EXTENSIBLE ATTRIBUTES MODEL FOR BUSINESS APPLICATIONS

• US 20100049731A1
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kiran Vedula, Venkata Naga Ravi
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

In a method for extension of an item attribute in a business application data model, a selection is received of an item of the business application data model to which an item attribute is being added. The item attribute is received, including receipt of relationship information which defines a location of the item attribute within a hierarchy of the business application data model. The item attribute is associated with the business application data model such that the item attribute is contextually included within a searchable ontology of the hierarchy in accordance with the relationship information.

Claims

1. A method for extension of an item attribute in a business application data model, said method comprising:

receiving a selection of an item of a business application data model to which an extended item attribute is being added;

receiving said extended item attribute including relationship information defining a location of said extended item attribute within a hierarchy of said business application data model; and

associating said extended item attribute with said business application data model such that said extended item attribute is contextually included within a searchable ontology of said hierarchy in accordance with said relationship information.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

validating a data value received in association with said extended item attribute.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said validating a data value received in association with said extended item attribute comprises:

accessing said extended item attribute of said business application data model;

examining said hierarchy with which said extended item attribute is associated with in said business application data model; and

validating said data value in accordance with any inherited meta attribute incorporated in said extended item attribute as a function of association with said hierarchy to determine if said data value is in compliance with said inherited meta attribute.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

validating said data value in accordance with a user provided meta attribute incorporated in said extended item attribute to determine if said data value is in compliance with said user provided meta attribute.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said associating said extended item attribute with said business application data model such that said extended item attribute is contextually included within a searchable ontology of said hierarchy in accordance with said relationship information comprises:

naming a name meta attribute associated with said new attribute identifier.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said associating said extended item attribute with said business application data model such that said extended item attribute is contextually included within a searchable ontology of said hierarchy in accordance with said relationship information comprises:

adding a new attribute identifier to said item.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said associating said extended item attribute with said business application data model such that said extended item attribute is contextually included within a searchable ontology of said hierarchy in accordance with said relationship information further comprises:

associating a second meta attribute with said new attribute identifier.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said associating a second meta attribute with said new attribute identifier further comprises:

associating a user provided meta attribute with said new attribute identifier.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said associating a second meta attribute with said new attribute identifier further comprises:

associating an inherited meta attribute with said new attribute identifier.

10. A computer readable medium having stored thereon:

an extended item attribute in a business application data model, said extended item attribute comprising;

a hierarchical association with an item of said business application data model, said hierarchical association defining a location of said attribute within a hierarch of said business application data model;

a new attribute identifier not previously associated with said item in said business application data model; and

a named name meta attribute associated with said new attribute identifier, said named name attribute facilitating searching upon said extended item attribute.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein said extended item attribute further comprises:

an inherited meta attribute inherited from said item and associated with said new attribute identifier.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein said extended item attribute further comprises:

a user provided meta attribute associated with said new attribute identifier.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein said extended item attribute further comprises:

a validatable data field associated with said new attribute identifier.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for moving an item in a business application data model, said method comprising:

receiving a destination location to which an item is to be moved within a hierarchy of a business application data model;

determining that a present item attribute of said item at an initial location in said hierarchy is common with a destination item attribute to be associated with said item at said destination location;

transferring a common item attribute from said initial location to said destination location; and

transferring an extended item attribute from said initial location to said destination location.

15. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein said method further comprises:

refusing to transfer a non-common item attribute from said initial location to said destination location.

16. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein said method further comprises:

adding a non-common destination item attribute to said item after said common item attribute is moved to said destination location.

17. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein said determining that a present item attribute of said item at an initial location in said hierarchy is common with a destination item attribute to be associated with said item at said destination location comprises:

accessing any present item attributes associated with said item at said initial location;

accessing any destination item attributes to be associated with said item at said destination location; and

comparing said present item attributes with said destination item attributes to determine if a commonality exists.

18. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said accessing any present item attributes associated with an item at an initial location comprises:

accessing a hierarchy associated with said item at said initial location to determine inherited present item attributes of said item; and

accessing any extended present item attributes added to said item at said initial location.

19. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said accessing any destination item attributes to be associated with said item at said destination location comprises:

accessing a hierarchy to be associated with said item at said destination location to determine inherited destination item attributes to be associated with said item at said destination location; and

accessing any extended destination item attributes to be added to said item at said destination location.

20. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein said transferring a common item attribute from said initial location to said destination location further comprises:

transferring a value associated with said common item attribute to the destination location.