System for normalizing and archiving schemas

• US 20040268240A1
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WTVIII, Inc.
• Original Assignee: WTVIII, Inc.
• Inventors: Vincent, Winchel Todd III
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/80 of semi-structured data, e.g. markup language structured data such as SGML, XML or HTML content-based retrieval of web data G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/226 Validation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system for normalizing schemas and for archiving normalized schemas in a schema repository. A schema generator receives user input and creates normalized schemas based on the user input. The normalized schemas are archived in a schema repository that has a directory tree structure that can be searched to retrieve a schema using the schema namespace. Once a schema has been archived in the schema repository, the schema and its namespace preferably are frozen and cannot be altered. Schemas can be reused by searching the schema repository for a schema having a particular namespace, retrieving the archived schema and importing the retrieved schema into a document being created. The system may include multiple schema repositories with identical directory tree structures having identical schemas archived at identical locations in the directory tree structures.

Claims

1. A system for normalizing mark up language schema, the system comprising:

a schema generator configured to receive user input and to process the user input in accordance with a predefined schema framework rule set to generate and normalize schema; and

a first schema repository configured to archive schema and retrieve archived schema, the schema repository having a directory tree structure, and wherein each schema archived in the schema repository has a namespace associated with the schema that points to a location at which the schema is archived in the schema repository.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first schema repository corresponds to one or more servers located at one or more web addresses, and wherein each schema namespace includes a web address that designates a location of a server at which the schema associated with the web address is archived.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each schema namespace also includes a category identifier that identifies a file name in the first schema repository.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the category identifier identifies a genre to which the schema associated with the namespace relates.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the category identifier also identifies a geographical location.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein once a schema has been archived in the first schema repository, the archived schema cannot be modified.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a second schema repository configured to archive schema and retrieve archived schema, the second schema repository having a directory tree structure, and wherein each schema archived in the second schema repository has a namespace associated with the schema that points to a location at which the schema is archived in the second schema repository, and wherein at least some of the schema archived in the first schema repository are also archived in the second schema repository.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the directory tree structure of the second schema repository is identical to the directory tree structure of the first schema repository, and wherein identical schema archived in the first schema repository and in the second schema repository are archived at the same locations in the respective directory tree structures of the first and second schema repositories.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first schema repository further comprises:

a user interface configured to receive user input relating to a schema search request to be performed, the first schema repository being configured to search the archives of the first schema repository and retrieve a schema that matches the search request.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the schema generator further comprises:

a user interface configured to receive user input and to display information to the user relating to creating, editing and normalizing schema.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein schema are normalized by the schema generator by comparing schema with one or more rules of the schema framework rule set to determine whether the schema comply with said one or more rules, wherein if the schema generator determines that the schema is not normalized, the schema generator processes the schema to transform the schema into a normalized schema.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said one or more rules include determining whether a schema namespace is correct.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein groups of schema stored at certain locations in the first schema repository are copied to certain locations in the second schema repository.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a code generator configured to receive schema from the schema generator or from the first schema repository and to process the received schema to generate mark up language instance documents that validate against the received schema.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a document repository, wherein the code generator is configured to store the mark up language instance documents in the document repository.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the code generator is configured to send the mark,up language instance documents over a network to an address on the network.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the network is an Internet, and wherein the schema generator, the primary schema repository and the code generator communicate with each other via the Internet.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the schema generator is also configured to create schema documentation including documenting a history of a schema over time.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the schema generator is also configured to package schema and publish packaged schema.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the schema generator is also configured to encrypt schema packages and process encrypted schema packages.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

crawler logic configured to automatically update the schema repository.

28. The method of claim 13, wherein once a schema has been archived in the primary schema repository, the archived schema cannot be modified.

19. The system of clam 1, wherein the schema generator is also configured to create one or more data dictionaries.

23. A method for normalizing mark up language schema, the method comprising:

receiving user input and processing the user input in accordance with a predefined schema framework rule set to generate and normalize schema; and

archiving the normalized schema in a primary schema repository configured to archive schema and retrieve archived schema, the schema repository having a directory tree structure, and wherein each schema archived in the schema repository has a namespace associated with the schema that points to a location at which the schema is archived in the schema repository.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the primary schema repository corresponds to one or more servers located at one or more web addresses, and wherein each schema namespace includes a web address that designates a location of a server at which the schema associated with the web address is archived.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein each schema namespace also includes a category identifier that identifies a file name in the primary schema repository.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the category identifier identifies a genre to which the schema associated with the namespace relates.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the category identifier also identifies a geographical location.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

archiving normalized schema in an additional schema repository configured to archive schema and retrieve archived schema, the additional schema repository having a directory tree structure, and wherein each schema archived in the additional schema repository has a namespace associated with the schema that points to a location at which the schema is archived in the additional schema repository, and wherein at least some of the schema archived in the primary schema repository are also archived in the additional schema repository.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the directory tree structure of the additional schema repository is identical to the directory tree structure of the primary schema repository, and wherein identical schema archived in the primary schema repository and in the additional schema repository are archived at the same locations in the respective directory tree structures of the primary and additional schema repositories.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of processing schema to normalize schema includes comparing schema with one or more rules of the schema framework rule set to determine whether the schema comply with said one or more rules, and if a determination is made that a schema is not normalized, transforming the schema into a normalized schema.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said one or more rules include determining whether a schema namespace is correct.

33. A computer program for normalizing mark up language schema, the computer program being embodied on a computer-readable medium, the program comprising:

a first code segment for processing user input in accordance with a predefined schema framework rule set to normalize schema; and

a second code segment for causing the normalized schema to be archived in a primary schema repository configured to archive schema, the schema repository having a directory tree structure, and wherein each schema archived in the schema repository has a namespace associated with the schema that points to a location at which the schema is archived in the schema repository.