Platform-Independent Data Application Description Language

• US 20090327328A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Woodall, Zachary, Eatough, Michael J., Black, Neil W., Mital, Vijay, Miller, Andrew Robert, Karimov, Pavel R., Lindhorst, Gregory S., Covington, Clinton Dee, Cooper, Robert Scott, Greenberg, Steven Miles
• Granted Patent: US 9,110,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for generating a platform-independent data application. In one method, a definition of a data schema is received for defining data types. A definition of a user interface is also received for access data stored in the data types. Further, a definition of business logic is received for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the data types. The definitions of the data schema, the user interface, and the business logic are each received in a platform-independent format and used to generate the platform-independent data application.

Claims

1. A method for generating a platform-independent data application, comprising:

receiving, in a platform-independent format, a definition of a data schema for defining data types;

receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of a user interface for accessing data stored as instances of the data types;

receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of business logic for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the data types; and

generating the platform-independent data application using the definition of the data schema, the definition of the user interface, and the definition of business logic.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of application information for providing a description of the platform-independent data application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the platform-independent data application is further generated using the definition of application information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing the platform-independent data application to an application program adapted to implement the platform-independent data application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of a data schema for defining data types comprises receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of a structure of the data types and a definition of relationships between the data types.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of a user interface for accessing data stored in the data types comprises receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of a form for displaying and editing the data stored in the data types, the form adapted to be displayed on a display device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of a user interface for accessing data stored in the data types further comprises receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of a report for presenting the data stored in the data types, the report adapted to be printed through a printing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of business logic for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the data types comprises receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of business logic at the data level for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the data and a definition of business logic at the user interface level for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more portions of the platform-independent data application are reusable in a second platform-independent data application.

10. A method for generating a platform-independent data application, comprising:

receiving, in a platform-independent format, a definition of application information for providing a description of the platform-independent data application;

receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of a data schema for defining data types and definition relationships between the data types;

receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of a form for displaying and editing data stored in the data types through a display device and a definition of a report for presenting the data stored in the data types through a printing device;

receiving, in the platform-independent format, a definition of business logic at a data level for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the data types and a definition of business logic at a form level for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the form; and

generating the platform-independent data application using the definition of the application information, the definition of the data schema, the definition of the form, the definition of the report, the definition of business logic at the data level, and the definition of business logic at the form level.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the definition of the form and the definition of the report are defined based on one or more queries directed to the data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein one portion of the platform-independent computer application is capable of being copied and inserted into a second platform-independent computer application, and wherein the second platform-independent computer application is capable of being implemented without access to other portions of the platform-independent computer application.

13. The method claim 10, further comprising providing the platform-independent data application to a server computer adapted to implement the platform-independent data application through a web application over a computer network.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the platform-independent computer application comprises a tracking application adapted to manage the data and relationships between the data as the data is added to, removed, and edited.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a data structure defining a platform-independent data application for implementation through an application program executing on a computer, the data structure comprising:

a first data type storing a platform-independent definition of a data schema for defining data types;

a second data type storing a platform-independent definition of a user interface for accessing data stored in the data types; and

a third data type storing a platform-independent definition of business logic for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the data types.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the data structure further comprises a fourth data type storing a platform-independent definition of application information for providing a description of the platform-independent data application.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the platform-independent definition of the data schema comprises a platform-independent definition of a structure of the data types and a platform-independent definition of relationships between the data types.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the platform-independent definition of a user interface comprises a platform-independent definition of a form for displaying and editing the data stored in the data types, the form adapted to be displayed on a display device, and a platform-independent definition of a report for displaying the data stored in the data types, the report adapted to be presented through a printing device.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the platform-independent definition of business logic comprises a platform-independent definition of business logic at the data level for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the data and a platform-independent definition of business logic at the user interface level for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the user interface.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the platform-independent computer application comprises a tracking application adapted to manage the data and relationships between the data as the data is added to, removed, and edited.