Managing different representations of information

• US 20040268247A1
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rosenpflanzer, Lutz, Leblanc, Richard, Steuernagel, Ralf
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/249
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application

Abstract

Systems and techniques, including computer program products, for managing different representations of information. The systems and techniques can include a method that includes receiving information identifying a first customization setting, receiving information identifying a second customization setting, and mapping the customized format of the data variable in the first data processing system to the customized format of the data variable in the second data processing system. The first customization setting can describe a customized representation of information in a data variable in a first data processing system. The second customization setting can describe a customized format of the data variable in the second data processing system.

Claims

1. A method for managing different representations of information, comprising:

receiving information identifying a first customization setting, the first customization setting describing a customized representation of information in a data variable in a first data processing system;

receiving information identifying a second customization setting, the second customization setting describing a customized format of the data variable in the second data processing system; and

mapping the customized format of the data variable in the first data processing system to the customized format of the data variable in the second data processing system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the customized format of the data variable comprises establishing machine-readable instructions for changing the customized format of the data variable in the first data processing system to the customized format of the data variable in the second data processing system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing machine-readable instructions comprises establishing a criterion for identifying the data variable in a first data structure.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing machine-readable instructions comprises establishing an extensible stylesheet language (XSL) file that describes how to change the customized format of the data variable.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing machine-readable instructions comprises:

receiving a framework for instructions; and

inserting instructions into the framework.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing machine-readable instructions comprises selecting a germane instruction for transforming the customization of data from a collection of instructions for transforming the customization of data.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing machine-readable instructions comprises establishing instructions for identifying the data variable in a data structure.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein establishing instructions for identifying the data variable comprises establishing an Xpath expression for identifying an object of an object class that includes the data variable.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing the customized format of the data variable in the first data processing system to the customized format of the data variable in the second data processing system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a trigger for the mapping of the data variable from a user, the trigger identifying a data object class that includes the data variable.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the results of the mapping in a collection of mapping results for other data variables.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information identifying the first customization setting comprises receiving instructions for locating the first customization setting in the first data processing system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information identifying the first customization setting comprises receiving the first customization setting.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving instructions for data interfacing with the first data processing system; and

adding the interfacing instructions to the results of the mapping.

15. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for managing different representations of information, the computer program product being operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive a data variable in a data structure, information in the data variable having a first representation associated with a first system;

receive a description of a second representation of the information in the data variable, the second representation associated with a second system; and

change the data variable from the first representation to the second representation separately from any change to the data structure.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the product is also operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive the data variable formatted in accordance with a first customization setting of the first system;

receive a second customization setting of the second system; and

change the data variable from being in accordance with the first customization setting to being in accordance with the second customization setting.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the product is also operable to cause the data processing apparatus to receive a current description of the first representation currently associated with the first system.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the product is also operable to cause the data processing apparatus to receive the description of the second representation from the second system.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the product is also operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive the data variable in a data object including a collection of further variables;

receive descriptions of further representations of information in the further variables, the further representations associated with the second system; and

change representations of the further variables to the further representations.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the product is also operable to cause the data processing apparatus to change the data structure to a second data structure associated with the second system.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the product is also operable to cause the data processing apparatus to establish machine-readable instructions for changing the data variable from the first representation to the second representation.