Extended Web infrastructure for business applications

• US 20040030758A1
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Cherdron, Markus, Gangadharappa, Kiran
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and system for refreshing client-data is provided. A client provides a predefined layout document and predetermined client-data stored in a client-data cache. The layout document uses the client-data via predefined client-side application independent functions. The client receives a sync-request to synchronize the client-data with corresponding server-data of a server. The client creates a client-data descriptor. The server generates a server-data descriptor that is dependent on the client-data descriptor, a server-side copy of predefined client-data and the server-data. The client updates the predetermined client-data in the client-data cache according to the server-data descriptor. The client-data, the client-data descriptor and the server-data descriptor have a browser independent format.

Claims

1. A method for refreshing client-data that are visualized by a browser running on a client, comprising:

providing at the client a predefined layout document and predetermined client-data, the predetermined client-data stored in a client-data cache in a browser independent format, the layout document using the predetermined client-data via a plurality of predefined client-side application independent functions;

receiving at the client a sync-request to synchronize the predetermined client-data with corresponding server-data of a server;

creating on the client a client-data descriptor having a browser independent format,

generating on the server a server-data descriptor dependent on the client-data descriptor and a server-side copy of predefined client-data and the server-data, the server-data descriptor having a browser independent format; and

updating on the client the predetermined client-data in the client-data cache according to the server-data descriptor.

2. The method of claim 1 in which providing includes providing the client storing the layout document in a browser cache.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the sync-request has a request type.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the client-data descriptor comprises the request type.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the client-data descriptor further comprises a layout-ID representing the layout document.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the client-data descriptor further comprises a client-data increment.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the client-data descriptor is an extensible markup language document.

8. The method of claim 6 in which the server stores a copy of the predetermined client-data by combining the client-data increment with the copy of the predefined client-data.

9. The method of claim 5 in which the server-data descriptor comprises an updated layout-ID.

10. The method of claim 5 in which the server-data descriptor comprises a server-data increment.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the server-data increment comprises object data and layout data.

12. The method of claim 1 in which the server-data descriptor is an extensible markup language document.

13. The method of claim 10 in which the client uses the server-data increment to update client-data.

14. The method of claim 10 in which the server creates a server-side copy that corresponds to updated client-data by using the server-data increment and the copy of the predetermined client-data.

15. The method of claim 13 in which the updated client-data comprise object data and layout data.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing at the client the server-data descriptor with the client-data descriptor to select a corresponding layout document; and

applying at the client the updated client-data to the corresponding layout document.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the corresponding layout document has a document object model and the applying step comprises an in-memory replacement of the document object model.

18. The method of claim 16 in which the client applies the updated client-data to the corresponding layout document via a JAVA-Script function.

19. The method of claim 16 in which the client applies the updated client-data to the corresponding layout document via a style sheet language transformation.

20. A method for refreshing client-data that are visualized by a browser running on a client, comprising:

providing at the client a predefined layout document and predetermined client-data, the predetermined client-data being stored in a client-data cache in a browser independent format, the layout document using the client-data via a plurality of predefined client-side application independent functions;

receiving at the client a change-request to change the predetermined client-data into updated client-data according to the change request;

updating on the client the predetermined client-data in the client-data cache according to the change request; and

applying at the client the updated client-data to the layout document.

21. The method of claim 20 in which the layout document has a document object model and applying comprises an in-memory replacement of the document object model.

22. The method of claim 20 in which the client applies the updated client-data to the layout document via a JAVA-Script function.

23. The method of claim 20 in which the client applies the updated client-data to the layout document via a style sheet language transformation.

24. A computer program product embodied by a data carrier or carried by a signal, the computer program product having a plurality of instructions for causing at least one processor of a client computer to refresh client-data stored in a client-data cache, the computer program product causing the client to execute the following instructions:

provide a predefined layout document and predetermined client-data, the predetermined client-data stored in the client-data cache in a browser independent format, the layout document using the predetermined client-data via a plurality of predefined client-side application independent functions;

receive a sync-request to synchronize the predetermined client-data with corresponding server-data of a server computer;

create a client-data descriptor having a browser independent format;

receive from the server a server-data descriptor dependent on the client-data descriptor and a server-side copy of predefined client-data and the server-data, the server-data descriptor having a browser independent format; and

update the predetermined client-data in the client-data cache according to the server-data descriptor.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, causing the client to farther execute instructions to:

compare the server-data descriptor with the client-data descriptor to select a corresponding layout document; and

apply the updated client-data to the corresponding layout document.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 in which the corresponding layout document has a document object model and the apply instructions comprises an in-memory replacement of the document object model.

27. The computer program product of claim 25 in which the client applies the updated client-data to the corresponding layout document via a JAVA-Script function.

28. The computer program product of claim 25 in which the client applies the updated client-data to the corresponding layout document via a style sheet language transformation.

29. A computer program product embodied by a data carrier or carried by a signal, the computer program product having a plurality of instructions for causing at least one processor of a server computer to assist a client computer to refresh client-data stored in a client-data cache with respect to corresponding server-data, the computer program product causing the server to execute the following instructions:

receive from the client a client-data descriptor having a browser independent format; and

generate a server-data descriptor dependent on the server-data and the client-data descriptor and a server-side copy of the client-data, the server-data descriptor having a browser independent format.

30. A computer program product embodied by a data carrier or carried by a signal, the computer program product having a plurality of instructions for causing at least one processor of a client computer to refresh client-data stored in a client-data cache, the computer program product causing the client to execute the following instructions:

provide a predefined layout document and predetermined client-data, the predetermined client-data stored in the client-data cache in a browser independent format, the layout document using the client-data via a plurality of predefined client-side application independent functions;

receive a change-request to change the predetermined client-data into updated client-data according to the change request;

update the predetermined client-data in the client-data cache according to the change request; and

applying the updated client-data to the layout document.

31. The computer program product of claim 30 in which the layout document has a document object model and applying comprises an in-memory replacement of the document object model.

32. The computer program product of claim 30 in which the client applies the updated client-data to the layout document via a JAVA-Script function.

33. The computer program product of claim 30 in which the client applies the updated client-data to the layout document via a style sheet language transformation.

34. A client-data cache for storing client-data on a client, the client data being used by a layout document and being visualized by a browser running on the client, the client-data cache characterized in that:

the client-data has a format that is independent of the browser and the client'"'"'s operating system; and

the client-data is stored in the client-data cache are accessed by the layout document via a plurality of predefined client-side application independent functions.

35. A client-data cache for storing client-data on a client, the client data being used by a layout document and being visualized by a browser running on the client, the client-data cache characterized in that:

the client-data is stored in the client-data cache as an extensible markup language (XML) document; and

the client-data is stored in the client-cache are accessed by the layout document via a plurality of predefined client-side application independent functions.

36. A graphical human interface of a client computer for prompting a user with client-data are used by a layout document, wherein the layout document has a document object model;

upon modification of the client-data the client executing an in-memory replacement of the document object model;

the graphical human interface characterized in that

the client-data are stored in a client-data cache according to claim 35.

37. A computer system comprising at least a client computer having a client-memory and a server computer having a server-memory, the client-memory for storing a layout document and further comprising a client-data cache for storing client-data, the client data being used by the layout document, the client-memory further comprising a client program for receiving a sync-request to synchronize the client-data with server-data of the server, the computer system characterized in that:

the client-data cache stores client-data in a format that is independent of the browser and the client'"'"'s operating system;

the layout document uses the client-data via a plurality of predefined client-side application independent functions;

the client program causes the client to create a client-data descriptor in a browser independent format;

a server program stored in the server-memory causes the server to generate a server-data descriptor dependent on the client-data descriptor and a copy of the client-data and the server-data, the server-data descriptor having a browser independent format, and the client program causes the client to update the client-data in client-data cache according to the server-data descriptor.

38. The computer system of claim 37, wherein, after the updating of the client-data, the client program further causes the client:

to compare the server-data descriptor with the client-data descriptor to select a corresponding layout document; and

to apply the client-data to the corresponding layout document.

39. A client computer in a computer system, the client having a client-memory for storing a layout document and further comprising a client-data cache for storing client-data, the client data being used by the layout document, the client-memory further comprising a client program for receiving a sync-request to synchronize the client-data with server-data of a server of the computer system, the client characterized in that:

the client-data cache stores client-data in a format that is independent of the browser and the client'"'"'s operating system;

the layout document uses the client-data via a plurality of predefined client-side application independent functions;

the client program causes the client;

a) to create a client-data descriptor in a browser independent format;

b) to receive a server-data descriptor that is generated by the server and that depends on the client-data descriptor and a copy of the client-data and the server-data, the server-data descriptor having a browser independent format; and

c) to update the client-data in client-data cache according to the server-data descriptor.

40. The client of claim 39 in which the client program further causes the client:

to compare the server-data descriptor with the client-data descriptor to select a corresponding layout document; and

to apply the client-data to the corresponding layout document.

41. A server computer in a computer system, the server assisting a client to refresh client-data with respect to corresponding server-data provided by the server, the client-data being stored in a client-data cache;

the server characterized by;

a server computer program product having a plurality of instructions for causing the server to;

a) receive from the client a client-data descriptor having a browser independent format; and

b) generate a server-data descriptor dependent on the server-data and the client-data descriptor and a server-side copy of the client-data;

the server-data descriptor having a browser independent format.

42. A data structure for storing a client-data descriptor in a browser independent format comprising:

a request type that corresponds to a sync-request received by a client for refreshing client-data with respect to server-data of a server, the client-data being stored in a client-data cache of the client; and

a layout-ID representing a layout document used by the client, wherein the layout document uses the client-data.

43. The data structure of claim 42 in which the browser independent format is XML.

44. The data structure of claim 42 in which the client-data descriptor further comprises a client-data increment indicating the difference between predefined client-data and predetermined client-data.

45. A data structure for storing a server-data descriptor in a browser independent format comprising:

a layout-ID representing a layout document used by the client, wherein the layout document uses client-data stored in a client-data cache; and

a server-data increment indicating the difference between the client-data and server-data.

46. The data structure of claim 45 in which the server-data increment comprises object data and layout data.

47. The data structure of claim 45 in which the browser independent format is XML.