SCHEMA MAPPER

• US 20090125512A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bhaskara, Uday K., Czerwinski, Mary P., Panditharadhya, Prasad Sripathi, Robertson, George G., Churchill, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/88 Mark-up to mark-up conversion conversion for visualization in web browsing G06F16/9577
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/966 Computer process, e.g. operation of computer

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to effectively visualize the mapping between two schemas, referred to herein as a source schema (or first schema) and a destination schema (or second schema), regardless of the size or complexity of the schemas and mappings. According to one aspect of the present invention a method for visually representing a mapping between a first schema and a second schema is provided. The method includes receiving a selection of an object, emphasizing the selected object and identifying a plurality of objects that are relevant to the selected object. The objects that are identified as being relevant to the selected object are also emphasized.

Claims

1. A method of simplifying a tree-view display of a mapping between a first schema and a second schema, comprising:

evaluating a plurality of objects graphically representing schema elements in a mapping between a first schema and a second schema to identify a non-coalesced object;

determining if the non-coalesced object is linked to any objects of the first or second schema; and

if the non-coalesced object is not linked to any objects of the first or second schema, coalescing the non-coalesced object with its descendent objects.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a graphical icon as an identification of the coalesced objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the coalescing includes coalescing the non-coalesced object with objects descended from the non-coalesced object.

4. A method of simplifying a tree-view display of a mapping between a first schema and a second schema, comprising:

receiving a selection of a first object via a user interface of a computing device, wherein the first object is a graphical representation of a schema element of a mapping of two schemas;

identifying a plurality of non-relevant objects that are not related to the first object;

identifying from the plurality of non-relevant objects that are not related to the first object, a second object that is non-coalesced; and

if the descendents of the second object are non-relevant, coalescing the non-relevant non-coalesced object with its descendents.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying a graphical icon as an identification of the coalesced objects.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the descendents are objects descended from the non-coalesced object.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein a non-relevant object is an object that is not linked to the first object.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying a plurality of objects includes identifying a path leading into the selected object, wherein the path includes at least one link and at least one object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the path identified leading into the selected object further includes at least one functoid.

10. A method of simplifying a tree-view display of a mapping between a first schema and a second schema, comprising:

receiving a selection of a first object via a user interface of a computing device, wherein the first object is a graphical representation of a schema element used in mapping two schemas;

identifying a plurality of objects relevant to the first object;

determining if the plurality of objects relevant to the first object are positioned within a display;

if it is determined that not all of the plurality of objects relevant to the first object are positioned within the display, identifying a second object that is non-relevant to the first object and non-coalesced; and

if all descendents of the second object are non-relevant to the first object, coalescing the second object with its descendents.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying a graphical icon as an identification of the coalesced objects.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein descendents are objects descended from the non-coalesced object.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a relevant object is an object that is linked to the first object.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

repeating the method to determine if any additional objects may be coalesced until the plurality of relevant objects are positioned within a display.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying a plurality of objects includes identifying a path leading into the selected object, wherein the path includes at least one link and at least one object.

16. A method for displaying a mapping between a first schema and a second schema, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of relevant objects, wherein at least one of the plurality of relevant objects is a first schema element and at least one of the plurality of the relevant objects is a second schema element;

identifying a non-linked non-relevant element in the first schema;

determining if a descendent of the non-linked non-relevant element has a link;

if it is determined that the descendent of the non-linked non-relevant element does not have a link, coalescing the non-linked non-relevant element and the descendent of the non-linked non-relevant element; and

display the coalesced elements as a single graphical representation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein coalescing the non-linked non-relevant element and the descendent of the non-linked non-relevant element includes:

determining if the descendent of the non-linked non-relevant element is relevant and if it is determined that the descendent of the non-linked non-relevant element is not relevant, coalescing the non-linked non-relevant element and the descendent of the non-linked non-relevant element.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying a non-relevant non-coalesced element in the first schema;

determining if a descendent of the non-relevant non-coalesced element is relevant; and

if it is determined that the descendent of the non-relevant non-coalesced element is not relevant, coalescing the non-relevant non-coalesced element and the descendent of the non-coalesced non-relevant element as a single graphical representation.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first schema includes a plurality of relevant elements, the method further comprising:

determining if each of the plurality of relevant elements are positioned within a display; and

if it is determined that not all of the plurality of relevant elements are positioned within the display, repeating the method to determine if any additional elements of the first schema may be coalesced.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the display of the coalesced elements is selectable.