ADAPTABLE APPLICATION VARIANTS

• US 20180210869A1
• Filed: 01/26/2017
• Published: 07/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: VIOL, Markus, Rauh, Alexander, Brandt, Carsten, Erbe, Lars, Haffner, Stefan, Riegger, Felix, Warner, Axel, Voshage, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 10,380,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing

Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for managing and accessing variants of applications. In an embodiment, a request for an application including one or more contextual parameters may be received. A base user interface configuration corresponding to the application may first be retrieved. One or more interface configuration files corresponding to the one or more contextual parameters may then be retrieved from a layered repository. The layered repository may be partitioned into organizational layers that store a plurality of interface configuration files associated with the application. The retrieved interface configuration files may be merged with the base user interface configuration to generate a composite interface configuration, and the composite interface configuration may be applied to the application at runtime.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving a request for an application, the request including one or more contextual parameters;

retrieving a base user interface configuration corresponding to the application;

retrieving one or more interface configuration files corresponding to the one or more contextual parameters from a layered repository, the layered repository partitioned into one or more organizational layers that store a plurality of interface configuration files associated with the application;

merging the one or more interface configuration files with the base user interface configuration to generate a composite interface configuration; and

applying the composite interface configuration to the application at runtime.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving the one or more interface configuration files further comprises:

matching each contextual parameter to a context-specific application descriptor, wherein the context-specific application descriptor includes a reference to a base application descriptor corresponding to the application, and wherein the context-specific application descriptor includes a unique identifier; and

retrieving an interface configuration file corresponding to the context-specific application descriptor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each retrieved interface configuration file is stored within one of the organizational layers of the layered repository, and wherein the merging further comprises:

merging the one or more interface configuration files in order of a predetermined priority corresponding to each organizational layer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each retrieved interface configuration file is stored within one of the organizational layers of the layered repository, and wherein the merging further comprises:

merging the one or more interface configuration files within each organizational layer in order of a determined priority corresponding to each interface configuration file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more contextual parameters include at least one of a user identification parameter associated with the user, a user location parameter, an industry parameter, a line of business parameter, a company parameter, a usage type parameter, a device type parameter, a network connection parameter, an application partner parameter, a user role parameter, and a security or permissions group parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more organizational layers of the layered repository include at least one of a vendor layer, a partner layer, a customer layer, a test layer, and a user layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the merging is performed at runtime of the application.

8. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive a request for an application, the request including one or more contextual parameters;

retrieve a base user interface configuration corresponding to the application;

retrieve one or more interface configuration files corresponding to the one or more contextual parameters from a layered repository, the layered repository partitioned into one or more organizational layers that store a plurality of interface configuration files associated with the application;

merge the one or more interface configuration files with the base user interface configuration to generate a composite interface configuration; and

apply the composite interface configuration to the application at runtime.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

match each contextual parameter to a context-specific application descriptor, wherein the context-specific application descriptor includes a reference to a base application descriptor corresponding to the application, and wherein the context-specific application descriptor includes a unique identifier; and

retrieve an interface configuration file corresponding to the context-specific application descriptor.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein each retrieved interface configuration file is stored within one of the organizational layers of the layered repository, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

merge the one or more interface configuration files in order of a predetermined priority corresponding to each organizational layer.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein each retrieved interface configuration file is stored within one of the organizational layers of the layered repository, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

merge the one or more interface configuration files within each organizational layer in order of a determined priority corresponding to each interface configuration file.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more contextual parameters include at least one of a user identification parameter associated with the user, a user location parameter, an industry parameter, a line of business parameter, a company parameter, a usage type parameter, a device type parameter, a network connection parameter, an application partner parameter, a user role parameter, and a security or permissions group parameter.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more organizational layers of the layered repository include at least one of a vendor layer, a partner layer, a customer layer, a test layer, and a user layer.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to merge the one or interface configuration files with the base user interface configuration at runtime of the application.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request for an application, the request including one or more contextual parameters;

retrieving a base user interface configuration corresponding to the application;

retrieving one or more interface configuration files corresponding to the one or more contextual parameters from a layered repository, the layered repository partitioned into one or more organizational layers that store a plurality of interface configuration files associated with the application;

merging the one or more interface configuration files with the base user interface configuration to generate a composite interface configuration; and

applying the composite interface configuration to the application at runtime.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein to retrieve the one or more interface configuration files the operations further comprise:

matching each contextual parameter to a context-specific application descriptor, wherein the context-specific application descriptor includes a reference to a base application descriptor corresponding to the application, and wherein the context-specific application descriptor includes a unique identifier; and

retrieving an interface configuration file corresponding to the context-specific application descriptor.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein each retrieved interface configuration file is stored within one of the organizational layers of the layered repository, and wherein the operations further comprise:

merging the one or more interface configuration files in order of a predetermined priority corresponding to each organizational layer.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein each retrieved interface configuration file is stored within one of the organizational layers of the layered repository, and wherein the operations further comprise:

merging the one or more interface configuration files within each organizational layer in order of a determined priority corresponding to each interface configuration file.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the one or more contextual parameters include at least one of a user identification parameter associated with the user, a user location parameter, an industry parameter, a line of business parameter, a company parameter, a usage type parameter, a device type parameter, a network connection parameter, an application partner parameter, a user role parameter, and a security or permissions group parameter.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the one or more organizational layers of the layered repository include at least one of a vendor layer, a partner layer, a customer layer, a test layer, and a user layer.