Mechanism for maintaining data format synchronization between different entities

• US 20060259909A1
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Global Communications, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Passero, Gary A., Auzar, Adzim Raja, Li, Hong Q., Muoio, James E. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/312
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/88 Mark-up to mark-up conversion conversion for visualization in web browsing G06F16/9577
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

A software data interface technique allows a program to retrieve data from another program, whether or not data formats employed by the two programs are mutually compatible. An application-independent data format, F_exchange, is a priori agreed upon and readable by creators of the two programs. In the course of storing data during execution of a first program, that data file is augmented to include instructions that convert the format of the data into the application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange. During execution of the second program, whenever access of data stored in the first program is required, the second program retrieves from the first data file instructions for converting the format of the data to the application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange. The second program then executes the conversion instructions so as to retrieve the data from the first program.

Claims

1. A method of enabling data stored in a file associated with a first application program A₁ to be read by a second application program A₂ that may not have data-sharing compatibility with said first application program A₁, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) defining, a priori, an application-independent data format, F_exchange, that is agreed upon by all consumer applications, including said first and second application programs A₁ and A₂, respectively;

(b) in the course of storing data in a first data file associated with the execution of said first application program A₁, providing in said first data file instructions that are operative to convert the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange;

(c) in the course of execution of said second application program A₂, whenever access of data stored in said first file of said first application program A₁ is required, causing said second application program A₂ to retrieve from said first data file instructions for converting the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange; and

(d) causing said second application program A₂ to execute said retrieved instructions for converting the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange, thereby retrieving the data from said first application program A₁.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises presenting one or more prescribed common data queries (CDQs) to said second application program A₂ from said first application program A₁, and thereby causing said second application program A₂ to retrieve from said first data file instructions for converting the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a respective common data query includes at least one of a version, a type and a name of a node that may be used by said second application program A₂ to locate the data transformation instructions for said data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises, in the course of storing data in a first data file associated with the updating of said first application program A₁, appending in said first data file an associated updated set of instructions that are operative to convert the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange, corresponds to an extensible markup language (XML)-based format.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the course of executing steps (c) and (d), said second application program A₂ searches for entry points as identified by XML nodes, and wherein, for each entry point found retrieves an extensible stylesheet language template (XSLT) stylesheet as a child node of the entry point XML node, provides the entire file as a source document to an XSLT transformation engine, provides the retrieved XSLT stylesheet to the XSLT transformation engine, retrieves the output of executing the stylesheet on the data file, parses the data obtained from the file and enters the parsed data into a data file for said second application program A₂.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein data employed in the execution of said first and second application programs A₁ and A₂, respectively, includes one or more data entry items including a communication network configuration, types of communication devices employed in said network, transmit and receive frequencies of said communication devices, telephone numbers of various communication devices and internet protocol addresses of communication devices employable by said network.

8. In a data processing system for a communication network comprised of a plurality of communication sites, wherein data stored in a file associated with a first communication program CP₁ employed by a first communication device at a first site may not have data-sharing compatibility with a second communication program CP₂ employed by a second communication device at a second site, the improvement comprising a method of enabling data stored in a file associated with said first communication program CP₁ at said first site to be read by a second communication program CP₂ at said second site, said improvement comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing said network such that all potential participants agree, a priori, on an application-independent data format, F_exchange, that is readable by all participants of said network including said first and second communication programs CP₁ and CP₂, respectively;

(b) in the course of storing data in a first data file associated with the execution of said first communication program CP₁, providing in said first data file instructions that are effective to convert the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange;

(c) in the course of execution of said second communication program CP₂, whenever access of data stored in said first file of said first communication program CP₁ is required, causing said second communication program CP₂ to retrieve from said first data file instructions for converting the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange; and

(d) causing said second communication program CP₂ to execute said retrieved instructions for converting the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange, thereby retrieving the data from said first communication program CP₁.

9. The improvement according to claim 8, wherein step (c) comprises presenting one or more prescribed common data queries (CDQs) from said second communication program CP₂ to said first communication program CP₁, and thereby causing said second communication program CP₂ to retrieve from said first data file instructions for converting the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange.

10. The improvement according to claim 9, wherein a respective common data query includes at least one of a version, a type and a name of a node that may be accessed by said second communication program CP₂ to retrieve said data.

11. The improvement according to claim 8, wherein step (b) comprises, in the course of storing data in a first data file associated with the updating of said first communication program CP₁, appending in said first data file an associated updated set of instructions that are operative to convert the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange.

12. The improvement according to claim 8, wherein said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange, corresponds to extensible markup language (XML) format.

13. The improvement according to claim 8, wherein, in the course of executing steps (c) and (d), said second communication program CP₂ searches for entry points as identified by XML nodes, and wherein, for each entry point found retrieves an extensible style sheet language template (XSLT) stylesheet as a child node of the entry point XML node, provides the entire file as a source document to an XSLT transformation engine, provides the retrieved XSLT stylesheet to an XSLT transformation engine, retrieves the output of executing the stylesheet on the data file, a parses the data obtained from the file and enters the parsed data into a data file for said second communication program CP₂.

14. The improvement according to claim 8, wherein data employed in the execution of said first and second communication programs CP₁ and CP₂, respectively, includes one or more data entry items including the communication network configuration, types of communication devices employed in said network, transmit and receive frequencies of said communication devices, telephone numbers of various communication devices and internet protocol addresses of communication devices employable by said network.

15. A system for enabling data stored in a file associated with a first application program A₁ that is executable on said system from being read by a second application program A₂ that is also executable on said system but does not necessarily have data-sharing compatibility with said first application program A₁, wherein a priori, an application-independent data format, F_exchange, is agreed upon and is readable by said first and second application programs A₁ and A₂, respectively, said system being operative to execute the following steps:

(a) in the course of storing data in a first data file associated with the execution of said first application program A₁, providing in said first data file instructions that are operative to convert the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange;

(b) in the course of execution of said second application program A₂, whenever access of data stored in said first file of said first application program A₁ is required, causing said second application program A₂ to retrieve from said first data file instructions for converting the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange; and

(c) causing said second application program A₂ to execute said retrieved instructions for converting the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange, thereby retrieving the data from said first application program A₁.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein step (b) comprises presenting one or more prescribed common data queries (CDQs) from said second application program A₂ to said first application program A₁, and thereby causing said second application program A₂ to retrieve from said first data file instructions for converting the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein a respective common data query includes at least one of a version, a type and a name of a node that may be accessed by said second application program A₂ to retrieve said data.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein step (a) comprises, in the course of storing data in a first data file associated with the updating of said first application program A₁, appending in said first data file an associated updated set of instructions that are operative to convert the format of the data in said first data file to said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein said application-independent intermediate data format, F_exchange, corresponds to extensible markup language (XML) format, and wherein, in the course of executing steps (b) and (c), said second application program A₂ searches for entry points as identified by XML nodes, and wherein, for each entry point found retrieves an extensible style sheet language template (XSLT) stylesheet as a child node of the entry point XML node, provides the entire file as a source document to an XSLT transformation engine, provides the retrieved XSLT stylesheet to an XSLT transformation engine, retrieves the output of executing the stylesheet on the data file, a parses the data obtained from the file and enters the parsed data into a data file for said second application program A₂.