Data document generator

• US 20030014447A1
• Filed: 04/23/2001
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Versata Software, Inc. (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Versata Computer Industry Solutions Incorporated (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Inventors: White, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/530
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation

Abstract

A data management system for generating customized versions of data documents. Initially the document is stored as in the form of raw data, which is subsequently parsed into an internal representation of the document. In one embodiment, raw data is stored in XML form and is parsed by an XML parser. Upon the initial request for a customized version of the document, a sequence of transforms is applied to the internal representation and to subsequently transformed documents in order to create hierarchical, customized document levels. In one embodiment, transforms are implemented as either XSL stylesheets, although Java classes may also be employed. The document versions are written to cache, and subsequent requests for existing versions of the document are referred to cache. In the event that any document dependencies change, a cached version will be denoted invalid, and subsequent requests will result in the re-generation of a customized version. The data management system is implemented in the form of a document manager, a database that includes a document table and a transform table. The document manager reads raw documents from a raw-document database and reads transforms from a transform database. Requested customized documents are written to cache.

Claims

1. A document-generation process comprising:

parsing a raw document to create an internal representation of the document;

reading a first-level transform from a transform database;

applying the first-level transform to the internal representation so as to create a first-level document;

writing the first-level document to cache;

receiving a first request for a second-level document that depends from the first-level document;

in response to the first request, reading a second-level transform from the transform database;

applying the second-level transform to the first-level document so as to create a second-level document; and

writing the second-level document to cache.

2. A document-generation process as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

revising the raw document;

applying the first-level transform to the revised raw document so as to create a revised first-level document;

writing the revised first-level document to cache; and

indicating that a then-existing second-level document is invalid.

3. A document-generation process as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a second request for the then-existing second-level document;

determining that the then-existing second-level document has been indicated invalid;

applying the second-level transform to the revised first-level document so as to create a revised second-level document; and

writing the revised second-level to cache.

4. A document-generation process as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a revised first-level transform;

revising the then-existing first-level transform;

applying the revised first-level transform to the raw document so as to create a revised first-level document;

writing the revised first-level document to cache; and

indicating that the then-existing second-level document is invalid.

5. A document-generation process as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a second request for the then-existing second-level document;

determining that the then-existing second-level document has been indicated invalid;

applying the second-level transform to the revised first-level document so as to create a revised second-level document; and

writing the revised second-level document to cache.

7. A document-generation process as defined in claim 1, wherein the first-level document and the second-level document are timestamped and wherein a document is deleted when a timestamp indicates that the document is stale.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the subscription-level transform enables content filtering of the internal representation in accordance with a user'"'"'s request.

6. A document-generation process as defined in clime 1, wherein a respective GID is assigned to each of the first-level document and the second-level document.

8. A method of generating customized versions of a document, the method comprising:

storing the document in raw form;

parsing the document to create an internal representation of the document; and

decomposing the document.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein decomposition of the document comprises applying sequential transforms to the document.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein decomposition of the document comprises applying a first-level transform to the internal representation so as to create a first-level document.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein decomposition of the document compromises applying a second-level transform to the first-level document so as to create a second-level document.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein decomposition of the document comprises applying a third-level transform to the second level document so as to create a third-level document.

13. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the document is stored in raw XML form.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein decomposition of the document comprises applying sequential transforms to the document.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein decomposition of the document stored in raw XML form comprises applying a subscription-level transform to the internal representation of the document so as to create a subscription-level document.

17. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein decomposition of the document comprises applying an organization-level transform to the subscription-level document so as to create an organization-level document.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the organization-level transform enables subscription-specific content filtering of a subscription-level document.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein decomposition of the document comprises applying a presentation-level transform to the organization-level document so as to create a presentation-level document.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the presentation-level transform generates an organization-specific document for end user presentation.

21. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the presentation-level transform generates and HTML document or a text file for end user presentation.

22. A method as defined in claim 21, wherein the subscription-level transform is mandatory and the organization-level and presentation-level transforms are optional.

23. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein a transform is applied to a document only as a result of an initial demand for a transformed document.

24. A method as defined in claim 23, wherein the demand for a transformed document is a client request.

25. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the demand for a transformed document is a document publication process.

26. A method as defined in claim 23, wherein transformed documents are written to a cache.

27. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein demands for a transformed document, subsequent to the initial demand, are referred to the cache.

29. A data document as defined in claim 28, wherein decomposing the document comprises applying a first-level transform to the internal representation of the document so as to create a first-level document and applying a second-level transform to the first-level document.

30. A data document as defined in claim 28, wherein the document is stored in XML form.

31. A data document as defined in claim 30, wherein the document stored in XML form is parsed by and XML parser to create the internal representation.

32. A data document as defined in claim 31, wherein the internal representation level of the document is transformed to a subscription-level document by applying a subscription-level transform to the internal representation.

33. A data document as defined in claim 32, wherein application of the subscription level transform to the internal representation so as to create a subscription-level document is required.

34. A data document as defined in claim 32, wherein the subscription-level document is transformed into an organization-level document by applying an organization-level transform to the subscription-level document.

35. A data document as defined in claim 34, wherein application of the organization-level transform to the subscription-level document so as to create an organization-level document is optional.

36. A data document as defined in claim 34, wherein the internal representation of the document is decomposed to a transform-level document only in response to a request for a transform-level document.

37. A data document as defined in claim 36, wherein transformed documents are written to a cache.

38. A data document as defined in claim 37, wherein an initial request for a transformed document causes decomposition of the internal representation into the form requested and wherein subsequent requests for transformed document causes the transformed document to be retrieved from cache.

39. A data document as defined in claim 29, wherein the data document is generated according to a process comprising:

tracking the dependencies of transformed document; and

regenerating the transformed document when any dependency related to the document changes.

40. A data document as defined in claim 39, wherein the document is generated according to a process comprising:

designating a cached version of the document invalid when any dependency related to the document changes, and

regenerating the transformed document in response to a request form the document that is made after the dependency change.

41. A data document as defined in claim 40, wherein the document is stored in XML form.

42. A data document as defined in claim 39, wherein the document stored in XML form is parsed by and XML parser to create the internal representation.

43. A data document as defined in claim 42, wherein the internal representation level of the document is transformed to a subscription-level document by applying a subscription-level transform to the internal representation.

44. A data document as defined in claim 43, wherein application of the subscription level transform to the internal representation so as to create a subscription-level document is required.

45. A data document as defined in claim 43, wherein the subscription-level document is transformed into an organization-level document by applying an organization-level transform to the subscription-level document.

46. A data document as defined in claim 45, wherein application of the organization-level transform to the subscription-level document so as to create an organization level document is optional.

47. A data document as defined in claim 45, wherein the internal representation of the document is decomposed to a transform-level document only in response to a request for a transform-level document.

48. A data document as defined in claim 47, wherein transformed documents are written to a cache.

50. A system for generating customized documents as defined in claim 49, wherein the raw-data database stores data documents in XML form.

51. A system for generating customized documents as defined in claim 49, wherein the transform database stores XSL stylesheets.

52. A system for generating documents as defined in claim 49, wherein the transform database stores Java classes.

28. A data document generated according to a process comprising:

storing a raw form of the document;

parsing the document to create an internal representation of the document; and

decomposing the document into a form requested by a recipient of the document.

49. A system for generating customized documents, the system comprising:

a primary database that includes a document table and a transform table;

a raw-data database accessible by the primary database;

a transform database accessible by the primary database; and

a cache coupled to the primary database and storing customized versions of documents.

53. A method of generating customized versions of a document, comprising:

storing the document in a primitive form;

transforming the document from primitive form into an internal representation of the document;

transforming the internal representation into at least one subscription-level document, into a DEFAULT organization-level document and into at least one user-specific organization-level document;

transforming the DEFAULT organization-level document into at least one presentation-level document; and

transforming the user-specific organization-level document into at least one presentation-level document.

54. A method of generating customized versions of documents as defined in claim 53, wherein the user-specific organization-level document is transformed into at least two presentation-level documents.

55. A method of generating customized versions of documents as defined in claim 54, wherein the user-specific organization-level document is transformed into an HTML presentation-level document and into a FLAT presentation-level transform.

56. A method of generating customized versions of a document as defined in claim 53, wherein:

(i) the internal representation is transformed into a first subscription-level document and into a second subscription-level document;

(ii) the first subscription level document is transformed into a subscription-level specific DEFAULT organization-level document and into at least one user-specific organization-level document; and

(iii) the second organization-level document is transformed into a subscription-level-specific DEFAULT organization-level document.

57. A method of generating customized versions of a document as defined in claim 56, wherein the document is stored in XML form.

59. A system as defined in claim 58, further comprising:

a cache coupled to the first tabular means and to the second tabular means.

60. A system as defined in claim 58, wherein the second database means stores a compilation of transforms that enable:

transforming an internal representation into at least one subscription-level document, into a DEFAULT organization-level document and into at least one user-specific organization-level document;

transforming the DEFAULT organization-level document into at least one presentation-level document; and

transforming the user-specific organization-level document into at least one presentation-level document.

61. A system as defined in claim 60, wherein the second database means stores a compilation of transforms that enable:

(i) the internal representation to be transformed into a first subscription-level document and into a second subscription-level document;

(ii) the first subscription level document to be transformed into a subscription-level specific DEFAULT organization-level document and into at least one user-specific organization-level document; and

(iii) the second organization-level document to be transformed into a subscription-level-specific DEFAULT organization-level document.

62. A system as defined in claim 61, further comprising:

a cache coupled to the first tabular means and to the second tabular means.

58. A system for the generation of customized data documents, the system comprising:

first database means for storing raw data documents;

first tabular means for storing document records;

an interface coupling the first database means to the first tabular means;

second database means for storing a compilation of transforms that enable an internal representation of a document to be transformed into a first-level document and that enable the first-level document to be transformed into a second-level document;

second tabular means for storing transform records; and

an interface coupling the second database means to the second tabular means.