System and method for hierarchical data document modification

• US 20050193009A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Moeller, Stefan J., Reinhardt, Tilo
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system and method for data element extraction from hierarchically structured documents. According to one embodiment, a generator extracts a plurality of data elements from a stored hierarchical data file that is in a first format, in accordance with a data set that is unique to the particular hierarchical data file, and arranges the plurality of data elements in a second format so that the arrangement provides the plurality of data elements with a document context, and so that the data elements can be further arranged in a third format without using the data set.

Claims

1. A computer system for modification of stored hierarchical data files comprising:

a generator configured to convert data between a first format and one of a plurality of user-modifiable document formats,

wherein, when the data is in the first format, the data is arranged as an hierarchical document, and

wherein, when the data is in the user-modifiable document format, the data is arranged as a plurality of data elements, the arrangement configured to provide a document context.

2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

a customizing table configured to store a plurality of data sets, each data set unique to a particular one of a plurality of hierarchical data file types,

wherein the generator includes a first generator and a second generator, and wherein the conversion includes a first conversion and a second conversion,

wherein, in the first conversion, the first generator is configured to convert, according to one of the data sets, the data between the first format and a second format,

wherein, in the second conversion, the second generator is configured to convert the data between the second format and the user-modifiable document format, the data set not required for the second conversion, and

wherein, when the data is in the second format, the data is arranged as the plurality of data elements, the arrangement configured to provide the document context.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the data includes core-data and metadata, the metadata configured to describe the core-data, the core-data and the metadata arranged as a bundle when the data is in the second format, the core-data and the metadata separately arranged when the data is in the user-modifiable document format.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the metadata is configured to be user understandable.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the metadata includes a modifiability indicator that indicates whether the core-data described by the metadata is modifiable by a user.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein, when the first generator converts the data from the second format to the first format, the computer system is configured to return an error message if the data contains non-modifiable core-data that has been modified.

7. The computer system of claim 3, wherein, when the data is in the user-modifiable document format, the metadata is configured to be arranged in a first group of data-cells and the core-data is configured to be arranged in a second group of data-cells.

8. The computer system of claim 2, wherein, when a download-button is selected, the first generator is configured to convert the data from the first format to the second format, and the second generator is configured to convert the data from the second format to the user-modifiable document format, and wherein, when an upload-button is selected, the second generator is configured to convert the data from the user-modifiable document format to the second format, and the first generator is configured to convert the data from the second format to the first format.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein a first user can enter a change-mode for a hierarchical data file, and wherein a second user can enter a display-mode and not the change-mode for the hierarchical data file when the first user enters the change-mode for the hierarchical data file, the upload-button selectable when in the change-mode and not selectable when in the display-mode, the download-button selectable when in one of the display-mode and the change-mode.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the second user can modify the data of the hierarchical data file and locally save the modified data when in the display-mode, and wherein the second user automatically enters the change-mode when the first user exits the change-mode.

11. The computer system of claim 2, wherein, when a download-button is selected, the second generator is configured to transmit the data in the user-modifiable document format directly if the data does not exceed a predetermined threshold amount, and indirectly as an e-mail attachment if the data exceeds the predetermined threshold amount.

12. The computer system of claim 2, further comprising:

a database configured to store a first hierarchical data file of a first hierarchical data file type and a second hierarchical data file of a second hierarchical data file type,

the data set of the first hierarchical data file type configured to vary from the data set of the second hierarchical data file type,

the first generator configured to base the conversion on the data set of the first hierarchical data file type when converting the data of the first hierarchical data file, and to base the conversion on the data set of the second hierarchical data file type when converting the data of the second hierarchical data file.

13. The computer system of claim 2, wherein, when the first generator converts the data from the second format to the first format, the first generator is configured to determine whether the data includes a data modification, and to convert the data by an arrangement in a hierarchical data file of only a modified portion of the data.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the data includes metadata that includes an upload-indicator, the first generator configured to determine whether the data includes the data modification based on the upload-indicator.

15. The computer system of claim 2, wherein, when an upload-button is selected, the generator is configured to perform a direct conversion if the data does not exceed a predetermined threshold amount, and to perform a background conversion if the data exceeds the predetermined threshold amount.

16. The computer system of claim 2, wherein, after the conversion from the second format to the first format, a user can choose to one of save and discard a data modification.

17. The computer system of claim 1, wherein when the data is in the user-modifiable document format, the data is tabularly formatted.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the user-modifiable document format is a Tab Separated File format.

19. The computer system of claim 1, wherein, when the data is in the user-modifiable document format, the data is sortable in one of a generic and a customized manner.

20. The computer system of claim 1, wherein, when the data is in the user-modifiable document format, a user can at least one of delete, add to, and change data elements from the plurality of data elements.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the user can add at least one dynamic data element to the plurality of data elements when the data in the user-modifiable document format.

22. A computer-implemented method for modification of stored hierarchical data files comprising:

converting data between a first format and one of a plurality of user-modifiable document formats,

wherein, when the data is in the first format, the data is arranged as an hierarchical document, and

wherein converting the data from the first format to the user-modifiable document format includes arranging the data as a plurality of data elements, the arrangement providing a document context.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing a plurality of data sets, each data set unique to a particular one of a plurality of hierarchical data file types,

wherein the conversion includes a first conversion and a second conversion,

wherein the first conversion includes converting, according to one of the data sets, the data between the first format and a second format,

wherein the second conversion includes converting the data between the second format and the user-modifiable document format, the data set not required for the second conversion, and

wherein, converting the data from the first format to the second format includes arranging the data as the plurality of data elements, the arrangement providing the document context.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein the data includes core-data and metadata that describes the core-data, the core-data and the metadata arranged as a bundle when the data is in the second format, the core-data and the metadata separately arranged when the data is in the user-modifiable document format.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 24, wherein the metadata is user understandable.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 24, wherein the metadata includes a modifiability indicator that indicates whether the core-data described by the metadata is modifiable by a user.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising:

when the data is converted from the second format to the first format, returning an error message if the data contains non-modifiable core-data that has been modified.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 24, further comprising:

arranging the metadata in a first group of data-cells and the core-data in a second group of data-cells, when converting the data from the second format to the user-modifiable document format.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, further comprising:

converting, in the first conversion, the data from the first format to the second format when a download-button is selected;

converting, in the second conversion, the data from the second format to the user-modifiable document format when the download-button is selected;

converting, in the second conversion, the data from the user-modifiable document format to the second format when an upload-button is selected; and

converting, in the first conversion, the data from the second format to the first format when the upload-button is selected.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, further comprising:

a first user entering into a change-mode for a hierarchical data file; and

a second user entering into a display-mode and not the change-mode for the hierarchical data file when the first user enters the change-mode for the hierarchical data file, the upload-button selectable when in the change-mode and not selectable when in the display-mode, the download-button selectable when in one of the display-mode and the change-mode.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 30, wherein the second user can modify the data of the hierarchical data file and locally save the modified data when in the display-mode, the second user automatically entering the change-mode when the first user exits the change-mode.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, further comprising:

storing a first hierarchical data file of a first hierarchical data file type and a second hierarchical data file of a second hierarchical data file type,

the data set of the first hierarchical data file type varying from the data set of the second hierarchical data file type,

the first conversion based on the data set of the first hierarchical data file type when the data of the first hierarchical data file is converted, and

the first conversion based on the data set of the second hierarchical data file type when the data of the second hierarchical data file is converted.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, further comprising:

when the data is converted from the second format to the first format, determining whether the data includes a data modification; and

converting the data by arranging in a hierarchical data file only a modified portion of the data.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 33, wherein the data includes metadata that includes an upload-indicator that is the basis for determining whether the data includes the data modification.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein, after the conversion from the second format to the first format, a data modification can be one of saved and discarded.

36. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

transmitting, when a download-button is selected, a user-modifiable document directly if the data does not exceed a predetermined threshold amount, and indirectly as an e-mail attachment if the data exceeds the predetermined threshold amount.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein, when an upload-button is selected, a direct conversion is performed if the data does not exceed a predetermined threshold amount, and a background conversion is performed if the data exceeds the predetermined threshold amount.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein when the data is in the user-modifiable document format, the data is tabularly formatted.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 38, wherein the user-modifiable document format is a Tab Separated File format.

40. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

sorting the data, when the data is in the user-modifiable document format, in one of a generic and a customized manner.

41. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

one of deleting, adding to, and changing data elements from the plurality of data elements, when the data is in the user-modifiable document format.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 41, further comprising:

adding at least one dynamic data element to the plurality of data elements when the data is in the user-modifiable document format.

43. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps to be used to control a method for modification of stored hierarchical data files, the method comprising:

converting data between a first format and one of a plurality of user-modifiable document formats,

wherein, when the data is in the first format, the data is arranged as an hierarchical document, and

wherein converting the data from the first format to the user-modifiable document format includes arranging the data as a plurality of data elements, the arrangement providing a document context.

44. A computer-implemented method for modification of stored hierarchical data files comprising:

extracting a plurality of data elements from a stored hierarchical data file that is in a first format, according to one of a plurality of stored data sets, each data set unique to a particular one of a plurality of hierarchical data file types;

arranging the plurality of data elements in a second format, according to the data set, the arrangement in the second format providing a document context; and

arranging the plurality of data elements in one of a plurality user-modifiable document formats, the data set not required for the arrangement in the user-modifiable document format, the arrangement in the user-modifiable document format providing the document context.