RSS feed generator

• US 20070156809A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dickinson, Richard, Miller, Michaeljon
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A really simple syndication (RSS) feed generator provides a user access to a set of data in the form of an RSS feed containing an object. The RSS feed generator allows the user to generate a feed definition using any of a user interface, a web based application programming interface, and an HTTP request. The RSS feed generator uses the feed definition provided by the user to generate the RSS feed and exposes the RSS feed in the form of RSS XML data. The RSS feed generator allows a business system to dynamically update the set of data contained in the RSS feed in a manner that allows a user to perform a plurality of functions on the RSS feed.

Claims

1. A method of providing a set of data to a user in the form of a really simple syndication (RSS) feed containing an object, the method comprising:

defining scope of the object;

defining attributes of the object;

generating a feed definition using the scope and the attributes of the object;

converting the feed definition to the RSS feed; and

providing the user an access to the RSS feed.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the attributes of the object comprises sortable attributes of the object.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein generating the feed definition further comprises generating the feed definition using at least one of:

(1) a user interface allowing the user to generate a view;

(2) a web based application programming interface (API); and

(3) a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein converting the feed definition to an RSS feed further comprises exposing the RSS feed to the user as a web page.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein providing the user an access to the RSS feed further comprises providing the RSS feed to the user in the form of RSS XML data.

6. A method of claim 5, wherein providing the user an access to the RSS feed further comprises embedding an XSL style sheet processing instruction (PI) in the RSS XML data.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an RSS feed request; and

executing the feed definition in the context of the RSS feed request.

8. A method of claim 7, wherein the context of the RSS feed request is provided by a filter expression restricting the RSS feed to an update.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein providing the user an access to the RSS feed further comprising applying a security check at one of:

(1) user level;

(2) class level; and

(3) item level.

10. A computer program product for use with a computer system to provide a set of data to a user in the form of an RSS feed containing an object, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

program code for defining scope of the object;

program code for defining attributes of the object;

program code for generating an RSS feed definition using the scope and the attributes of the object;

program code for converting the RSS feed definition to the RSS feed; and

program code for providing the user an access to the RSS feed.

11. A computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program code for generating a feed definition further comprises:

a user interface allowing the user to generate a view defining the RSS feed definition;

a web based application programming interface (API) for receiving the feed definition; and

a web service module for receiving a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request defining the feed definition.

12. A computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program code for providing the user an access to the RSS feed further comprises:

program code for converting RSS feed definition in the form of RSS XML data;

program code for generating an RSS feed URL to the RSS XML data; and

program code for communicating the RSS feed URL to the user.

13. A computer program product of claim 11, further comprising a program code for applying a security check at one of:

(1) user level;

(2) class level, and (3) item level.

14. An RSS feed generator system for providing a set of data to a user in the form of a really simple syndication (RSS) feed containing an object, the system comprising:

a scope definition module adapted to define scope of the object;

an attribute definition module adapted to define attributes of the object;

a feed definition generation module adapted to generate an RSS feed definition using the scope and the attributes of the object;

a feed conversion module adapted to convert the RSS feed definition to the RSS feed; and

a feed exposure module adapted to provide the user an access to the RSS feed.

15. An RSS feed generator of claim 14, wherein the feed definition generation module is further adapted to generate the feed definition using at least one of:

(1) a user interface allowing the user to generate a view;

(2) a web based application programming interface (API); and

(3) a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

16. An RSS feed generator of claim 14, wherein the feed conversion module is further adapted to execute a data query on a database and to covert the results of the data query to the RSS feed.

17. An RSS feed generator of claim 14, wherein the feed exposure module adapted to:

(1) convert the RSS feed definition in the form of RSS XML data; and

(2) embed an XSL style sheet processing instruction (PI) into the RSS XML data.