Apparatus and method of customizable model import and export to and from XML schema formats

• US 20090083297A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rapela, Diego Ricardo, Pohl, Christoph
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets

Abstract

In one embodiment the present invention includes a computer-implemented method of converting first metadata to second metadata using a mapping and custom exits. The metadata is at the MI level and the mapping is generated based on information at the M2 level. The custom exits provide programmable mapping rules in addition to the mapping. In this manner, metadata created in one modeling environment may be used in another modeling environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of converting first metadata related to a first model to second metadata related to a second model, comprising the steps of:

providing a declarative mapping between a first metamodel and a second metamodel, wherein said first metamodel relates to said first model and said second metamodel relates to said second model;

providing a plurality of custom exits, wherein said plurality of custom exits provide programmable mapping rules in addition to said declarative mapping; and

applying said declarative mapping and said plurality of custom exits to said first metadata to result in said second metadata.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating said declarative mapping based on a source artifact of an extensible markup language schema definition (XSD) schema and a target artifact of a web service description language (WSDL) metamodel.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating said declarative mapping based on a source artifact of a web service description language (WSDL) metamodel and a target artifact of an extensible markup language schema definition (XSD) schema.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating said second metamodel based on said first metamodel.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating said second metamodel that comprises a web service description language (WSDL) metamodel based on said first metamodel that comprises an extensible markup language (XML) schema.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said declarative mapping is generated based on an extensible markup language (XML) element name as an input and a meta object facility (MOF) ModelElement as an output.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step of applying said declarative mapping comprises:

creating an in-memory representation of an input document; and

recursively traversing said in-memory representation of said input document.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a translation backlog that contains a first plurality of elements that have already been processed and a second plurality of elements whose processing has been postponed,

wherein said step of applying said declarative mapping applies said declarative mapping with reference to said translation backlog.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said declarative mapping comprises a meta object facility (MOF) based mapping model that maps M1 instances of an extensible markup language schema definition (XSD) metamodel to M2 elements of a target metamodel.

10. A computer system including software for converting first metadata related to a first model to second metadata related to a second model, said software comprising:

a first filesystem software file that stores said first metadata and a first metamodel, wherein said first metamodel relates to said first model;

a second filesystem software file that stores said second metadata and a second metamodel, wherein said second metamodel relates to said second model;

a declarative mapping table software file that provides a declarative mapping between said first metamodel and said second metamodel;

a custom exits software file that stores a plurality of custom exits, wherein said plurality of custom exits provide programmable mapping rules in addition to said declarative mapping; and

a model import software file that applies said declarative mapping and said plurality of custom exits to said first metadata to result in said second metadata.

11. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising:

a document object model (DOM) software file that accesses said first metadata, wherein said first metadata comprises extensible markup language (XML) elements, and wherein said model import software file applies said declarative mapping to said first metadata having been accessed by said DOM software file.

12. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising:

a translation backlog software file that contains a first plurality of elements that have already been processed and a second plurality of elements whose processing has been postponed,

wherein said model import software file interacts with said translation backlog software file when applying said declarative mapping.

13. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising:

a post schema validation infoset (PSVI) software file that accesses an extensible markup language (XML) schema application programming interface (API), wherein said XML schema API corresponds to said first metamodel,

wherein said declarative mapping table software file references instances of said first metamodel via said PSVI software file.

14. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method of converting first metadata related to a first model to second metadata related to a second model, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a declarative mapping between a first metamodel and a second metamodel, wherein said first metamodel relates to said first model and said second metamodel relates to said second model;

providing a plurality of custom exits, wherein said plurality of custom exits provide programmable mapping rules in addition to said declarative mapping; and

applying said declarative mapping and said plurality of custom exits to said first metadata to result in said second metadata.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises:

generating said declarative mapping based on a source artifact of an extensible markup language schema definition (XSD) schema and a target artifact of a web service description language (WSDL) metamodel.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises:

generating said declarative mapping based on a source artifact of a web service description language (WSDL) metamodel and a target artifact of an extensible markup language schema definition (XSD) schema.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises:

generating said second metamodel based on said first metamodel.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises:

generating said second metamodel that comprises a web service description language (WSDL) metamodel based on said first metamodel that comprises an extensible markup language (XML) schema.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said declarative mapping is generated based on an extensible markup language (XML) element name as an input and a meta object facility (MOF) ModelElement as an output.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said step of applying said declarative mapping comprises:

creating an in-memory representation of an input document; and

recursively traversing said in-memory representation of said input document.