FORMAT INDEPENDENT DATA TRANSFORMATION

• US 20130226944A1
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Baid, Sushil, Prasad, Anil K., Srinivasan, Krishnan, Mannem, Kranthi K., Sharath, Palavalli R., Sharma, Siddharth
• Application Number:
  US13/404,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/88 Mark-up to mark-up conversion conversion for visualization in web browsing G06F16/9577

Abstract

Data transformation can be performed across various data structures and formats. Moreover, data transformation can be format agnostic. Output data of a second structure can be generated as a function of input data of a first structure and a transform independent of the format of input and output data. In one instance, the transform can be specified by way of a graphical representation and encoded in a form independent of input and output data formats. Subsequently, data transformation can be performed as a function of the transform and input data.

Claims

1. A data transformation method, comprising:

employing at least one processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory to perform the following acts;

producing output data in a second format from input data in a first format as a function of a format-independent representation of a transformation that maps the input data of a first structure to the output data of a second structure.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises generating the transformation from a graphical representation that expresses relations between the first structure and the second structure.

3. The method of claim 2, generating the transformation from the graphical representation including a loop structure that indicates performance of a specified transformation over a collection of elements of the input data.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprises generating the transformation as a function of a selected maplet.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprises automatically suggesting a maplet based on context.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises saving a subset of the transformation as a re-usable maplet.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises generating computer-executable code configured to produce the output data upon execution of the code based on the format-independent representation of the transformation.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises generating the transformation as a function of code specified by way of a declarative programming language.

9. A data transformation system, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory, the processor configured to execute the following computer-executable components stored in the memory;

a first component configured to generate output data from input data independent of format of the input data and the output data based on a transform that maps input data of a first structure to output data of a second structure.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprises a second component configured to generate the transform as a function of a graphical representation.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprises a second component configured to generate code, executable by the first component, as a function of the transform.

12. The system of claim 9, the transform is specified in an intermediate programming language.

13. The system of claim 9, the transform includes a loop structure that indicates performance of a specified transformation over at least a subset of the input data.

14. The system of claim 9 further comprises a second component configured to suggest a maplet based on context.

15. The system of claim 9 further comprises a second component configured to save at least a subset of the transform.

16. The system of claim 9, at least a portion of the transform is specified by way of a declarative programming language.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of application-programming interfaces for a data transformation application, comprising:

a first interface configured to represent, and enable interaction with, an input data structure subject to transformation independent of format of the input data structure and an output data structure.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 further comprises a second interface configured to enable navigation of the input data structure.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the second interface is configured to obtain data from the input data structure as a function of an input data path.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, the first interface is configured to assign data to the output data structure as a function of an output data path.