Multi-layered data model for generating audience-specific documents

• US 20060271571A1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Yospe, Nathan, Weinberg, Paul, Brookler, David, Sullivan, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/948 Product or catalog

Abstract

One or more embodiments of invention are directed to a multi-layered data model for generating audience-specific documents will now be described. The invention is used in the context of generating a document such as a catalog or web page for publication across regions and cultures comprising multiple languages. It allows users to rapidly generate multi-language, multi-culture and multi-region documents since fields flagged as multi-lingual may utilize existing buckets that comprise pre-filled multi-language, multi-culture and multi-region values without requiring the user to specify every multi-value when creating a record.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method for utilizing a multi-layered data model for generating audience-specific documents comprising:

obtaining an audience identifier for which to generate an audience-specific document with;

obtaining a first audience order identifier for an initial position from an audience order table;

accessing a first field in a first table in a database corresponding to at least one audience-specific value;

obtaining a reference from said first field in said first table;

accessing a second table in order to check for the existence of a first audience-specific value corresponding to said reference and said first audience order identifier;

determining if said first audience-specific value exists;

returning said first audience-specific value if said first audience-specific value has been determined to exist via said determining step;

determining a next audience order identifier for a next position from said audience order table; and

,

repeating said accessing said second table, said determining if said first audience-specific value exists, and said returning said first audience-specific value if said first audience-specific value has been determined to exist until all audience order identifiers having said audience identifier have been accessed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding support for a new audience without altering said first table wherein said first table comprises a main data table.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing an audience table to determine if an audience is enabled.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accepting payment for access to audience-specific information.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

setting said first audience order identifier for said initial position to a second audience identifier for utilizing another audience in its entirety when accessing said second table.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

setting said first audience order identifier for said initial position to said first audience identifier;

setting a second audience order identifier for a second position to a second audience identifier that differs from said first audience identifier;

said first audience identifier corresponding to a first data set for a first audience that comprises less entries than a second data set for a second audience corresponding to said second audience identifier; and

,

accessing said first audience identifier first and said second audience identifier second when said first audience-specific value does not exist in said second table.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

setting said first audience order identifier for said initial position to said first audience identifier;

setting a second audience order identifier for a second position to a second audience identifier that differs from said first audience identifier;

said first audience identifier corresponding to a first data set for a first audience that comprises more entries than a second data set for a second audience corresponding to said second audience identifier; and

,

accessing said first audience identifier first and said second audience identifier second when said first audience-specific value does not exist in said second table.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

said obtaining said audience identifier further comprising presenting a user interface to a user.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

said obtaining said audience identifier further comprising obtaining information from an environment variable on a computer associated with a user.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

said obtaining said audience identifier further comprising obtaining information from a browser session variable.

11. A computer program product for utilizing a multi-layered data model for generating audience-specific documents comprising:

a computer usable memory medium having computer readable program code embodied therein wherein said computer readable program code comprises is configured to;

obtain an audience identifier for which to generate an audience-specific document with;

obtain a first audience order identifier for an initial position from an audience order table;

access a first field in a first table in a database corresponding to at least one audience-specific value;

obtain a reference from said first field in said first table;

access a second table in order to check for the existence of a first audience-specific value corresponding to said reference and said first audience order identifier;

determine if said first audience-specific value exists;

return said first audience-specific value if said first audience-specific value has been determined to exist via said determining step;

determine a next audience order identifier for a next position from said audience order table; and

,

repeat said access said second table, said determine if said first audience-specific value exists, and said return of said first audience-specific value if said first audience-specific value has been determined to exist until all audience order identifiers having said audience identifier have been accessed.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further configured to:

add support for a new audience without altering said first table wherein said first table comprises a main data table.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 further configured to:

access an audience table to determine if an audience is enabled.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 further configured to:

accept payment for access to audience-specific information.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further configured to:

set said first audience order identifier for said initial position to a second audience identifier for utilizing another audience in its entirety when accessing said second table.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 further configured to:

set said first audience order identifier for said initial position to said first audience identifier;

set a second audience order identifier for a second position to a second audience identifier that differs from said first audience identifier;

said first audience identifier corresponding to a first data set for a first audience that comprises less entries than a second data set for a second audience corresponding to said second audience identifier; and

,

access said first audience identifier first and said second audience identifier second when said first audience-specific value does not exist in said second table.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 further configured to:

set said first audience order identifier for said initial position to said first audience identifier;

set a second audience order identifier for a second position to a second audience identifier that differs from said first audience identifier;

said first audience identifier corresponding to a first data set for a first audience that comprises more entries than a second data set for a second audience corresponding to said second audience identifier; and

,

access said first audience identifier first and said second audience identifier second when said first audience-specific value does not exist in said second table.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 further configured to:

present a user interface to a user.

19. The computer program product of claim 11 farther configured to:

obtain information from an passed from a computer associated with a user.

20. A system utilizing a multi-layered data model for generating audience-specific documents comprising:

means for obtaining an audience identifier for which to generate an audience-specific document with;

means for obtaining a first audience order identifier for an initial position from an audience order table;

means for accessing a first field in a first table in a database corresponding to at least one audience-specific value;

means for obtaining a reference from said first field in said first table;

means for accessing a second table in order to check for the existence of a first audience-specific value corresponding to said reference and said first audience order identifier;

means for determining if said first audience-specific value exists;

means for returning said first audience-specific value if said first audience-specific value has been determined to exist via said determining step;

means for determining a next audience order identifier for a next position from said audience order table; and

,

means for repeating said accessing said second table, said determining if said first audience-specific value exists, and said returning said first audience-specific value if said first audience-specific value has been determined to exist until all audience order identifiers having said audience identifier have been accessed.