Detecting and handling changes to back-end systems

• US 20050267913A1
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Wente, Felix, Wilhelm, Georg, Hartig, Martin, Stienhans, Frank, Fiedler, Thomas, Hammerich, Reiner P., Seeger, Frank E., Bindewald, Jutta
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The description includes methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for detecting and handling changes to back-end systems. Configuration data for a pattern is received. The pattern includes a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifies predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements. The configuration data includes a first version identification and specifies associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system. The back-end system is accessed and a second version identification is obtained. If the first version identification does not match the second version identification, the configuration data is modified based on information about the back-end system.

Claims

1. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product comprising instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

receive configuration data for a pattern, the pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the configuration data comprising a first version identification and specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system;

access the back-end system and obtain a second version identification; and

if the first version identification does not match the second version identification, modify the configuration data based on information about the back-end system.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first version identification and the second version identification each correspond to a version of the back-end system.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first version identification and the second version identification each correspond to a version of a specific entity in the back-end system.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the instructions to obtain the second version identification are not executed until an application corresponding to the configuration data accesses the specific entity in the back-end system.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the instructions to access the back-end system and to modify the configuration data are executed when an application corresponding to the configuration data is first launched.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to disregard an added entity in the back-end system.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the added entity comprises an added field.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to disregard a deleted entity not included in the back-end system but referenced in the configuration data.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the deleted entity comprises a deleted field.

10. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to disable functionality associated with a deleted entity not included in the back-end system but referenced in the configuration data.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the functionality comprises displaying data associated with the deleted entity.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the functionality comprises invoking one of the predefined actions in association with the deleted entity.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to display a notification message related to the deleted entity.

14. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to modify one or more of the user interface elements that are associated with a modified entity in the back-end system.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the information about the back-end system comprises a data type associated with the modified entity.

16. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to enable a user to specify whether to save the configuration data.

17. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the information about the back-end system comprises a flag.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to display an added entity in the back-end system that is associated with the flag.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to highlight a modified entity in the back-end system that is associated with the flag.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to terminate execution of an application if the flag is associated with a deleted entity not included in the back-end system but referenced in the configuration data.

21. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to persist the modified configuration data in a configuration file associated with the configuration file.

22. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the pattern is a first pattern and wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to:

establish an integrated development environment for developing applications based on a programming model;

establish a plurality of patterns including the first pattern, each pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, and each pattern having an associated configuration application and an associated pattern component, wherein each configuration application and each pattern component is developed using the integrated development environment and conforms to the programming model; and

develop an application by executing the configuration application for the first pattern to produce configuration data for the first pattern, the configuration data specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in the back-end system, and further specifying customization data for the user interface elements.

23. The product of claim 22, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to establish one or more run-time services operable to be used by applications developed according to the programming model, and wherein the pattern component invokes one or more of the run-time services during execution of the application.

24. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product comprising instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

receive a specification of a configuration application corresponding to a pattern, wherein;

the pattern includes a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifies predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements; and

the configuration application comprises a first version identification, and is operable to enable a user to specify associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system;

access the back-end system and obtain a second version identification; and

if the first version identification does not match the second version identification, modify the configuration application based on information about the back-end system.

25. A method comprising:

receiving configuration data for a pattern, the pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the configuration data comprising a first version identification and specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system;

accessing the back-end system and obtaining a second version identification; and

if the first version identification does not match the second version identification, modifying the configuration data based on information about the back-end system.

26. A system comprising:

a pattern component adapted to receive configuration data for a pattern, the pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the configuration data comprising a first version identification and specifying associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system, access the back-end system and obtain a second version identification, and, if the first version identification does not match the second version identification, modify the configuration data based on information about the back-end system.