DATA COMPONENT IN A MOBILE APPLICATION FRAMEWORK

• US 20150040103A1
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hinrichs, Karsten, Nyisztor, Karoly
• Granted Patent: US 9,344,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

In an example embodiment, one or more configuration files are defined for an extensible application, the one or more configuration files including metadata for the extensible application. Then code defining behavior of the extensible application is combined with a mobile application framework, the mobile application framework including a data component configured to obscure details of an underlying data source for the extensible application, the code including calls made to one or more of the generic components. The code is compiled and one or more of the configuration files can be uploaded to a mobile platform server for storage. Then the compiled code is uploaded to a platform server for distribution to one or more devices. One or more of the configuration files is configured to alter an aspect of the extensible application. Finally, the altered one or more configuration files is uploaded to the mobile platform server for storage.

Claims

1. A method of creating an extensible application, comprising:

defining one or more configuration files for the extensible application, the one or more configuration files including metadata for the extensible application; and

combining code defining behavior of the extensible application with a mobile application framework, the mobile application framework including a data component executable by the processor and configured to obscure details of an underlying data source for the extensible application, the code including calls made to one or more of the generic components;

compiling the code;

uploading one or more of the configuration files to a mobile platform server for storage;

uploading the compiled code to a platform server for distribution to one or more devices;

altering one or more of the configuration files to alter an aspect of the extensible application; and

uploading the altered one or more configuration files to the mobile platform server for storage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data component is further configured to fetch, modify, and delete business objects.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data component does not keep any state of any of the business objects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data component includes:

a generic business object manager configured to act as a facade of the data component to framework internal components and to the extensible application;

one or more data source adapters configured to act as a mediator between the framework and a data source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more data source adapters each are configured to utilize a different protocol.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the data component is configured to fetch a single business object of any given tile, fetch all business object instances of a given type, fetch the named relation for a given business object, and use a business query to select a set of business objects that match defined criteria.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein one of the one or more data source adapters is configured to use Mobile Business Objects (MBO) protocol and another of the one or more data source adapters is configured to use Open Data (ODATA) protocol.

8. A mobile application framework, executable by a processor and capable of being called by code in a mobile application, the mobile application framework comprising:

a data component executable by a processor and configured to obscure details of an underlying data source for the mobile application.

9. The mobile application framework of claim 8, further comprising:

a core component configured to expose one or more application program interfaces (APIs) that initialize the mobile application framework when executed;

a user interface component configured to encapsulate a metadata-driven view for the mobile application;

a data component configured to provide bindings to one or more business objects defining data for the mobile application; and

a configuration component configured to read and parse metadata in the one or more configuration files and transform the metadata to constructs native to the mobile application.

10. The mobile application framework of claim 8, wherein the data component includes:

a generic business object manager configured to act as a facade of the data component to framework internal components and to the extensible application;

one or more data source adapters configured to act as a mediator between the framework and a data source.

11. The mobile application framework of claim 10, wherein the one or more data source adapters each are configured to utilize a different protocol.

12. The mobile application framework of claim 10, wherein the data component is configured to fetch a single business object of any given tile, fetch all business object instances of a given type, fetch the named relation for a given business object, and use a business query to select a set of business objects that match defined criteria.

13. The mobile application framework of claim 11, wherein one of the one or more data source adapters is configured to use Mobile Business Objects (MBO) protocol and another of the one or more data source adapters is configured to use Open Data (ODATA) protocol.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more machines, cause the one or more machines to perform the following operations:

defining one or more configuration files for the extensible application, the one or more configuration files including metadata for the extensible application; and

combining code defining behavior of the extensible application with a mobile application framework, the mobile application framework including a data component executable by the processor and configured to obscure details of an underlying data source for the extensible application, the code including calls made to one or more of the generic components;

compiling the code;

uploading one or more of the configuration files to a mobile platform server for storage;

uploading the compiled code to a platform server for distribution to one or more devices;

altering one or more of the configuration files to alter an aspect of the extensible application; and

uploading the altered one or more configuration files to the mobile platform server for storage.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the data component is further configured to fetch, modify, and delete business objects.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the data component does not keep any state of any of the business objects.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the data component includes:

a generic business object manager configured to act as a facade of the data component to framework internal components and to the extensible application;

one or more data source adapters configured to act as a mediator between the framework and a data source.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more data source adapters each are configured to utilize a different protocol.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the data component is configured to fetch a single business object of any given tile, fetch all business object instances of a given type, fetch the named relation for a given business object, and use a business query to select a set of business objects that match defined criteria.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein one of the one or more data source adapters is configured to use Mobile Business Objects (MBO) protocol and another of the one or more data source adapters is configured to use Open Data (ODATA) protocol.