System and method for providing link property types for content management

• US 20070073744A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhou, Xiaojiang, Posner, Brad, Saarva, Tanya, Patadia, Jalpesh, Roth, Steven, McVeigh, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for providing linked property types in a content management system. These mechanisms and methods for providing linked property types in a content management system can enable users to specify a new property definition type, which refers to another node instance in the content management system. By specifying a link property definition type on a type, the user can then relate a node instance of the modeled type (link source) to any other node instance (link target) in the system. For example, a user can create a type Article with property definitions such as title, body and authorLink. The authorLink property definition can be a link type property definition. Then the user could define an Author content type. When an instance of an Article is created (anArticle), the authorLink property associated with anArticle could refer to a node instance of an Author.

Claims

1. A method for providing link property types in a content management system, the method comprising:

receiving a link property definition type comprising a property definition type that refers to at least one node instance (“

link target”

) in the content management system;

determining, from the definition of the link property definition type, at least one node (“

link source”

) in a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories;

wherein the at least one node corresponds to the link property definition type and has at least one relationship with the at least one node instance, the at least one node instance corresponding to the link target, the at least one relationship supporting relating the at least one node of the link source to the at least one node instance of the link target; and

managing content in the plurality of content repositories based upon the VCR.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a link property definition type comprising a property definition type that refers to a node instance in the content management system includes:

receiving a specification of a link property definition type on a type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, from the definition of the link property definition type, at least one node (“

link source”

) in a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories includes;

blocking creation of property choices for a link property definition type.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein blocking creation of property choices for a link property definition type includes:

blocking specifying default values for the property.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, from the definition of the link property definition type, at least one node (“

link source”

) in a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories includes;

retrieving a property of the link source node by;

retrieving the target node when the target node exists;

otherwise

returning null when the target node has not yet been specified;

otherwise

raising an exception.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, from the definition of the link property definition type, at least one node (“

link source”

) in a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories includes;

permitting a node which other nodes have as a link property target to be deleted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein managing content in the plurality of content repositories based upon the VCR includes:

relating the at least one node of the link source to the at least one node instance of the link target during operations on the VCR.

8. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for providing link property types in a content management system, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving a link property definition type comprising a property definition type that refers to at least one node instance (“

link target”

) in the content management system;

determining, from the definition of the link property definition type, at least one node (“

link source”

) in a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories;

wherein the at least one node corresponds to the link property definition type and has at least one relationship with the at least one node instance, the at least one node instance corresponding to the link target, the at least one relationship supporting relating the at least one node of the link source to the at least one node instance of the link target; and

managing content in the plurality of content repositories based upon the VCR.

9. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of receiving a link property definition type comprising a property definition type that refers to a node instance (“

link target”

) in the content management system include instructions for carrying out the step of;

receiving a specification of a link property definition type on a type.

10. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of determining, from the definition of the link property definition type, at least one node (“

link source”

) in a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories include instructions for carrying out the step of;

blocking creation of property choices for a link property definition type.

11. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of blocking creation of property choices for a link property definition type include instructions for carrying out the step of:

blocking specifying default values for the property.

12. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of determining, from the definition of the link property definition type, at least one node (“

link source”

) in a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories include instructions for carrying out the step of;

retrieving a property of the link source node by;

retrieving the target node when the target node exists;

otherwise

returning null when the target node has not yet been specified;

otherwise

raising an exception.

13. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of determining, from the definition of the link property definition type, at least one node (“

link source”

) in a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories include instructions for carrying out the step of;

permitting a node which other nodes have as a link property target to be deleted.

14. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of managing content in the plurality of content repositories based upon the VCR include instructions for carrying out the step of:

relating the at least one node of the link source to the at least one node instance of the link target during operations on the VCR.

15. An apparatus for providing link property types in a content management system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving a link property definition type comprising a property definition type that refers to at least one node instance (“

link target”

) in the content management system;

determining, from the definition of the link property definition type, at least one node (“

link source”

) in a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories;

wherein the at least one node corresponds to the link property definition type and has at least one relationship with the at least one node instance, the at least one node instance corresponding to the link target, the at least one relationship supporting relating the at least one node of the link source to the at least one node instance of the link target; and

managing content in the plurality of content repositories based upon the VCR.

16. A method for sending code through a transmission medium, comprising:

transmitting code to receive a link property definition type comprising a property definition type that refers to at least one node instance (“

link target”

) in the content management system;

transmitting code to determine, from the definition of the link property definition type, at least one node (“

link source”

) in a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories;

wherein the at least one node corresponds to the link property definition type and has at least one relationship with the at least one node instance, the at least one node instance corresponding to the link target, the at least one relationship supporting relating the at least one node of the link source to the at least one node instance of the link target; and

transmitting code to manage content in the plurality of content repositories based upon the VCR.