RETRIEVING DATA FROM AN EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE

• US 20140047377A1
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Nos, Karl-Peter, Baumgaertel, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US13/570,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047377A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application

Abstract

According to an example implementation, a method may include receiving metadata from a first external data source, the metadata indicating types of fields stored by the first external data source, generating a signal configured to cause a display to generate a metadata graphical user interface (GUI) presenting the types of fields to a user, receiving a signal indicating a selection of at least a first type of field and a second type of field by the user via the metadata GUI, receiving data from the first external data source, and converting a type of at least a first field of the received data into the first type and a type of at least a second field of the received data into the second type.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving metadata from a first external data source, the metadata indicating types of fields stored by the first external data source;

generating a signal configured to cause a display to generate a metadata graphical user interface (GUI) presenting the types of fields to a user;

receiving a signal indicating a selection of at least a first type of field and a second type of field by the user via the metadata GUI;

receiving data from the first external data source; and

converting a type of at least a first field of the received data into the first type and a type of at least a second field of the received data into the second type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the metadata includes receiving the metadata from the first external data source, the metadata indicating the types of fields and a number of fields stored by the first external data source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the data includes receiving the data in a plurality of fields, all of the plurality of fields having a same type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the data includes receiving the data in a plurality of fields, all of the plurality of fields being string fields.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a signal configured to cause the display to generate a source GUI presenting available data sources to the user;

receiving a signal indicating a selection of the first external data source by the user via the source GUI; and

requesting the metadata from the first external data source based on the signal indicating the selection of the external data source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising joining at least the first converted field and the second converted field with fields from a local data source.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a signal configured to cause the display to generate a connection GUI requesting a selection of a connection type by the user;

wherein the receiving the metadata includes receiving the metadata from the first external data source using the selected connection type; and

wherein the receiving the data includes receiving the data from the first external data source using the selected connection type.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping the types of fields indicated by the metadata received from the first external data source into predetermined field types;

wherein the converting the type includes converting the type of at least the first field of the received data into a first predetermined field type and converting the type of at least the second field of the received data into a second predetermined field type.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving metadata from a second external data source; and

receiving data from the second external data source.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, are configured to cause the apparatus to at least;

receive metadata from a first external data source, the metadata indicating types of fields stored by the first external data source;

generate a signal configured to cause a display to generate a metadata graphical user interface (GUI) presenting the types of fields to a user;

receive a signal indicating a selection of at least a first type of field and a second type of field by the user via the metadata GUI;

receive data from the first external data source; and

convert a type of at least a first field of the received data into the first type and a type of at least a second field of the received data into the second type.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the receiving the metadata includes receiving the metadata from the first external data source, the metadata indicating the types of fields and a number of fields stored by the first external data source.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the receiving the data includes receiving the data in a plurality of fields, all of the plurality of fields having a same type.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the receiving the data includes receiving the data in a plurality of fields, all of the plurality of fields being string fields.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to:

generate a signal configured to cause the display to generate a source GUI presenting available data sources to the user; and

receive a signal indicating a selection of the first external data source by the user via the source GUI; and

requesting the metadata from the first external data source based on the signal indicating the selection of the external data source.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to join at least the first converted field and the second converted field with fields from a local data source.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to:

generate a signal configured to cause the display to generate a connection GUI requesting a selection of a connection type by the user;

wherein the receiving the metadata includes receiving the metadata from the first external data source using the selected connection type; and

wherein the receiving the data includes receiving the data from the first external data source using the selected connection type.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to:

map the types of fields indicated by the metadata received from the first external data source into predetermined field types;

wherein the converting the type includes converting the type of at least a first field of the received data into the first predetermined field type and converting the type of at least a second field of the received data into the second predetermined field type.

18. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, are configured to cause a computing system to at least:

receive metadata from a first external data source, the metadata indicating types of fields stored by the first external data source;

generate a signal configured to cause a display to generate a metadata graphical user interface (GUI) presenting the types of fields to a user;

receive a signal indicating a selection of at least a first type of field and a second type of field by the user via the metadata GUI;

receive data from the first external data source; and

convert a type of at least a first field of the received data into the first type and a type of at least a second field of the received data into the second type.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to:

generate a signal configured to cause the display to generate a source GUI presenting available data sources to the user; and

receive a signal indicating a selection of the first external data source by the user via the source GUI; and

requesting the metadata from the first external data source based on the signal indicating the selection of the external data source.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to:

map the types of fields indicated by the metadata received from the first external data source into predetermined field types;

wherein the converting the type includes converting the type of at least a first field of the received data into the first predetermined field type and converting the type of at least a second field of the received data into the second predetermined field type.