Customizing software applications that use an electronic database with stored product data

• US 20050289154A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Weiss, Jochen, Conrad, Peter, Zachmann, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and computer program product are provided for customizing an application software program that during execution communicates with an electronic database of product data. The method includes receiving an input indicating a user selection of a predefined database attribute that is defined to be an identifier type of attribute. The selected attribute is associated with a category of products for which data relating to products that are members of the product category are stored in the electronic database. The method also includes defining the selected attribute to be used during execution of a selected procedure of the application software program, wherein the selected procedure includes a product-identifying function.

Claims

1. A method of customizing an application software program that during execution communicates with an electronic database of product data, the method comprising:

receiving an input indicating a user selection of a predefined database attribute that is defined to be an identifier type of attribute, wherein the selected attribute is associated with a category of products for which data relating to products that are members of the product category are stored in the electronic database; and

defining the selected attribute to be used during execution of a selected procedure of the application software program, wherein the selected procedure includes a product-identifying function.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data structure has more than one attributes predefined to be an identifier type of attribute.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the method is performed multiple times to select multiple attributes to be used during execution of the selected procedure.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected attribute is further defined as a main identifier type that is used in a product record header display procedure.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the application software program procedure is a product search procedure, and the selected attribute is usable as a search field to perform a product search.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the application software program procedure involves the display of product identifying information for a product record stored in the electronic database.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a visual display of a list of attributes from which the selection of a predefined database attribute is made.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein multiple different software application programs provide for communication with the same electronic database of product data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein different identifier type attributes are defined to be used for different application software program procedures.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein multiple different business processes within the same software application program each provide for communication with the same electronic database of product data.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein different identifier type attributes are defined to be used for different procedures.

12. A computer program product tangibly embodied on an information carrier and comprising program instructions that when executed perform a method of customizing an application software program that during execution communicates with an electronic database of product data, wherein the method comprises:

receiving an input indicating a user selection of a predefined database attribute that is defined to be an identifier type of attribute, wherein the selected attribute is associated with a category of products for which data relating to products that are members of the product category are stored in the electronic database; and

defining the selected attribute to be used during execution of a selected procedure of the application software program, wherein the selected procedure includes a product-identifying function.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the data structure has more than one attributes predefined to be an identifier type of attribute.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the method is performed multiple times to select multiple attributes to be used during execution of the selected procedure.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the application software program procedure is a product search procedure, and the selected attribute is usable as a search field to perform a product search.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the application software program procedure involves the display of product identifying information for a product record stored in the electronic database.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein multiple different software application programs provide for communication with the same electronic database of product data.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein different identifier type attributes are defined to be used for different application software program procedures.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein multiple different business processes within the same software application program each provide for communication with the same electronic database of product data.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein different identifier type attributes are defined to be used for different procedures.