RSS FEED GENERATION USING OBJECTS

• US 20070168367A1
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dickinson, Richard, Miller, Michaeljon
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/8373 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A really simple syndication (RSS) feed generator provides a set of data related to an entity to a user in the form of a really simple syndication (RSS) feed in a manner so that the set of data includes entity information at the feed-level. A user of the RSS feed may use the feed-level entity information to consume the set of data in a number of different ways. In an embodiment, the feed-level entity information includes meta-data defining the entity such that a user may use the metadata to display the entity on the client side. The RSS feed generation system allows a user to manipulate a copy of an instance of entity data as necessary for a client.

Claims

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

defining scope and attributes of the set of data;

generating a feed definition using the scope and the attributes of the set of data;

converting the feed definition to the RSS feed;

identifying the feed-level information;

attaching the feed-level information to the RSS feed; and

providing access to the RSS feed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is at least one of:

(1) a business entity of a customer relationship management system;

(2) a record of a business system;

(3) an entity in a business system; and

(4) a row in a database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the feed-level information further comprises metadata defining the entity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of metadata includes display parameters used to display the entity on user side.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of metadata includes a description element comprising:

an item identifier identifying an item of the entity;

a hypertext markup language based synopsis of the item; and

a link element that allows a user to link to the item.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising linking to the item using the link element and displaying the item using the display parameters.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising embedding an XSL style sheet processing instruction in the feed-level information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

de-serializing entity instance data; and

embedding the de-serialized entity instance data in the feed-level information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving the de-serialized entity instance data at a client;

serializing the de-serialized entity instance data; and

creating a client side proxy using the serialized entity instance data.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving the de-serialized entity instance data;

serializing the de-serialized entity instance data;

processing the serialized entity instance data;

generating a secondary RSS feed using the processed data; and

providing a consumer a link to the secondary RSS feed.

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

program code for defining scope and attributes of the set of data;

program code for generating a feed definition using the scope and the attributes of the set of data;

program code converting the feed definition to the RSS feed;

program code identifying the feed-level information;

program code attaching the feed-level information to the RSS feed; and

program code providing the user access to the RSS feed.

12. A computer program product of claim 11, wherein the entity is at least one of:

(1) a business entity of a customer relationship management system;

(2) a record of a business system;

(3) an entity in a business system; and

(4) a row in a database.

13. A computer program product of claim 11, wherein the feed-level information is a set of metadata defining the entity.

14. A computer program product of claim 13, wherein the set of metadata includes display parameters used to display the entity on user side.

15. A computer program product of claim 11, wherein the set of data related to an entity includes de-serialized entity instance data.

16. A computer program of claim 15, further comprising:

program code for receiving de-serialized entity instance data;

program code for serializing the de-serialized entity instance data; and

program code for creating a client side proxy using the serialized entity instance data.

17. An RSS feed generator system for use with a computer system to provide a set of data related to an entity to a user in the form of an RSS feed, the set of data containing feed-level information, the system comprising:

a definition module adapted to define scope and attributes of the set of data;

a feed definition generation module adapted to generate a feed definition using the scope and the attributes of the set of data;

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

an entity identification module adapted to identify feed-level information;

an addition module adapted to attach feed-level information to the RSS feed; and

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

18. An RSS feed generator of claim 17, wherein the feed conversion module is further adapted to execute a data query on a business application database and to covert the results of the data query to the RSS feed.

19. An RSS feed generator of claim 17, wherein the feed-level information further comprises metadata defining the entity.

20. An RSS feed generator of claim 17, wherein the set of metadata includes a description element comprising:

an item identifier identifying an item of the entity;

a hypertext markup language based synopsis of the item; and

a link element that allows a user to link to the item.