Method and System for Customizing a Software Application

• US 20090031295A1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Zhao, Jie, Xiao, Youneng
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

The technique introduced here includes a uniform customization system, which can support the customization of multiple software applications simultaneously. Customization data of a software application can be developed separately from the development of the application. The customization data is then stored, via the uniform customization system, into a customization storage. When the software application is executed, the software application retrieves, from the storage, the values of the customization data via the uniform customization system. The uniform customization system outputs the retrieved customization data indicating the current working context of a user, which may be used by the user to locate customization options in a customization user interface of the software application, for customizing functions performed in the current working context.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a software application, the method comprising:

in response to executing a function of a software application to be customized via a uniform customization interface, the uniform customization interface automatically logging accesses of customization entries from the function of the software application; and

the uniform customization interface outputting in a report information indicating how a particular customization entry is accessed by the function of the software application, including identifying the particular customization entry relative to other customization entries accessed by the software application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customization user interface of the software application includes a tree structure having a root node and a plurality of other nodes, each of the root node and said plurality of other nodes representing a corresponding customization category or a corresponding customization entry.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said information comprises a path of navigating from the root node to a node representing the customization entry.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting a new value to the customization entry to customize the function of the software application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said outputting information indicating how to locate a customization entry associated with the function in a customization user interface of the software application occurs in a uniform customization system that is separate from the software application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information is outputted into a log.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the log is maintained in anyone of a temporary memory, a file, and a database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the customization entry is considered being associated with the function if the customization entry'"'"'s value is retrieved for executing the function.

9. A customization system comprising:

a storage device to store customization data of a software application, the customization data including a plurality of customization entries organized by a plurality of customization categories, each customization entry having a value affecting a behavior of a corresponding function of the software application; and

a customization module to retrieve a value of a customization entry from the storage device for executing a function of the software application and to output information to be used for locating the customization entry in a user interface for setting a new value to the customization entry.

10. The customization system of claim 9, wherein the user interface includes a tree structure having a root node and a plurality of other nodes, each of the root node and said plurality of other nodes representing a corresponding customization category or a corresponding customization entry.

11. The customization system of claim 10, wherein the information comprises a path of navigating from the root node to a node representing the customization entry.

12. The customization system of claim 9, wherein the information is outputted into a log.

13. The customization system of claim 12, wherein the log is maintained in anyone of a file, a temporary memory, and a database.

14. The customization system of claim 9 further comprising a customization data setup module to receive the customization data and store the customization data on the storage device.

15. A machine-readable medium having instructions, when executed, cause a machine to perform a process of customizing a software application, the process comprising:

at a uniform customization system, receiving a request, from the software application, to retrieve a value of a customization entry, the value being needed for performing a function of the software application; and

at the uniform customization system, outputting information indicating how to locate the customization entry in a customization user interface of the software application.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the customization user interface of the software application includes a tree structure having a root node and a plurality of other nodes, each of the root node and said plurality of other nodes representing a corresponding customization category or a corresponding customization entry.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the information comprises a path of navigating from the root node to a node representing the customization entry.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the process further comprises at the uniform customization system, receiving customization data of the software application and storing the customization data as a plurality of customization categories, a plurality of customization entries, and a plurality of value ranges.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the customization data is received from a user interface of the uniform customization system.

18. The machine-readable medium of 15, wherein the information is outputted into a log, and wherein the log is maintained in anyone of a temporary memory, a file, and a database.