Translation File

• US 20080126402A1
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mooney, Stephen J., Sikchi, Prakash, Veselov, Evgeny N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/226 Validation

Abstract

A data processing application uses a translation file to render a visual surface based on underlying structured data. The data processing application provides mapping between nodes associated with the visual surface and nodes associated with the structured data. The mapping is generated in two phases. In a first phase, the data processing application adds mapping functions to the translation file. In the second phase, the data processing application renders the visual surface on the basis of a specific instance of the structured data, and, in the process, executes the mapping functions within the translation file to provide specific pointer information that is embedded amongst the nodes associated with the visual surface. The pointer information points back to specific locations in the structured data, thus providing mapping between the visual surface and the structured data. The structured data can be formed using Extensible Markup Language (XML). The visual surface can be formed using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). The translation file can be formed using Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT).

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media having a two-way translation file, the two-way translation file capable of enabling two-way translation between underlying structured data and a visual surface through which information may be received, the two-way translation file enabling two-way translation in a first way and in a second way, the first way translating the underlying structured data into the visual surface and the second way translating information received through the visual surface into the underlying structured data effective to alter the underlying structured data to include the information received through the visual surface.

2. The media according to claim 1, wherein the information received through the visual surface is entered into a data-entry field of the visual surface and the second way routes the information entered into the data-entry field into the underlying structured data.

3. The media according to claim 1, wherein the two-way translation file comprises mapping functions, the mapping functions, when executed, providing a mapping annotation to the visual surface, the mapping annotation mapping a first node of the visual surface to a second node of the underlying structured data.

4. The media according to claim 3, wherein the second way of translating uses the mapping annotation to route information entered into a data-entry field associated with the first node of the visual surface into the second node of the underlying structured data.

5. The media according to claim 4, wherein the mapping annotation comprises specific pointer information pointing back to the second node of the underlying structured data.

6. The media according to claim 5, wherein the two-way translation file is formed using Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT), the underlying structured data is formed using Extensible Markup Language (XML), the visual surface is formed using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), and the specific pointer information includes an XML Path language (XPath) expression addressing the second node of the underlying structured data.

7. The media according to claim 1, wherein the underlying structured data'"'"'s organization is non-isomorphic with the visual surface'"'"'s organization.

8. The media according to claim 1, wherein the visual surface is formed using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

9. The media according to claim 1, wherein the underlying structured data is formed using Extensible Markup Language (XML)

10. The media according to claim 1, wherein the translation file is formed using Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT).

11. A method for generating mapping functionality that can map between parts of an input document and associated parts of an output document, the input document pertaining to a first kind of document, and the output document pertaining to a second kind of document, comprising:

providing a translation file that converts documents of the first kind to documents of the second kind; and

modifying the translation file to include mapping functionality that can provide information regarding relationships between parts of documents of the first kind and associated parts of documents of the second kind.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the mapping functionality comprises:

a plurality of translation elements configured to convert the first kind of document into the second kind of document; and

a plurality of functions interspersed amongst the plurality of translation elements, the plurality of functions providing information regarding relationships between parts of the documents of the first kind and associated parts of documents of the second kind, the plurality of functions configured to provide a respective plurality of references that provide pointers that link parts of the second kind of document with parts of the first kind of document.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the translation elements are expressed in an arbitrary format.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a collection of the plurality of functions have respective positions amongst the plurality of translation elements so as to mark context changes in the second kind of document.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein a collection of the plurality of functions have respective positions amongst the plurality of translation elements so as to mark data contained in the first kind of document that is to be bound with corresponding parts in the second kind of document.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the modifying is performed in a substantially automatic fashion.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the translation file is expressed in an arbitrary format.

18. A method of editing an electronic form, comprising:

displaying an electronic form on a display device using a presentation markup language;

receiving data entered into part of the electronic form;

mapping the part of the electronic form that received the data to an associated part of an XML data file corresponding to the electronic form;

modifying the associated part of the XML data file; and

updating the display device of the electronic form to reflect the entering of data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the electronic form comprises a plurality of presentation elements expressed in the presentation markup language and configured to enable visual presentation of the electronic form and the plurality of presentation elements include a plurality of references interspersed amongst the plurality of presentation elements, the plurality of references providing pointers that link parts of the electronic form to respective parts of a structured data file on which the electronic form is based.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the pointers that link parts of the electronic form to respective parts of the structured data file each include an XML Path language (XPath) expression pointing to a respective node of the XML data file and wherein the modifying the associated part of the XML data file modifies the respective node by routing the data entered into the presentation element using the XPath expression for that presentation element.