Defining and generating a viewtype for a base model

• US 20060136482A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Daudenarde, Jean-Jacques Paul, Silberbauer, Amy Marie, Conn, Sharon T., Boyer, Philip L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Disclosed is a technique for processing a base model. The base model is received. Then, the base model is used to create a ViewType comprising a ViewType object, one or more ViewList objects corresponding to classes in the base model, and one or more ViewElem objects corresponding to attributes in the base model.

Claims

1. A method for processing a base model, comprising:

receiving the base model; and

using the base model to create a ViewType comprising a ViewType object, one or more ViewList objects corresponding to classes in the base model, and one or more ViewElem objects corresponding to attributes in the base model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the base model is represented by an XMI file and wherein using the base model further comprises:

parsing the XMI file to generate the ViewType object, the one or more ViewList objects, and the one or more ViewElem objects.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of which class in the base model is to be a root class in the ViewType and generating the ViewType with that class as a root.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

defining a ViewType class;

defining zero or more ViewList classes associated with the ViewType class; and

defining zero or more ViewElem classes associated with one of the ViewList classes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ViewType created comprises a comprehensive ViewType based on a specified root class.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the ViewType as a tree type of structure in a user interface;

receiving modifications to the tree type of structure based on the base model;

modifying the ViewType based on the modifications to the tree type of structure; and

saving the ViewType to an XMI file.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving selection of the ViewType stored as an XMI file;

converting the XMI file to a ViewType; and

displaying the ViewType as a tree view in the user interface.

8. An article of manufacture including a program for processing a base model, wherein the program is capable of causing operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

receiving the base model; and

using the base model to create a ViewType comprising a ViewType object, one or more ViewList objects corresponding to classes in the base model, and one or more ViewElem objects corresponding to attributes in the base model.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the base model is represented by an XMI file and wherein operations for using the base model further comprise:

parsing the XMI file to generate the ViewType object, the one or more ViewList objects, and the one or more ViewElem objects.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an indication of which class in the base model is to be a root class in the ViewType and generating the ViewType with that class as a root.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

defining a ViewType class;

defining zero or more ViewList classes associated with the ViewType class; and

defining zero or more ViewElem classes associated with one of the ViewList classes.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the ViewType created comprises a comprehensive ViewType based on a specified root class.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying the ViewType as a tree type of structure in a user interface;

receiving modifications to the tree type of structure based on the base model;

modifying the ViewType based on the modifications to the tree type of structure; and

saving the ViewType to an XMI file.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving selection of the ViewType stored as an XMI file;

converting the XMI file to a ViewType; and

displaying the ViewType as a tree view in the user interface.

15. A system for processing a base model, comprising:

circuitry capable of performing operations, the operations comprising;

receiving the base model; and

using the base model to create a ViewType comprising a ViewType object, one or more ViewList objects corresponding to classes in the base model, and one or more ViewElem objects corresponding to attributes in the base model.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the base model is represented by an XMI file and wherein operations for using the base model further comprise:

parsing the XMI file to generate the ViewType object, the one or more ViewList objects, and the one or more ViewElem objects.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an indication of which class in the base model is to be a root class in the ViewType and generating the ViewType with that class as a root.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

defining a ViewType class;

defining zero or more ViewList classes associated with the ViewType class; and

defining zero or more ViewElem classes associated with one of the ViewList classes.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the ViewType created comprises a comprehensive ViewType based on a specified root class.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying the ViewType as a tree type of structure in a user interface;

receiving modifications to the tree type of structure based on the base model;

modifying the ViewType based on the modifications to the tree type of structure; and

saving the ViewType to an XMI file.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving selection of the ViewType stored as an XMI file;

converting the XMI file to a ViewType; and

displaying the ViewType as a tree view in the user interface.