Bridge for exporting and importing objects between object oriented programming environments

• US 5,963,955 A
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Milinkovich, Steven Michael, Melahn, Gregory Thomas, Koch, John Henry III, Lindsey, Anthony Hayden, Ruby, Samuel Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Fetting, Anton
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/940,822
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 707/100, 707/102, 395/701, 395/710
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A bridge for exporting and importing Envy components to and from a TeamConnection object oriented programming environment includes an Envy side and a TeamConnection side. The Envy side of the bridge creates and transfers an Envy library file that contains the contents of a selected Envy component and a Bill of Materials that describes the contents of the Envy Library file. The TeamConnection side of the bridge searches the transferred Bill of Materials for keywords associated with objects. The TeamConnection side of the bridge then creates a TeamConnection part for each object identified by a respective keyword. To import an Envy component stored within a TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, the TeamConnection side of the bridge creates and transfers an Envy library file containing the contents of the Envy component and a Bill of Materials describing the contents of the Envy library file. The Envy side of the bridge searches the Bill of Materials for keywords. Each identified object is then transferred into the Envy Manager of the Envy object oriented programming environment.

Claims

1. A method of exporting an Envy component from an Envy object oriented programming environment to a TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a bridge between the Envy object oriented programming environment and the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, wherein the bridge comprises a first portion written in Envy computer program code and a second portion written in TeamConnection computer program code;

selecting an Envy component from the Envy object oriented programming environment in response to user input;

selecting a work area within the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, in response to user input;

creating, via the first portion of the bridge, an Envy library file containing contents of the selected Envy component;

creating, via the first portion of the bridge, a text file that describes the contents of the Envy library file; and

transferring the Envy library file and the text file to the second portion of the bridge.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

searching the transferred text file for at least one keyword via the second portion of the bridge, wherein said at least one keyword identifies a respective object;

creating, via the second portion of the bridge, a TeamConnection part for each object identified by said at least one keyword; and

creating a TeamConnection part to hold the contents of the Envy library file.

3. A method of importing an Envy component to an Envy object oriented programming environment from a TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a bridge between the Envy object oriented Programming environment and the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, wherein the bridge comprises a first portion written in Envy computer program code and a second portion written in TeamConnection computer program code;

selecting an Envy component from the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment in response to user input;

selecting a work area within the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, in response to user input;

creating, via the second portion of the bridge, a TeamConnection part containing contents of the selected Envy component;

creating, via the second portion of the bridge, a text file that describes the contents of the selected Envy component; and

transferring the created TeamConnection part and the text file to the first portion of the bridge.

4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

searching the transferred text file for at least one keyword via the first portion of the bridge, wherein said at least one keyword identifies a respective object; and

transferring said identified object into the Envy object oriented programming environment.

5. A computer program product for exporting an Envy component from an Envy object oriented programming environment to a TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for establishing a bridge between the Envy object oriented programming environment and the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, wherein the bridge comprises a first portion written in Envy computer program code and a second portion written in TeamConnection computer program code;

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for selecting an Envy component from the Envy object oriented programming environment;

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for selecting a work area within the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, in response to user input;

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for creating, via the first portion of the bridge, an Envy library file containing contents of the selected Envy component;

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for creating, via the first portion of the bridge, a text file that describes the contents of the Envy library; and

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for transferring the Envy library file and the text file to the second portion of the bridge.

6. A computer program product according to claim 5 further comprising:

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for searching the transferred text file for at least one keyword via the second portion of the bridge, wherein said at least one keyword identifies a respective object;

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for creating, via the second portion of the bridge, a TeamConnection part for each object identified by said at least one keyword; and

creating a TeamConnection part to hold the contents of the Envy library file.

7. A computer program product for importing an Envy component to an Envy object oriented programming environment from a TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for establishing a bridge between the Envy object oriented programming environment and the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, wherein the bridge comprises a first portion written in Envy computer program code and a second portion written in TeamConnection computer program code;

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for selecting an Envy component to import from the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment;

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium selecting a work area within the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, in response to user input;

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for creating, via the second portion of the bridge, a TeamConnection part containing contents of the selected Envy component;

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for creating, via the second portion of the bridge, a text file that describes the contents of the selected Envy component file; and

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for transferring the created TeamConnection part and the text file to the first portion of the bridge.

8. A computer program product according to claim 7 further comprising:

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for searching the transferred text file for at least one keyword via the second portion of the bridge, wherein said at least one keyword identifies a respective object; and

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for transferring said identified object to the first portion of the bridge.

9. A data processing system for exporting an Envy component from an Envy object oriented programming environment to a TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, comprising:

means for establishing a bridge between the Envy object oriented programming environment and the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, wherein the bridge comprises a first portion written in Envy computer program code and a second portion written in TeamConnection computer program code;

means for selecting an Envy component from the Envy object oriented programming environment;

means for selecting a work area within the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, in response to user input;

first means, responsive to the selecting means for creating, via the first portion of the bridge, an Envy library file containing contents of the selected Envy component;

second means, responsive to the to the selecting means for creating, via the first portion of the bridge, a text file that describes the contents of the Envy library file; and

means, responsive to the Envy library file and the text file creating means for transferring the Envy library file and the text file to the second portion of the bridge.

10. A data processing system according to claim 9 further comprising:

means for searching the transferred text file for at least one keyword via the second portion of the bridge, wherein said at least one keyword identifies a respective object;

means, responsive to the searching means, for creating via a second portion of the bridge, a TeamConnection part for each object identified by said at least one keyword; and

means for creating a TeamConnection part to hold the contents of the Envy library file.

11. A data processing system for importing an Envy component to an Envy object oriented programming environment from a TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, comprising:

means for establishing a bridge between the Envy object oriented programming environment and the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, wherein the bridge comprises a first portion written in Envy computer program code and a second portion written in TeamConnection computer program code;

means for selecting an Envy component to import from the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment;

means for selecting a work area within the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, in response to user input;

means, responsive to the selecting means, for creating, via the second portion of the bridge, a TeamConnection part containing contents of the selected Envy component;

means, responsive to the selecting means, for creating, via the second portion of the bridge, a text file that describes the contents of the selected Envy component; and

means, responsive to the means for creating the TeamConnection part and the text file, for transferring the created TeamConnection part and the text file to the first portion of the bridge.

12. A data processing system according to claim 11 further comprising:

means for searching the transferred text file for at least one keyword via the second portion of the bridge, wherein said at least one keyword identifies a respective object; and

means, responsive to the searching means, for transferring said identified object to the first portion of the bridge.

13. A data processing system for exporting an Envy component from an Envy object oriented programming environment to a TeamConnection object oriented programming environment and for importing an Envy component to an Envy object oriented programming environment from a TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, comprising:

means for establishing a bridge between the Envy object oriented programming environment and the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, wherein the bridge comprises a first portion written in Envy computer program code and a second portion written in TeamConnection computer program code;

means for selecting an Envy component from the Envy object oriented programming environment;

means for selecting a work area within the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment, in response to user input;

first means, responsive to the selecting means for creating, via the first portion of the bridge an Envy library file containing contents of the selected Envy component;

second means, responsive to the to the selecting means for creating, via the first portion of the bridge a text file that describes the contents of the Envy library file;

means, responsive to the Envy library file and the text file creating means for transferring the Envy library file and the text file to the second portion of the bridge;

means for selecting an Envy component to import from the TeamConnection object oriented programming environment;

means, responsive to the selecting means, for creating, via the second portion of the bridge, a TeamConnection part containing contents of the selected Envy component;

means, responsive to the selecting means, for creating, via the second portion of the bridge, a text file that describes the contents of the selected Envy component; and

means, responsive to the means for creating the TeamConnection part and the text file, for transferring the TeamConnection part and the text file to the first portion of the bridge.

14. A data processing system according to claim 13 further comprising:

means for searching the transferred text file for at least one keyword via the second portion of the bridge, wherein said at least one keyword identifies a respective object; and

means, responsive to the searching means, for creating a TeamConnection part for an object identified by said at least one keyword.

15. A data processing system according to claim 13 further comprising:

means for searching the transferred text file for at least one keyword, wherein said at least one keyword identifies a respective object; and

means, responsive to the searching means, for transferring said identified object to the first portion of the bridge.