Method and apparatus for self-describing externally defined data structures

• US 20040210554A1
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andy Oliver, Joe Perches
• Original Assignee: Andy Oliver, Joe Perches
• Inventors: Perches, Joe, Oliver, Andy
• Granted Patent: US 7,143,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a framework for computer application to utilize data structures by loading externally-defined container data structures, and building in-memory representation of data structures at runtime. Contrary to existing applications, computer applications implementing the invention may utilize data structures for which the architecture is not embedded within the application code. Embodiments of the invention provide mechanisms by which applications (or components thereof) implementing the invention may access and modify data structures and their individual elements.

Claims

1. A method for providing externally-described data structures comprising:

obtaining at least one description set for at least one container data structure;

obtaining at least one data structure in-memory representation by interpreting said at least one container data structure;

obtaining a mapping between one or more data elements of said at least one data structure and at least one function; and

handling access to said one or more data elements from one or more applications to read and write said one or more data elements.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one description set further comprises an extensible markup language based description set.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining at least one description set further comprises parsing at least one description file.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining at least one description set further comprises analyzing the hierarchical structure of said container data structure.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one container data structure further comprises obtaining a plurality of properties associated with said at least one container data structure.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said plurality of properties further comprises a plurality of name-value pairs.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said plurality of properties further comprises a property definition for each one of said plurality of properties.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said property definition further comprises a definition for a range of valid values.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said property definition further comprises a definition for a maximum value.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said property definition further comprises a definition for a minimum value.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said property definition further comprises a definition for a type of a variable.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one container data structure further comprises a hierarchical structure.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining said mapping further comprises associating at least one handler function with each of said one or more data elements.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said at least one handler function further comprises at least one function for reading the value of said one or more data elements.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said at least one handler function further comprises at least one function for writing the value of said one or more data elements.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said at least one handler function further comprises at least one function for handling variable type checks of said one or more data elements.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said at least one handler function further comprises at least one function for checking access permissions to said one or more data elements.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said handling access to said one or more data elements further comprises obtaining a reference from an application accessing said one or more data element.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said handling access to said one or more data elements further comprises notifying applications when said one or more data elements are modified.

20. A computer program product comprising:

a memory medium having computer readable program code for performing credential validation embodied therein, said computer readable program code configured to;

obtain at least one description set for at least one container data structure;

obtain at least one data structure in-memory representation by interpreting said at least one container data structure;

obtain a mapping between one or more data elements of said at least one data structure and at least one function; and

handle access to said one or more data elements from one or more applications to read and write said one or more data elements.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said at least one description set further comprises an extensible markup language based description set.

22. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said computer program product configured to obtain at least one description set further comprises computer program product configured to parse at least one description file.

23. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said computer program product configured to obtain at least one description set further comprises computer program product configured to analyze the hierarchical structure of said container data structure.

24. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said at least one container data structure further comprises computer program product configured to obtain a plurality of properties associated with said at least one container data structure.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said plurality of properties further comprises a plurality of name-value pairs.

26. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said plurality of properties further comprises a property definition for each one of said plurality of properties.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said property definition further comprises a definition for a range of valid values.

28. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said property definition further comprises a definition for a maximum value.

29. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said property definition further comprises a definition for a minimum value.

30. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said property definition further comprises a definition for a type of a variable.

31. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said at least one container data structure further comprises a hierarchical structure.

32. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said computer program product configured to obtain said mapping further comprises computer program product configured to associate at least one handler function with each of said one or more data elements.

33. The computer program product of claim 32 wherein said at least one handler function further comprises at least one function for reading the value of said one or more data elements.

34. The computer program product of claim 32 wherein said at least one handler function further comprises at least one function for writing the value of said one or more data elements.

35. The computer program product of claim 32 wherein said at least one handler function further comprises at least one function configured to handle variable type checks of said one or more data elements.

36. The computer program product of claim 32 wherein said at least one handler function further comprises at least one function configured to check access permissions to said one or more data elements.

37. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said computer program product configured to handle access to said one or more data elements further comprises computer program product configured to obtain a reference from an application accessing said one or more data element.

38. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said computer program product configured to handle access to said one or more data elements further comprises computer program product configured to notify applications when said one or more data elements are modified.