Transformation of Versions of Reports

• US 20080263440A1
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Meyhoff, Torben Wind, Hauge, Anders, Kiziltunc, Mahmet Kerem
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets

Abstract

A method of transforming reports from one version of software to another version is disclosed. The method exports existing report objects in an existing first version report into XML format to a transformation tool and then to a layout transformation tool. An XML object is created and is imported into a report in the second version.

Claims

1. A method of transforming a report from a first version to a second version comprising:

exporting existing report objects in an existing first version report into XML format to a transformation tool;

in the transformation tool,

detecting a report type for the existing first version report;

detecting mini-patterns within the existing first version report;

tabularizing the existing first version report;

transforming parts of the existing first version report into a series of steps;

building an in-memory object model; and

serializing the in-memory object model into a RDLC file in XML format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transforming the parts of the existing first version report into a series of steps further comprises transforming request forms in the existing first version report into a request page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting mini-patterns further comprises examining properties of the existing first version report and determining if the properties of the first version report are similar to properties of known reports.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein parts of the existing first report version comprise at least one selected from the group comprising:

the body of the first version report;

the headers of the first version report; and

the groupings of the first version report.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting mini-patterns further comprises examining parent-child relationships within the report and comparing the parent-child relationship to known parent-child relationships to determine if the parent-child relationship is similar to a known parent-child relationship.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting mini-patterns further comprises examining the headings within the existing report to determine if the headings match any known headings.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting mini-patterns further comprising examining the existing report for keywords to determine if the keywords match any known keywords.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting mini-patterns further comprising examining the existing report for calculation patterns.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting mini-patterns further comprising examining the existing report for numeric patterns.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the report is generated using a selection in an application.

11. A computer storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for transforming a report from a first version to a second version, the computer instructions comprising instructions for:

exporting existing report objects in an existing first version report into XML format to a transformation tool;

in the transformation tool,

detecting a report type for the existing first version report;

detecting mini-patterns within the existing first version report;

tabularizing the existing first version report;

transforming parts of existing first version report into a series of steps wherein transforming the parts of the existing first version report into a series of steps further comprises transforming request forms in the existing first version report into a request page;

building an in-memory object model; and

serializing the in-memory object model into a RDLC file in XML format.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein detecting mini-patterns further comprises examining properties of the existing first version report and determining if the properties of the first version report are similar to properties of known reports and wherein properties of the first report version comprise at least one selected from the group comprising:

the body of the first version report;

the headers of the first version report; and

the groupings of the first version report.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein detecting mini-patterns further comprises one selected from the group comprising:

examining parent-child relationships within the existing report and comparing the parent-child relationship to known parent-child relationships to determine if the parent-child relationship is similar to a known parent-child relationship;

examining the headings within the existing report to determine if the headings match any known headings;

examining the existing report for keywords to determine if the keywords match any known keywords;

examining the existing report for calculation patterns; and

examining the existing report for numeric patterns.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the report is generated using a selection in an application.

15. A computer system comprising a processor configured for executing computer executable instructions, a memory for storing the computer executable instructions for transforming a report from a first version to a second version, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

exporting existing report objects in an existing first version report into XML format to a transformation tool;

in the transformation tool,

detecting a report type for the existing first version report;

detecting mini-patterns within the existing first version report;

tabularizing the existing first version report;

transforming parts of the existing first version report into a series of steps wherein transforming the parts of the existing first version report into a series of steps further comprises transforming request forms in the existing first version report into a request page;

building an in-memory object model; and

serializing the in-memory object model into a RDLC file.

16. The computer executable instructions of claim 15, wherein detecting mini-patterns further comprises examining properties of the existing first version report and determining if the properties of the first version report are similar to properties of known reports and wherein properties of the first report version comprise at least one selected from the group comprising:

the body of the first version report;

the headers of the first version report; and

the groupings of the first version report.

17. The computer executable instructions of claim 15, wherein detecting mini-patterns further comprises one selected from the group comprising:

examining parent-child relationships within the report and comparing the parent-child relationship to known parent-child relationships to determine if the parent-child relation ship is similar to a known parent-child relationship;

examining the headings within the existing report to determine if the headings match any known headings;

examining the existing report for keywords to determine if the keywords match any known keywords;

examining the existing report for calculation patterns; and

examining the existing report for numeric patterns.

18. The computer executable instructions of claim 15, wherein the report is generated using a selection in an application.