Reusable XPath validation expressions

• US 20070130504A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sanielevici, Alex, Betancourt, Melissa, Lection, David, Marandici, Mircea, Loredo, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/226 Validation

Abstract

A method for validating input received from an XML based form using reusable XPath validation expressions. The method can include a step of identifying a reusable XPath validation expression including at least one substitution marker. The substitution marker can be mapped to one or more values specific to an XML instance. At least one field to be validated with the reusable XPath validation expression can be designated utilizing the development tool. The development tool can automatically replace the substitution marker with the appropriate value specific to an XML instance.

Claims

1. A method for validating XML based form fields comprising:

identifying a reusable XPath validation expression including at least one substitution marker;

mapping the at least one substitution marker to variables specified by a development tool;

designating at least one field to be validated with the reusable XPath validation expression utilizing the development tool;

the development tool automatically replacing the substitution marker with the specified variables; and

generating an XML based form using the development tool, said XML based form including the designated field, wherein in the generated XML based form, the development tool automatically replaces the substitution marker with a path specific to the XML based form.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of preconfigured reusable XPath validations in a data store, wherein said identified reusable XPath validation expression is a developer selected one of the plurality of preconfigured reusable XPath validations.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

a user of the development tool creating a new reusable XPath validation; and

adding the new reusable XPath validation expression to said plurality of preconfigured reusable XPath validations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reusable XPath validation expression returns at least one of a TRUE and a FALSE value, the returned value depending upon whether an input associated with the designated field succeeds in being validation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reusable XPath validation expression is included within a validation definition document, said validation definition document including validation metadata, said validation metadata including a validation name, wherein said identifying step identifies the reusable XPath validation by the validation name.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the development tool includes a form development graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the designating of the at least one field occurs based upon a user selection from within the form development GUI.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

presenting a plurality of reusable XPath validations within said form development GUI;

receiving a user selection of one of the presented reusable XPath validations, wherein the identified reusable XPath validation expression is the user selected reusable XPath validation, and wherein the identifying step occurs responsive to the receiving step.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the XML based form is an XForms complaint form.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the XForms compliant form includes an XForms compliant user interface and an XForms model.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said XForms compliant user interface receives input that is to be validated using the reusable XPath validation, and wherein the XForms model includes a data instance field that is to be validated using the reusable XPath validation expression.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are performed by at least one of a service agent and a computing device manipulated by the service agent, the steps being performed in response to a service request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of claim 1 are performed by at least one machine in accordance with at least one computer program having a plurality of code sections that are executable by the at least one machine.

13. A reusable XPath validation expression comprising:

at least one expression segment, each expression segment containing logic for validating received input, said logic being written in accordance with in an XPath compliant language;

at least one substitution marker, wherein each substitution marker is a place holding value that is written in an XML instance independent fashion; and

at least one return value that indicates whether input received via an XML based interface is successfully validated by the reusable XPath validation expression.

14. The reusable XPath validation expression of claim 13, further comprising:

a means for deferring integration of the reusable XPath validation expression into XML code, wherein the integration is deferred until after the XML based interface has been bound to an XForms model, and wherein the integration is automatically performed based upon a previous association between the reusable XPath validation and a selected field of the XML based interface.

15. The reusable XPath validation expression of claim 13, further comprising:

a linkage between the reusable XPath expression and at least one value associated with a development tool, wherein the development tool using the linkage is able to utilize the reusable expression without requiring a user of the development tool to explicitly specify a data node within the reusable XPath validation expression.

16. The reusable XPath validation expression of claim 15, wherein the development tool automatically replaces the substitution marker with values specific to an XML instance.

17. The reusable XPath validation expression of claim 13, further comprising:

a linkage between the reusable validation expression and a design tool, said linkage being automatically generated by the design tool;

a different linkage between the reusable validation expression and the XML user interface, wherein the XML user interface is created with the design tool.

18. The reusable XPath validation expression of claim 13, wherein a pair of fragment files are utilized in conjunction with the reusable XPath validation expression, wherein one fragment file includes the reusable validation expression, and wherein a different fragment file includes values specific to an XML instance.

19. An XForms design software application comprising:

an interactive interface for graphically generating an XML form compliant with the XForms language;

a validation data store, including a plurality of reusable XPath validation expressions, wherein the interactive interface is configured to permit a user to associate one of the reusable XPath validation expressions with a field of an XML user interface, wherein the association occurs before the field is bound to a data element of an XForms model, wherein the XForms design software application automatically inserts a designation for the data element within the reusable XPath validation expression after the field is bound to the data element.

20. The XForms design software application comprising:

a re-usable validation expression creation module configured to permit a user of the interactive interface to create a new reusable XPath expression, which is subsequently added to the validation data store.