DATA SHARING BETWEEN APPLICATIONS WHERE ONLY ONE APPLICATION KNOWS THE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF THE DATA

• US 20090276792A1
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Godoy, Glenn C., Snavely, Amy Jeanne, Berry, Charles Franklin
• Granted Patent: US 8,205,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]

Abstract

A method and system for sharing data between a calling application and a callee application. A callee application receives a request for processing data owned and stored by the calling application in a data table. The callee application receives a document to which containers that include data elements from the data table are attached in a predefined order. The callee application identifies element types corresponding to the containers based on a mapping interface table. The callee application unloads data elements from the containers into a data store via the predefined order and associates the data elements with the corresponding element types. The callee application processes the data according to the request. The processing includes applying a business rule to a data element based on the business rule being associated with an element type of the data element. Only the callee application has knowledge of the applied business rule.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of sharing data between applications, comprising:

receiving, from a calling application being executed on a first computing system and by a callee application being executed on a second computing system, a request for a processing of a first set of data owned by said calling application and stored by said calling application in a data table of a data repository coupled to said first computing system, wherein said first set of data includes a plurality of data elements;

receiving, by said callee application, a document to which a plurality of containers that includes said plurality of data elements is attached in a predefined order or with a plurality of predefined labels;

identifying, by said callee application, a plurality of element types that is associated with said plurality of containers, wherein said identifying includes translating said plurality of containers into said plurality of element types via a mapping interface table, and wherein said element types are associated with said containers in a one-to-one correspondence;

unloading, by said callee application and subsequent to said identifying, said plurality of data elements from said plurality of containers into a data store via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels, wherein said unloading includes associating, in said data store, said plurality of data elements with said plurality of element types; and

processing, by said callee application and subsequent to said unloading, said first set of data according to said request, wherein said processing said first set of data includes applying a business rule to a data element of said plurality of data elements based on said business rule being associated with an element type of said plurality of element types, wherein said element type is associated in said data store with said data element, wherein a result of said processing said first set of data is a second set of data that includes an update of said plurality of data elements, wherein said calling application does not know said business rule, and wherein said callee application knows said business rule.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from said calling application and by said callee application, a request for said document that includes said second set of data, wherein said receiving said request for said document is subsequent to said processing said first set of data and subsequent to a determination that said request for said processing said first set of data requires a return of said second set of data to said calling application;

translating, by said callee application, said plurality of element types into said plurality of containers via said mapping interface table;

loading, by said callee application, subsequent to said translating said plurality of element types, and via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels, said second set of data from said data store into said plurality of containers, wherein said plurality of containers is attached to said document; and

sending, by said callee application, said document to said calling application to facilitate an unloading of said second set of data from said plurality of containers attached to said document into said data table via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said sending said document includes sending said document as a response to a web service call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing said first set of data further includes:

retrieving, from a business rules data table that associates a plurality of business rules with said plurality of element types, one or more business rules of said plurality of business rules, wherein said one or more business rules are associated with said element type via said business rules data table, and wherein said one or more business rules includes said business rule;

applying said one or more business rules to said data element; and

generating said update of said plurality of data elements in response to said applying said one or more business rules, wherein said update of said plurality of data elements includes a modification of at least one data element of said plurality of data elements or a new data element added to said plurality of data elements.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said business rules data table is stored in a data repository coupled to said second computing system, and wherein said callee application knows said business rule as a result of said retrieving.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving, by said callee application, a plurality of data processing requests from a plurality of calling applications being executed on a plurality of computing systems, wherein said receiving said plurality of requests includes said receiving said request, wherein said plurality of calling applications includes said calling application, wherein said plurality of data processing requests includes said request, and wherein no calling application of said plurality of calling applications has access to said business rules data table.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving said request, said receiving said document, said identifying said plurality of element types, said unloading said plurality of data elements from said plurality of containers, and said processing said first set of data are performed without said callee application having a knowledge of a location in said data table in which any data element of said plurality of data elements is stored.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving said document includes receiving said document via a web service call.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of containers is a plurality of elements of an array.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said calling application is an application that manages a plurality of purchasing functions of a business, wherein said callee application is an application that manages a plurality of accounting functions of a business, wherein said processing said first set of data includes performing an accounting function of said callee application, and wherein said accounting function is selected from the group consisting of a validation of said first set of data, a creation of accounting data to add to said first set of data, and a modification of said first set of data.

11. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising a software application, said software application comprising instructions that when executed by said processor implement the method of claim 1.

12. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code containing instructions that when executed by a processor of a second computing system implement a method of sharing data between applications, said method comprising:

receiving, from a calling application being executed on a first computing system and by a callee application being executed on said second computing system, a request for a processing of a first set of data owned by said calling application and stored by said calling application in a data table of a data repository coupled to said first computing system, wherein said first set of data includes a plurality of data elements;

receiving, by said callee application, a document to which a plurality of containers that includes said plurality of data elements is attached in a predefined order or with a plurality of predefined labels;

identifying, by said callee application, a plurality of element types that is associated with said plurality of containers, wherein said identifying includes translating said plurality of containers into said plurality of element types via a mapping interface table, and wherein said element types are associated with said containers in a one-to-one correspondence;

unloading, by said callee application and subsequent to said identifying, said plurality of data elements from said plurality of containers into a data store via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels, wherein said unloading includes associating, in said data store, said plurality of data elements with said plurality of element types; and

processing, by said callee application and subsequent to said unloading, said first set of data according to said request, wherein said processing said first set of data includes applying a business rule to a data element of said plurality of data elements based on said business rule being associated with an element type of said plurality of element types, wherein said element type is associated in said data store with said data element, wherein a result of said processing said first set of data is a second set of data that includes an update of said plurality of data elements, wherein said calling application does not know said business rule, and wherein said callee application knows said business rule.

13. The program product of claim 12, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, from said calling application and by said callee application, a request for said document that includes said second set of data, wherein said receiving said request for said document is subsequent to said processing said first set of data and subsequent to a determination that said request for said processing said first set of data requires a return of said second set of data to said calling application;

translating, by said callee application, said plurality of element types into said plurality of containers via said mapping interface table;

loading, by said callee application, subsequent to said translating said plurality of element types, and via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels, said second set of data from said data store into said plurality of containers, wherein said plurality of containers is attached to said document; and

sending, by said callee application, said document to said calling application to facilitate an unloading of said second set of data from said plurality of containers attached to said document into said data table via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels.

14. The program product of claim 13, wherein said sending said document includes sending said document as a response to a web service call.

15. The program product of claim 12, wherein said processing said first set of data further includes:

retrieving, from a business rules data table that associates a plurality of business rules with said plurality of element types, one or more business rules of said plurality of business rules, wherein said one or more business rules are associated with said element type via said business rules data table, and wherein said one or more business rules includes said business rule;

applying said one or more business rules to said data element; and

generating said update of said plurality of data elements in response to said applying said one or more business rules, wherein said update of said plurality of data elements includes a modification of at least one data element of said plurality of data elements or a new data element added to said plurality of data elements.

16. The program product of claim 12, wherein said receiving said request, said receiving said document, said identifying said plurality of element types, said unloading said plurality of data elements from said plurality of containers, and said processing said first set of data are performed without said callee application having a knowledge of a location in said data table in which any data element of said plurality of data elements is stored.

17. A process for supporting computing infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a second computing system, wherein the code in combination with the second computing system is capable of performing a method of sharing data between applications, said method comprising:

receiving, from a calling application being executed on a first computing system and by a callee application being executed on said second computing system, a request for a processing of a first set of data owned by said calling application and stored by said calling application in a data table of a data repository coupled to said first computing system, wherein said first set of data includes a plurality of data elements;

receiving, by said callee application, a document to which a plurality of containers that includes said plurality of data elements is attached in a predefined order or with a plurality of predefined labels;

identifying, by said callee application, a plurality of element types that is associated with said plurality of containers, wherein said identifying includes translating said plurality of containers into said plurality of element types via a mapping interface table, and wherein said element types are associated with said containers in a one-to-one correspondence;

unloading, by said callee application and subsequent to said identifying, said plurality of data elements from said plurality of containers into a data store via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels, wherein said unloading includes associating, in said data store, said plurality of data elements with said plurality of element types; and

processing, by said callee application and subsequent to said unloading, said first set of data according to said request, wherein said processing said first set of data includes applying a business rule to a data element of said plurality of data elements based on said business rule being associated with an element type of said plurality of element types, wherein said element type is associated in said data store with said data element, wherein a result of said processing said first set of data is a second set of data that includes an update of said plurality of data elements, wherein said calling application does not know said business rule, and wherein said callee application knows said business rule.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, from said calling application and by said callee application, a request for said document that includes said second set of data, wherein said receiving said request for said document is subsequent to said processing said first set of data and subsequent to a determination that said request for said processing said first set of data requires a return of said second set of data to said calling application;

translating, by said callee application, said plurality of element types into said plurality of containers via said mapping interface table;

loading, by said callee application, subsequent to said translating said plurality of element types, and via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels, said second set of data from said data store into said plurality of containers, wherein said plurality of containers is attached to said document; and

sending, by said callee application, said document to said calling application to facilitate an unloading of said second set of data from said plurality of containers attached to said document into said data table via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels.

19. A computer-based method of sharing data between applications, comprising:

sending, from a calling application being executed on a first computing system and to a callee application being executed on a second computing system, a request for a processing of a first set of data owned by said calling application and stored by said calling application in a data table of a data repository coupled to said first computing system, wherein said first set of data includes a plurality of data elements;

generating, by said calling application, a document associated with a function of said calling application;

loading, by said calling application and subsequent to said generating said document, a plurality of containers that includes a plurality of data elements into said document, wherein said loading is performed in a predefined order or with a plurality of predefined labels; and

sending said document by said calling application, to said callee application, and subsequent to said loading said plurality of containers,

wherein said sending said document facilitates;

a translation of said plurality of containers into a plurality of element types via a mapping interface table, wherein said containers are associated with said element types in a one-to-one correspondence,

an unloading of said plurality of data elements from said plurality of containers into a data store via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels, wherein a result of said unloading of said plurality of data elements is an association in said data store of said plurality of data elements with said plurality of element types, and

said processing of said first set of data subsequent to said unloading, wherein said processing includes an application of a business rule to a data element of said plurality of data elements based on said business rule being associated with an element type of said plurality of element types, wherein said element type is associated in said data store with said data element, wherein a result of said processing is a second set of data that includes an update of said plurality of data elements, wherein said calling application does not know said business rule and wherein said callee application knows said business rule.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining, by said calling application and subsequent to said processing of said first set of data, that said request for said processing of said first set of data requires a return of said second set of data to said calling application;

sending, by said calling application and to said callee application, a request for said document that includes said second set of data, wherein said sending said request for said document is subsequent to said determining that said request requires said return of said second set of data;

receiving, by said calling application and from said callee application, said document subsequent to a loading of said second set of data from said data store into said document, via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels, and based on a translation of said plurality of element types into said plurality of containers via said mapping interface table; and

unloading, by said calling application, said second set of data from said plurality of containers attached to said document into said data table via said predefined order or via said plurality of predefined labels.