Systems and methods for adapting service interface behaviors

• US 20080065994A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sag Ap, SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Dumas, Marlon G., Wang, Kenneth, Spork, Murray L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,971,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/746
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a computer-implemented method of adapting software component interfaces by providing a user interface for specifying a provided interface, a required interface and interface operators. In another embodiment the present invention includes a computer-implemented method of adapting interfaces comprising receiving an adapter specification, receiving a plurality of communication actions from a first software component, transforming one or more of the communication actions in accordance with predefined interface operations; and sending transformed communication actions to a second software component.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of adapting interfaces comprising:

receiving an adapter specification;

receiving a plurality of communication actions from a first software component;

transforming one or more of the communication actions in accordance with predefined interface operations; and

sending transformed communication actions to a second software component,

wherein the adapter specification specifies one or more predefined interface operations to be used in transforming one or more corresponding communication actions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first software component includes a first interface and the second software component includes a second interface, and wherein the adapter specification programs an adapter software component to provide communications between the first and second software components.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the adapter specification specifies a flow operation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the adapter specification specifies a gather operation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the adapter specification specifies a scatter operation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the adapter specification specifies a collapse operation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the adapter specification specifies a burst operation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the adapter specification specifies a hide operation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the adapter specification specifies one or more of a flow operation, a gather operation, hide operation, a scatter operation, a collapse operation, a burst operation, or a hide operation between one or more communication actions between the first software component and the second software component.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first software component and the second software component are software services.

11. A computer-implemented method of adapting interfaces comprising:

displaying at least a portion of a first interface in a graphical user interface, the first interface including a first plurality of communication actions;

displaying at least a portion of a second interface in a graphical user interface, the second interface including a second plurality of communication actions;

displaying a plurality of predefined interface operators for adapting communication actions between the first interface and the second interface,

wherein a user selects one or more predefined interface operators and couples one or more of the selected predefined interface operators between one or more particular communication actions in the first interface and one or more particular communication actions in the second interface.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of predefined interface operators includes a flow operator.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of predefined interface operators includes a gather operator.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of predefined interface operators includes a scatter operator.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of predefined interface operators includes collapse operator.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of predefined interface operators includes a burst operator.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of predefined interface operators includes a hide operator.

18. A computer system including interface adapter software comprising:

an adapter specification; and

an adapter software component to receive the adapter specification, and in accordance therewith, modify one or more communication actions using predefined interface operations;

wherein the adapter specification specifies one or more predefined interface operations to be used in modifying one or more corresponding communication actions.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the adapter specification specifies one or more of a flow operation, a gather operation, hide operation, a scatter operation, a collapse operation, a burst operation, or a hide operation.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising a graphical user interface for specifying a first interface, a second interface, and one or more of a flow operator, a gather operator, hide operator, a scatter operator, a collapse operator, a burst operator, or a hide operator displayed in a graphical user interface.