Apparatus, method and architecture for task oriented applications

• US 6,442,749 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Wakitani, Masaru, Takahashi, Tadashi, Matsumoto, Hitoshi, Hirao, Tsuyoshi, Araki, Hirokatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US09/183,334
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 717/1, 717/11, 717/5, 717/10, 709/202, 709/316
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/76 Adapting program code to run in a different environment; Porting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

A software architecture for task oriented applications. The architecture utilizes a wrapper as an intermediate structure between an external calling application and a wrapped component or module. The wrapper is written in a script language and acts as a bridge between the external application and the wrapped component. Data is transferred among components through the intermediary of a table of contents (TOC) file which contains data attribute information and a link to the actual data file.

Claims

1. A software architecture, comprising:

a plurality of software components capable of performing a plurality of desired functions;

a wrapper component written in a script language and modifiable by an end user, and associated with each software component, the wrapper component configured to be called by an external application and configured to call the software component, wherein the external application and software component do not have a compatible interface; and

a file transfer structure for transferring data or a document between a first and second of the plurality of software components and which can be read by or output by the software components, the file structure containing a link to the data or document to be transferred, wherein the data or document is contained in a file separate from the file transfer structure.

2. The architecture of claim 1, further comprising:

an application external to the plurality of software components which calls the software components in a desired sequence.

3. The architecture of claim 1, further comprising:

a text editor for modifying the wrapper component.

4. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the file transfer structure further comprises:

attribute data associated with attributes of the data or document transferred between the software components.

5. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the script language is HTML.

6. A method of performing a task which can be decomposed into a plurality of sub-tasks, comprising:

providing a software component configured to perform each of the plurality of sub-tasks;

providing a wrapper component written in a script language and modifiable by an end user, and associated with each software component, the wrapper component configured to be called by an external application and configured to call the software component, wherein the external application and software component do not have a compatible interface;

providing a file transfer structure to transfer data or a document from a first software component to a second software component, the file transfer structure including a link to the data or document but not the data or document itself,

determining a sequencing of the sub-tasks for performing the task; and

for each sub-task in the sequence,

calling the wrapper component associated with the software component configured to perform the sub-task; and

executing the software component configured to perform the sub-task in response to the calling of the associated wrapper component,

wherein the file transfer structure is used by a second software component to access data or a document output by a first software component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of providing the wrapper component further comprises:

creating the wrapper component using a text editor.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of providing the wrapper component further comprises:

providing the wrapper written in HTML.

9. A method of operating a software application to perform a desired task composed of a plurality of subtasks, comprising:

providing a software component for performing each of the sub-tasks;

providing a control structure as part of the application which sequences the software components to perform the desired task, wherein the control structure is not capable of directly interfacing with one or more of the software components;

providing a wrapper structure associated with each of the software components which the control structure is not capable of directly interfacing with, the wrapper structure being written in a script language and modifiable by an end user;

causing the control structure to call each of the software components in the sequence, wherein for the software components not directly capable of interfacing with the control structure the control structure calls the wrapper structure associated with the software component and the wrapper then calls the software component; and

when part of performing the task, transferring data or a document between a first and a second software component by transferring a file structure containing a link to the data or document, but not the data or document itself.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of transferring data or a document between a first and a second software component further comprises:

transferring a file structure containing data associated with attributes of the data or document.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of providing the wrapper structure further comprises

providing the wrapper structure written in HTML.

12. An apparatus for implementing a software architecture for a task oriented application, comprising:

a storage medium on which is encoded instructions to implement

a first desired function;

a second desired function;

a wrapper component written in a script language, configured to be called by an external application and configured to call the instructions which implement the first desired function, wherein the external application and the instructions for the first desired function do not have a compatible interface; and

a file transfer structure for transferring data or a document between the first and second functions and containing a link to the data or document to be transferred, wherein the data or document is stored on a computer readable medium in a file separate from the file transfer structure; and

a processing unit capable of executing instructions encoded on the storage medium which can be read by the processing unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

instructions encoded on the storage medium which implement a text editor capable of forming the instructions to implement the wrapper component; and

an input device for a user to access the text editor.

14. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

a set of instructions encoded on the storage medium which can be executed by a computing device, the set of instructions further comprising

instructions to control the operation of the computing device to implement a wrapper for a software component, the wrapper written in a script language and configured to be called by an external application and configured to call the software component, wherein the external application and the software component do not have a compatible interface; and

instructions to control the operation of the computing device to implement a file transfer structure for transferring data or a document between the software component and a second software component, the file transfer structure containing a link to the data or document to be transferred, wherein the data or document is stored on a computer readable medium in a file separate from the file transfer structure.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, further comprising:

instructions encoded on the storage medium which implement a text editor capable of forming the instructions to implement the wrapper.