Integration of result data from first program operations on dynamic source data into data of a second program

• US 5,564,044 A
• Filed: 04/15/1994
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wang Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Pratt, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, CUAN
• Application Number:
  US08/224,412
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/650, 395/575, 395/700
• US Class Current: 718/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]

Abstract

A mechanism and a method for integrating first data created by a first application program and residing in a first data object belonging to the first application into a second data object where the first data is result data generated by operation of the first application program upon source data of the first application program. A computer system includes an integrated operating environment. A user creates and stores a script identifying the source data and directing the operation of the application program to generate the result data from the source data and inserts a reference to the script in the second data object, wherein the reference identifies the script, the application program and an operation of the application program to execute the script. The user may then invoke the reference to indicate that a current version of the result data derived by operation upon a current version of the source data is to be provided to the second data object, whereupon the system resolves the reference to identify the script, the application program and the operation of the application program to execute the script and invokes the application program to execute the script to generate the result data from the source data and to provide the result data to the second data object.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a plurality of applications programs and objects for storing data, a memory and processor for storing and executing the application programs, and an integrated operating environment, a method for integrating result data from a first data object into a second data object wherein the result data is generated by operations performed on source data by an application program, comprising the steps of:

creating and storing a script identifying the source data and directing the operation of the application program to generate the result data from the source data,

inserting into the data of the second data object a reference to the script,

the reference containing information identifying the script and the application program that is to execute the script and identifying an operation to be performed by the application program in executing the script,

invoking the reference to indicate that a current version of the result data derived by operation upon a current version of the source data is to be provided to the second data object,

resolving the reference to identify the script, to identify the application program that is to execute the script and to identify the operation to be performed by the application program in executing the script,

invoking the application program to execute the script to generate the result data from the source data, and

providing the result data to the second data object.

2. The method of claim 1 for integrating result data from a first data object into a second data object wherein the result data is generated by operations performed on source data by an application program, wherein the step of inserting the reference further comprises the steps of:

inserting the reference into the second data object at the location in the second data object where the result data is to appear,

creating a corresponding result data object to receive the result data,

creating a corresponding interface defining operations of the integrating operating environment to be performed with respect to the result data object, and

creating a moniker corresponding to the result data object, including information identifying the script,

providing a verb identifying the operation of the application program to execute the script, and

obtaining a unique identifier identifying the application program from an application program registration database of the integrated environment.

3. The method of claim 2 for integrating result data from a first data object into a second data object wherein the result data is generated by operations performed on source data by an application program, wherein the step of resolving the reference further comprises the steps of:

resolving the moniker information identifying the script to identity the location of the script in the computer system,

indexing the program registration database with the unique identifier to identify the application program, and

providing the identification of the application program, the location of the script and the verb to the application program.

4. The method of claim 1 for integrating result data from a first data object into a second data object wherein the result data is generated by operations performed on source data by an application program, wherein the step of providing the result data to the second data object further comprises the steps of:

invoking a data exchange mechanism of the integrated operating environment, and

providing the result data to the data exchange mechanism of the integrated operating environment.

5. The method of claim 1 for integrating result data from a first data object into a second data object wherein the result data is generated by operations performed on source data by an application program, wherein:

the step of creating and storing a script further includes

providing in the script commands directing a data exchange mechanism of the integrated operating environment to provide the result data to the second data object,

the step of inserting a reference to the script in the second data object further includes,

providing in association with an application program for operating upon the second data object a second script directing the invocation of the application program of the first data object,

the second script directing the application program associated with the second data object for requesting an exchange of the result data from the first data object,

the second script identifying the result data and the application program of the first data object and directing the execution of the script associated with the application program of the first data object,

the step of invoking the reference to indicate that a current version of the result data derived by operation upon a current version of the source data is to be provided to the second data object further includes the step of invoking the second script, and

the step of invoking the application program to execute the script to generate the result data from the source data further comprises the step of invoking the application program associated with the first data object and providing the identifications of the application program associated with the first data object and the associated script to the application program associated with the first data object, and

the step of providing the result data to the second data object further includes the steps of invoking the data exchange mechanism of the integrated operating environment and providing the result data to the data exchange mechanism.

6. The data integration mechanism of claim 5 for integrating result data from a first data object into a second data object wherein the result data is generated by operations performed on source data by an application program, further comprising:

a data exchange invocation mechanism for invoking a data exchange mechanism of the integrated operating environment.

7. The data integration mechanism of claim 5 for integrating result data from a first data object into a second data object wherein the result data is generated by operations performed on source data by an application program, further including:

in the script associated with the first data object, commands directing a data exchange mechanism of the integrated operating environment to provide the result data to the second data object,

a second script in association with an application program for operating upon the second data object a second script for directing the invocation of the application program of the first data object,

the second script directing the application program associated with the second data object for requesting an exchange of the result data from the first data object,

the second script identifying the result data and the application program of the first data object and directing the execution of the script associated with the application program of the first data object,

the reference invocation mechanism is responsive to the invocation of the reference to indicate that a current version of the result data derived by operation upon a current version of the source data is to be provided to the second data object by invoking the second script, and

the second script is responsive to the invocation of the second script for invoking the application program associated with the first data object and providing the identifications of the application program associated with the first data object and the associated script to the application program associated with the first data object, and

the script associated with the first data object is responsive to the invocation of the script associated with the first data object for invoking the data exchange mechanism of the integrated operating environment and providing the result data to the data exchange mechanism.

8. In a computer system including a plurality of applications programs and objects for storing data, a memory and processor for storing and executing the application programs, and an integrated operating environment, a data integration mechanism for integrating result data from a first data object into a second data object wherein the result data is generated by operations performed on source data by an application program, comprising:

a script generator for creating and storing a script identify the source data and directing the operation of the application program to generate the result data from the source data,

a reference insertion mechanism for inserting into the data of the second data object a reference to the script,

the reference containing information identifying the script and the application program that is to execute the script and identifying an operation that is to be performed by the application program in executing the script,

a reference invocation mechanism for invoking the reference to indicate that a current version of the result data derived by operation upon a current version of the source data is to be provided to the second data object,

a reference resolution mechanism for resolving the reference to identify the script, to identify the application program that is to execute the script and an operation that is to be performed by the application program in executing the script,

an application invocation mechanism for invoking the application program to execute the script to generate the result data from the source data, and

a data exchange mechanism for providing the result data to the second data object.

9. The data integration mechanism of claim 8 for integrating result data from a first data object into a second data object wherein the result data is generated by operations performed on source data by an application program, further comprising:

a reference insertion mechanism for inserting the reference into the second data object at the location in the second data object where the result data is to appear,

an object creation mechanism for creating a corresponding result data object to receive the result data,

an interface definition mechanism for creating a corresponding interface defining operations of the integrating operating environment to be performed with respect to the result data object, and

a moniker creation mechanism for creating a moniker corresponding to the result data object, including

information identifying the script,

providing a verb identifying the operation of the application program to execute the script, and

obtaining a unique identifier identifying the application program from an application program registration database of the integrated operating environment.

10. The data integration mechanism of claim 9 for integrating result data from a first data object into a second data object wherein the result data is generated by operations performed on source data by an application program, further comprising:

a moniker resolution mechanism for resolving the moniker information identifying the script to identify the location of the script in the computer system,

indexing the program registration database with the unique identifier to identify the application program, and

providing the identification of the application program, the location of the script and the verb to the application program.