Platform-independent data dictionary

• US 20050203938A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Tsesis, Michael, Hoeft, Kerstin
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/8373 Query execution

Abstract

A server system may include a data dictionary to store platform-independent data types. A development client may access and modify a platform-independent data type stored in the data dictionary. The server system may notify other development clients using the data type that the data type has been modified.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request for a data type from a development client; and

providing a platform-independent data type from a data dictionary to the development client, responsive to the request for the data type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the platform-independent data type from the data dictionary to the development client, responsive to the request for the data type comprises:

providing a markup language based data type from the data dictionary, responsive to the request for the data type.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the markup language based data type from the data dictionary to the development client, responsive to the request for the data type comprises:

providing an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type from the data dictionary, responsive to the request for the data type.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the XML based data type comprises:

providing an XML based simple data type.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the XML based data type comprises:

providing an XML based database data type.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the XML based data type comprises:

providing an XML based complex data type.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the XML based complex data type comprises:

providing an XML based flat structure data type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the platform-independent data type from the data dictionary to the development client, responsive to the request for the data type comprises:

providing the platform-independent data type during design time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the platform-independent data type from a data dictionary to the development client, responsive to the request for the data type comprises:

providing the platform-independent data type from the data dictionary in an application server to the development client, responsive to the request for the data type.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the platform-independent data type from the data dictionary, responsive to the request for the data type comprises:

providing the platform-independent data type that is based, at least in part, on a previously defined data type.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a platform-independent data type from a development client; and

storing the platform-independent data type in a data dictionary.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the platform-independent data type comprises:

receiving a markup language based data type.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the markup language based data type comprises:

receiving an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a request for the data type from a first Java application; and

providing the requested data type to the first Java application.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a request for the data type from a second Java application; and

providing the requested data type to the second Java application.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving notification that the first Java application has modified the data type; and

notifying the second Java application that the data type has been modified.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the platform-independent data type comprises:

receiving a platform-independent data type that is based, at least in part, on a previously defined data type.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface;

a development environment to provide a platform-independent data type; and

a processor and logic executable thereon to send the platform-independent data type to a data dictionary over the network interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the development environment is a Java development environment.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the development environment to provide the platform-independent data type comprises:

a development environment to provide a markup Language based data type.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the development environment to provide the markup language based data type comprises:

a development environment to provide an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the XML based data type is an XML based simple data type.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the XML based simple data type is automatically defined based, at least in part, on a previously defined simple data type.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the XML based data type is an XML based flat structure data type.

25. A system comprising:

a client system having a development environment to provide a platform-independent data type; and

a server system having a data dictionary to store the platform-independent data type.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the client system having a development environment comprises:

a client system having a Java development environment.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the client system having a development environment to provide a platform-independent data type comprises:

a client system having a Java development environment to provide an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the server system comprises a Web application server.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the Web application server is a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) application server.

30. A system comprising:

means for creating a platform-independent data type; and

means for storing the platform-independent data type in a data dictionary.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for creating the platform-independent data type comprises:

means for creating an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for the data type from a first Java application; and

means for providing the data type to the first Java application.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for the defined data type from a second Java application; and

means for providing the defined data type to the second Java application.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

means for receiving notification that the first Java application has modified the requested data type; and

means for providing a modified data type to the second Java application, wherein the modified data type is based, at least in part, on the received notification from the first Java application.

35. An article of manufacture comprising:

an electronically accessible medium providing instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to

receive a request for a data type from a development client; and

provide a platform-independent data type from a data dictionary to the development client, responsive to the request for data type.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to provide the platform-independent data type from the data dictionary, responsive to the request for the data type include instructions that cause the apparatus to

provide an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to provide the XML based data type include instructions that cause the apparatus to

provide a XML based simple data type.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to provide the XML based data type include instructions that cause the apparatus to

provide an XML based complex data type.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to provide the XML based data type include instructions that cause the apparatus to

provide an XML based database data type.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to provide the XML based data type include instructions that cause the apparatus to

provide an XML based user interface data type.