Integrating line-of-business application data with documents

• US 20070106933A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Keyser, Chris, Nene, Bhushan
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Merging data from LOB applications into document templates within productivity applications without the need for custom programming is provided. A document template within a productivity application is provided, and an XML schema is attached to the document template. The XML schema allows the LOB application data to be modeled generically using a business object paradigm. Meta-data is accessed from the LOB application. Using the attached XML schema, a user may mark-up the document template with schema nodes corresponding to the meta-data from the LOB application. Data from the LOB application may then be accessed and merged into the schema nodes, creating a data-merged document. Data may be further interactively merged from the LOB application into the data-merged document.

Claims

1. A method, implemented at least in part by a computing device, for generating a data-merged document by integrating data from a line-of-business (LOB) application with a document template within a productivity application, the method comprising:

accessing meta-data from the LOB application;

attaching an XML schema to the document template, wherein the XML schema provides a generic business object schema for modeling the data from the LOB application as one or more business objects and one or more business object properties based on the meta-data from the LOB application;

mapping one or more schema nodes to the document template based on user input, the one or more schema nodes corresponding to the meta-data from the LOB application;

accessing data from the LOB application; and

merging the data from the LOB application into the document template based on the one or more schema nodes mapped to the document template to create the data-merged document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the productivity application is selected from the group consisting of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, and an electronic mail application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the LOB application exposes the meta-data in an XML format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping one or more schema nodes to the document template comprises providing a context-sensitive user interface for mapping schema nodes to the document template.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing data from the LOB application comprises:

formulating a data query based on the one or more schema nodes mapped to the document template;

sending the data query to the LOB application; and

receiving the data from the LOB application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein formulating a data query comprises:

inquiring the document template for the one or more schema nodes mapped to the document template; and

generating a map based on the one or more schema nodes; and

formulating the data query based on the map.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein merging the data into the document template comprises:

traversing the map in conjunction with the data from the LOB application; and

copying the data from the LOB application into the schema nodes.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current schema node within the data-merged document;

accessing data from the LOB application based on the current schema node; and

merging one or more instances of the data from the LOB application into the current schema node based on a user selection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein merging one or more instances of the data from the LOB application into the current schema node comprises providing a context-sensitive user interface displaying the data from the LOB application.

10. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for causing a computing device to perform the method of claim 1.

11. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of mapping a schema node to a document template within a productivity application, the schema node serving as a placeholder for merging data from a line-of-business (LOB) application into the document template, the method comprising:

determining a current location within the document template;

querying meta-data from the LOB application based on the current location within the document template;

displaying a context-sensitive user interface on the display based on the meta-data from the LOB application, the context-sensitive user interface comprising a context area indicating a current business object associated with the current location within the document template, a related business object area indicating zero or more related business objects having a relationship with the current business object, and a business object properties area indicating zero or more business object properties associated with the current business object;

receiving, via the user interface selection device, a user selection of one of the one or more related business objects and the one or more business object properties; and

mapping the schema node to the current location within the document template based on the user selection.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying a context-sensitive user interface comprises:

determining a current business object associated with the current location within the document template;

determining zero or more related business objects having a relationship with the current business object;

determining zero or more business object properties associated with the current business object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a user selection comprises receiving a user selection of one of the related business objects, and mapping the scheme node to the current location within the document template comprises mapping a business object schema node to the current location based on the selected related business object.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a user selection comprises receiving a user selection of one of the business object properties, and mapping the schema node to the current location within the document template comprises mapping a business object property schema node to the current location based on the selected business object property.

15. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of interactively merging data from a line-of-business (LOB) application into a document template, the document template having one or more schema nodes, the method comprising:

determining a current schema node within the document template;

determining a business object associated with the current schema node;

displaying a context-sensitive user interface on the display based on the business object associated with the current schema node, the context-sensitive user interface comprising data from the LOB application corresponding to the business object associated with the current schema node;

receiving, via the user interface selection device, a user selection of one or more instances of the data from the LOB application; and

copying the one or more instances of the data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template based on the user selection.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying a context-sensitive user interface comprises:

tracing an ancestor hierarchy of the business object to a top-level business object;

determining if the ancestor hierarchy comprises a one-to-many relationship;

and displaying the context-sensitive user interface based.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the ancestor hierarchy is determined not to comprise a one-to-many relationship, and the user interface comprises a business object query form based on the business object associated with the current schema node.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the ancestor hierarchy is determined to comprise a one-to-many relationship, and the user interface comprises a tree control showing all business objects in the ancestor hierarchy.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein copying the one or more instances of the data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template comprises creating a repeating document element and copying the one or more instances of data into the repeating document element.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the repeating document element comprises at least one of a table row and a list bullet.