Method and system for automatically generating a communication interface

• US 20080082535A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Geiger, Matthias, Zimmer, Patrick, Eigemann, Sven-Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,433,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method includes determining, by a conversion tool, at least one specific data associated with an interface of a service of a first application, the determining comprising retrieving metadata associated with the service of the first application, the metadata describing the specific data; and automatically generating, by the conversion tool, a data context for use in requesting the service from the first application, the data context comprising at least one data field for storing the at least one specific data associated with the interface of the service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a conversion tool, at least one specific data associated with an interface of a service of a first application, the determining comprising retrieving metadata associated with the service of the first application, the metadata describing the at least one specific data; and

automatically generating, by the conversion tool, a data context for use in requesting the service from the first application, the data context comprising at least one data field for storing the at least one specific data associated with the interface of the service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving comprises reading the metadata from a database table associated with the service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically generating comprises generating the data context as part of at least one of:

an execution controller capable of requesting the service from the first application, or a second application capable of invoking the service through the execution controller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata describes at least one of:

a first specific data received by the interface when the service is requested, or a second specific data returned by the interface after the service is performed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data context stores data in a hierarchical structure, the hierarchical structure comprising a plurality of nodes, at least one of the plurality of nodes being associated with the at least one data field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a value of the data field of the data context is capable of being read from the data context, and the value of the data field of the data context is capable of being written to the data context.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating at least a portion of an execution controller during a development of a second application, the second application comprising a graphical user interface, the second application being developed to be capable of invoking the service of the first application through the execution controller;

providing to the conversion tool information related to the execution controller, the information indicating a service the second application is being developed to be capable of invoking,

wherein the determining and automatically generating by the conversion tool are performed during the development of the second application and the execution controller, but not during the operation of the second application after the development of the second application is completed.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the determining determines a plurality of specific data associated with the interface of the service, and

wherein the automatically generating comprises generating a plurality of data fields of the data context, wherein at least one of:

the plurality of data fields have a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of specific data;

each of the plurality of specific data corresponds to at least one of the plurality of data fields;

or

each of a first portion of the plurality of specific data corresponds to at least one of the plurality of data fields, and none of a second portion of the plurality of specific data correspond to any of the plurality of data fields, the second portion being a non-empty portion.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the automatically generating comprises generating the data context such that the data context is capable of being used by an execution controller for communicating data between the first application and the second application, and

wherein the automatically generating comprises generating the data context such that the data context is capable of being used by the execution controller during a request of the service from the first application,

the method further comprising:

using the data context by the execution controller for exchanging data with the first application and the second application, the first application and the second application writing data to the data context through the execution controller, and the first application and the second application reading data from the data context through the execution controller; and

using the data context by the execution controller for requesting the service from the first application, wherein the execution controller provides data stored in the data context to the interface of the service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving comprises retrieving the metadata from within computer program instructions of a software component.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the data field represents at least one of:

an individual instance of an object type, or a table of instances of an object type.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein the service is associated with at least one of:

a service name, or a command name of a command which is part of the service;

the method further comprising;

searching a database for a specific database table having at least one of;

the service name, or the command name; and

reading the metadata from the specific database table.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein the generated data context is associated with an execution controller, and a second data context is associated with a second application,

wherein the generated data context comprises a hierarchical data storage structure having at least one first node associated with the at least one data field, and wherein the second data context comprises a hierarchical data storage structure having at least one second node associated with the at least one second data field;

the method further comprising;

linking a value stored in the at least one data field associated with the at least one first node of the generated data context to a valued stored in the at least one second data field associated with the at least one second node of the second data context.

14. A computer readable medium comprising computer instructions, which when executed by a processor perform a method, the method comprising:

determining, by a conversion tool, at least one specific data associated with an interface of a service of a first application, the determining comprising retrieving metadata associated with the service of the first application, the metadata describing the at least one specific data; and

automatically generating, by the conversion tool, a data context for use in requesting the service from the first application, the data context comprising at least one data field for storing the at least one specific data associated with the interface of the service.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the retrieving comprises reading the metadata from a database table associated with the service.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the metadata describes at least one of:

a first specific data received by the interface when the service is requested, or a second specific data returned by the interface after the service is performed.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the data context stores data in a hierarchical structure, the hierarchical structure comprising a plurality of nodes, at least one of the plurality of nodes being associated with the at least one data field.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein a value of the data field of the data context is capable of being read from the data context, and the value of the data field of the data context is capable of being written to the data context.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

creating at least a portion of an execution controller during a development of a second application, the second application comprising a graphical user interface, the second application being developed to be capable of invoking the service of the first application through the execution controller;

providing to the conversion tool information related to the execution controller, the information indicating a service the second application is being developed to be capable of invoking,

wherein the determining and automatically generating by the conversion tool are performed during the development of the second application and the execution controller, but not during the operation of the second application after the development of the second application is completed.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 14,

wherein the determining determines a plurality of specific data associated with the interface of the service, and

wherein the automatically generating comprises generating a plurality of data fields of the data context, wherein at least one of:

the plurality of data fields have a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of specific data;

each of the plurality of specific data corresponds to at least one of the plurality of data fields;

or

each of a first portion of the plurality of specific data corresponds to at least one of the plurality of data fields, and none of a second portion of the plurality of specific data correspond to any of the plurality of data fields, the second portion being a non-empty portion.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the retrieving comprises retrieving the metadata from within computer program instructions of a software component.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 14,

wherein the service is associated with at least one of:

a service name, or a command name of a command which is part of the service;

the method further comprising;

searching a database for a specific database table having at least one of;

the service name, or the command name; and

reading the metadata from the specific database table.

23. A system, comprising:

means for determining at least one specific data associated with an interface of a service of a first application, the means for determining comprising means for retrieving metadata associated with the service of the first application, the metadata describing the at least one specific data; and

means for automatically generating a data context for use in requesting the service from the first application, the data context comprising at least one data field for storing the at least one specific data associated with the interface of the service.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for retrieving comprises means for reading the metadata from a database table associated with the service.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the metadata describes at least one of:

a first specific data received by the interface when the service is requested, or a second specific data returned by the interface after the service is performed.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the data context stores data in a hierarchical structure, the hierarchical structure comprising a plurality of nodes, at least one of the plurality of nodes being associated with the at least one data field.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein a value of the data field of the data context is capable of being read from the data context, and the value of the data field of the data context is capable of being written to the data context.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for creating at least a portion of an execution controller during a development of a second application, the second application comprising a graphical user interface, the second application being developed to be capable of invoking the service of the first application through the execution controller;

means for providing to the conversion tool information related to the execution controller, the information indicating a service the second application is being developed to be capable of invoking,

wherein the means for determining and means for automatically generating by the conversion tool are operable during the development of the second application and the execution controller, but not during the operation of the second application after the development of the second application is completed.

29. The system of claim 23,

wherein the means for determining determines a plurality of specific data associated with the interface of the service, and

wherein the means for automatically generating generates a plurality of data fields of the data context, wherein at least one of:

the plurality of data fields have a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of specific data;

each of the plurality of specific data corresponds to at least one of the plurality of data fields;

or

each of a first portion of the plurality of specific data corresponds to at least one of the plurality of data fields, and none of a second portion of the plurality of specific data correspond to any of the plurality of data fields, the second portion being a non-empty portion.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for retrieving retrieves the metadata from within computer program instructions of a software component.

31. The system of claim 23,

wherein the service is associated with at least one of:

a service name, or a command name of a command which is part of the service;

the system further comprising;

means for searching a database for a specific database table having at least one of;

the service name, or the command name; and

means for reading the metadata from the specific database table.