Tool-independent system for application building in an object oriented development environment with data stored in repository in OMG compliant UML representation

• US 6,018,627 A
• Filed: 09/22/1997
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Pattinson, Brian Edward, Staub, Mireille Mathilde, Fontana, James Albert, Smith, Norman Roy, Iyengar, Sridhar Srinivasa, Pitchford, Anthony Reginald
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US08/934,833
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 395/707, 395/701
• US Class Current: 717/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

A programmed computer system includes a set of development tools, each having a format used to store data and code files. The output data from a developmental tool is transformed into a generic format data which is saved in a repository. The repository also contains all output data, application components, and information as to the relationship between the entities and objects stored in the repository. Each tool employed during the development process puts information into the repository and takes information out of the repository. In this way, the system integrates the tools used in different parts of the development process by passing necessary information from one tool to another. Different tools are employed through each of the development stages, legacy integration, enterprise modeling, domain modeling, writing and editing of business logic, generating skeleton code, component building and wrapping and application deployment.

Claims

1. A system for developing computer applications using a set of development tools, each having an input for receiving input data and each generating output data, said system comprising:

a.) for each of said development tools, means for translating said output data from said development tool into an OMG compliant UML representation of data based on a set of object classes defined and stored in a repository;

b.) said repository also being disposed for storing said output data and the relationship between said output data and said UML representation of data; and

,

c.) for each of said set of development tools, means for translating said UML representation of data from said repository into input data and supplying said input data to the input of one or more of said development tools.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said repository further comprises tools for cataloging, browsing and managing representations of said object classes and relationships between said object classes.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the repository further stores application components and the repository further comprises tools for browsing, searching and installing the application components.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for adding a new development tool to said system comprising means for updating and configuring said means for translating said output data and said means for translating said generalized-format data for said new development tool.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the development tools is a legacy discovery tool.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein, for the legacy discovery tool, the means for translating the output data comprises means for translating the output data into Unified Modeling Language format.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the development tools is a business process modeling tool.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein, for the business process modeling tool, the means for translating the output data comprises means for translating the output data into Unified Modeling Language format.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the development tools is a domain modeling tool.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein, for the domain modeling tool, the means for translating the output data comprises means for translating the output data into Unified Modeling Language format.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for generating skeleton code from the data stored in the repository.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for storing representations of the generated skeleton code in the repository.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the development tools is a component building tool.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the development tools is an application building tool.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the development tools is an application deployment tool.

16. A computer system having a repository program being executed therein and a framework that includes an OMG compliant UML representation of artifacts needed for integrating software development tools into said system, and for building, deploying and maintaining applications in a heterogeneous development framework, said framework comprising:

a. a legacy integration module for discovering and transforming pre-existing applications into object models;

b. an enterprise modeling module for creating and saving business models derived from a business modeling tool;

c. a domain modeling module for creating object models from said business models;

d. a business modeling module for writing the methods for business processes based on said business model in said domain modeling module;

e. a component building and wrapping module for wrapping said business models into components and containing a multiplicity of component interfaces useful in building applications;

f. an application and assembly module disposed in said repository for assembling built components into an application; and

,

g. an application deployment module disposed in said repository for deploying new applications.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said legacy integration module interfaces with a legacy discovery tool capable of translating output data therefrom into a Unified Modeling Language format.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said business modeling module interfaces with a business process development tool capable of translating output data therefrom into a Unified Modeling Language format.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein said domain modeling module interfaces with a domain modeling tool capable of translating output data therefrom into Unified Modeling Language format.

20. The system of claim 16 further comprising means for generating skeleton code from data stored in said repository.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising means for storing representations of said generated skeleton code in said repository.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein said component building and wrapping module interfaces with a component building development tool.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein said application and assembly module interfaces with an application building development tool.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein said application deployment module interfaces with an application deployment development tool.