Application Information Specifiable by Users and Third Parties

• US 20130159782A1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Bacinschi, Radim
• Granted Patent: US 8,887,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring

Abstract

Example systems and methods of generating and distributing user-specified application information are presented. In one example, an informational code to be generated during execution of a software application is accessed. A character string specified by a first user of the software application that is descriptive of the informational code is received. The informational code and the character string are stored in a data storage device, which stores a plurality of information codes in association with corresponding character strings for the software application. The informational code is received in response to the first information code being generated during execution of the software for a second user. The character string is retrieved from the data storage device after the execution of the application based on the informational code, and transmitted for display to the second user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing a first informational code to be generated during execution of a software application;

receiving a first character string descriptive of the first informational code, the first character string being specified by a first user of the software application;

storing the first informational code and the first character string in a data storage device, the data storage device storing a plurality of informational codes in association with corresponding character strings for the software application;

receiving the first informational code in response to the first informational code being generated during execution of the software application for a second user;

retrieving from the data storage device the first character string based on the first informational code after the execution of the software application; and

transmitting the first character string for display to the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, the first user and the second user being the same person.

3. The method of claim 1, the first informational code representing an error condition occurring during the execution of the software application, and the first character string comprising at least one of a description of the error condition and a description of a solution for the error condition that is implementable by the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, the first informational code representing a logging entry generated during the execution of the software application, and the first character string comprising a description of a task performed by the software application during the execution of the software application.

5. The method of claim 1, the first informational code representing a trace output generated during the execution of the software application, and the first character string comprising a description of a location within a source file defining the software application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second character string descriptive of the first informational code;

storing the second character string in the data storage device, the second character string being associated with the first informational code in the data storage device;

presenting the second user with a choice between a first group of character strings comprising the first character string and a second group of character strings comprising the second character string; and

receiving a selection for the first group of character strings from the second user in response to the presenting of the choice;

the retrieving from the data storage device of the first character string being based on the selection.

7. The method of claim 6, the second group of character strings being written in a different human-readable language from the first group of character strings.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second character string descriptive of the first informational code;

storing the second character string in the data storage device, the second character string being associated with the first informational code in the data storage device; and

accessing an indication of an identity of the second user;

the retrieving from the data storage device of the first character string being based on the indication of the identity of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second character string descriptive of the first informational code;

storing the second character string in the data storage device, the second character string being associated with the first informational code in the data storage device; and

accessing an indication of a version of the software application;

the retrieving from the data storage device of the first character string being based on the indication of the version of the software application.

10. The method of claim 1, the first character string including a variable, the method further comprising replacing the variable within the first character string with a second character string represented by the variable before the transmitting of the first character string for display to the second user of the software application.

11. The method of claim 10, the second character string comprising a description of an aspect of the second user.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving from the data storage device at least one preexisting character string based on the first informational code; and

transmitting the at least one preexisting character string for display to the second user, the receiving of the first character string being in response to the transmitting of the at least one preexisting character string.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

accessing a first informational code to be generated during execution of a software application;

receiving a first character string to be associated with the first informational code, the first character string being specified by a first user of the software application;

storing the first informational code and the first character string in a data storage device, the data storage device storing a plurality of informational codes in association with corresponding character strings for the software application;

receiving the first informational code in response to the first informational code being generated during execution of the software application for a second user;

retrieving from the data storage device the first character string based on the first informational code after the execution of the software application; and

transmitting the first character string for display to the second user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, the transmitting of the first character string for display to the user comprising storing the first character string in a data object comprising a plurality of character strings associated with informational codes generated during the execution of the software application.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

modules comprising instructions that are executable by the at least one processor, the modules comprising;

a communication interface module to access informational codes to be generated during execution of a software application on a machine, and to receive character strings, each of the character strings being descriptive of at least one of the informational codes, the character strings being specified by a plurality of users of the software application; and

an information manager module to store the informational codes and the character strings in a data storage device;

the communication interface module to receive a request for at least one of the character strings for the software application;

the information manager to retrieve from the data storage device the at least one of the character strings; and

the communication interface module to transmit the at least one of the character strings for display to one of the users of the software application.

16. The system of claim 15, the request comprising an identity of the software application, the information manager module to retrieve the character strings from the data storage device, and the communication interface module to transmit the character strings to the one of the users.

17. The system of claim 15, the request comprising an identity of the one of the users and an identity of the software application, the information manager module to retrieve the at least one of the character strings from the data storage device based on the identity of the one of the users, and the communication interface module to transmit the at least one of the character strings to the one of the users.

18. The system of claim 15, the request comprising an identity of the software application and an identity of a human-readable language, the information manager module to retrieve those of the character strings written in the human-readable language from the data storage device, and the communication interface module to transmit those of the character strings written in the human-readable language to the one of the users.

19. The system of claim 15, the request comprising an identity of the software application and an identity of a version of the software application, the information manager module to retrieve those of the character strings applicable to the version of the software application from the data storage device, and the communication interface module to transmit those of the character strings applicable to the version of the software application to the one of the users.

20. The system of claim 15, the request comprising a first informational code of the software application and an identity of the software application, the information manager module to retrieve at least one character string descriptive of the first informational code from the data storage device, and the communication interface module to transmit the at least one character string to the one of the users.

21. The system of claim 15, the request comprising a first informational code of the software application, an identity of the one of the users, and an identity of the software application, the information manager module to retrieve at least one character string descriptive of the first informational code from the data storage device based on the identity of the one of the users, and the communication interface module to transmit the at least one character string to the one of the users.

22. The system of claim 15, at least one of the informational codes representing at least one of an error condition occurring during the execution of the software application, a logging entry generated during the execution of the software application, and a trace output generated during the execution of the software application.