Software technique to correlate conceptually similar entities

• US 20080244624A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rosen, Douglas, Wirfs-Brock, Allen, Cain, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented

Abstract

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing a framework with a common set of domain-specific entity identifier types that object models representing conceptually similar entities from a domain can use to correlate to model-specific object instances. A particular model-specific object instance of a particular one of the object models can be retrieved using a common set of domain-specific entity identifier types. An instance of a particular domain-specific entity identifier type can be retrieved from a corresponding one of the model-specific object instances. One or more extensibility mechanisms allow third parties to extend the set of domain-specific entity identifier types.

Claims

1. A method for providing a framework that enables correlation of conceptually similar entities comprising the steps of:

providing a framework with a common set of domain-specific entity identifier types that a plurality of object models representing conceptually similar entities from a domain can use to correlate to model-specific object instances;

enabling a particular model-specific object instance of a particular one of the object models to be retrieved using a common set of domain-specific entity identifier types; and

enabling an instance of a particular domain-specific entity identifier type to be retrieved from a corresponding one of the model-specific object instances.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the domain-specific entity identifier types can be either unique or non-unique identifiers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the framework provides a common set of abstractions and interfaces for creating the object models with the domain-specific entity identifier types.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein domain-specific entity identifier types are provided through public classes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the correlation using the domain-specific entity identifier types is independent of one or more types of the model-specific object instances.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the domain-specific entity identifier types derive from a common abstract base class.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the domain-specific entity identifier types contain only simple data types.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the domain-specific entity identifier types can be serialized and de-serialized.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps recited in claim 1.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform steps comprising:

provide a framework with a common set of domain-specific entity identifier types that a plurality of object models representing a conceptually similar entity can use to correlate model-specific object instances; and

provide one or more extensibility mechanisms to allow third parties to extend the set of domain-specific entity identifier types.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the domain-specific entity identifier types are operable to be extended by allowing one or more model-specific object instances to be provided for one or more domain-specific entity identifier types that a particular one or more of the object models did not originally support.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the domain-specific entity identifier types are operable to be extended by allowing one or more domain-specific entity identifier types to be provided for model-specific object instances that a particular one or more of the object models did not originally support.

13. A method for providing an API for allowing correlation of conceptually similar entities comprising the steps of:

providing an application programming interface with an abstract entity identifier class, with domain-specific entity identifier types being required to derive from the abstract entity identifier class, thereby allowing a plurality of object models representing a conceptually similar entity to use the domain-specific entity identifier types to correlate model-specific object instances.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the application programming interface can be applied to an object model.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the object model is allowed to be either a root object model or a sub object model.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the object model implements a method to retrieve one or more of the domain-specific entity identifier types.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the object model implements a method to retrieve one or more sub object models using one or more of the domain-specific entity identifier types.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the application programming interface further comprises an object handle interface.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the object handle interface implements a method for accessing one or more of the model-specific object instances.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps recited in claim 13.