserved output cell specification specifying output of the data processing specified by the data processing specification.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said programming instructions are designed to support a first of said data processing cell specification having a conditionally executed formula.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said programming instructions are designed to support said data processing specification having one or more global attributes specifying one or more global processing characteristics for the specified data processing.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said programming instructions are designed to support one of said one or more of global attributes being a global attribute specifying a format for providing the specified data processing with an HTTP request.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for analyzing a data processing specification having a plurality data processing cell specifications with each data processing cell specification containing a formula specifying an action or computation;

means for determining execution order of said actions/computations specified by said data processing cell specifications; and

means for effectuating the data processing specified by the data processing specification in accordance with the determined execution order of said actions/computations specified by said data processing cell specifications.