Method for representing terminal-based applications in the unified modeling language

• US 6,550,054 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Stefaniak, Joseph Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHEN, WEI Y
• Application Number:
  US09/441,116
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 717/104, 717/100-103, 717/136-143, 717/105-109, 717/110-116, 717/120-123, 717/165-166, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y, 707/103, 707/103.Z, 707/500, 707/513, 707/523, 707/526-529, 703/25, 345/967
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/74 Reverse engineering; Extracting design information from source code

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is disclosed for automatically converting text-based screen applications of a legacy computer system into a graphical-based representation thereof. The method includes the steps of transforming a terminal-based screen application into an application specification; converting the application specification into a modeling language-based representation; and, displaying the modeling language-based representation with a graphical user interface. The method of this invention also includes the capability of generating document type definitions of the modeling language-based representation, which enables transmission of the representation among modeling tools.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically converting text-based screen applications of a legacy computer system into a graphical-based representation thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

a. transforming a terminal-based screen application into an application specification;

b. converting said application specification into a modeling language-based representation, said converting further including the steps of;

b-1. extracting a screen specification corresponding to a file reference model thereof stored in a repository;

b-2. parsing said screen specification into classes, attributes and packages thereof;

b-3. defining operations for said classes corresponding to operations of said screen specification; and

,

b-4. establishing for each field name within said screen specification a corresponding relationship among said classes; and

c. displaying said modeling language-based representation with a graphical user interface.

2. A method as in claim 1 further including the step of generating document type definitions of said modeling language-based representation for facilitating transmission of said representation among modeling tools.

3. A method as in claim 1 and in response to a user'"'"'s selection of specific references within one of said terminal-based screen applications, further including the step of creating a project file containing said specific references.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein said step of transforming further includes the steps of discovering applications within said legacy computer system by using a transform navigator and storing said discovered application in a repository.

5. A method as in claim 4 further including the step of creating application specifications of said discovered legacy applications.

6. A method as in claim 5 further including the step of diplaying one of said application specifications of one of said discovered applications in a file warehouse interface.

7. A method as in claim 6 and in response to a user'"'"'s selection of a specific application specification, further including the step of creating a file reference model thereof.

8. A method as in claim 6 and in response to a user'"'"'s selection of a specific application specification, further including the step of displaying a file reference model thereof.

9. A method as in claim 6 and in response to a user'"'"'s selection of a specific application specification, further including the step of saving a file reference model thereof.

10. The method as in claim 1 further including the step of saving said modeling language-based representation in a repository.

11. The method as in claim 1 wherein said graphical-based representation is the Universal Modeling Language.

12. The method as in claim 1 wherein said modeling language-based representation is the eXtended Mark-up Language.

13. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for automatically converting text-based screen applications of a legacy outer system into a graphical-based representation thereof, said method steps comprising;

a. transforming a terminal-based screen application into an application specification;

b. converting said application specification into a modeling language-based representation, said converting further including the steps of;

b-1. extracting a screen specification corresponding to a file reference model thereof stored in a repository;

b-2. parsing said screen specification into classes, attributes and packages thereof;

b-3. defining operations for said classes corresponding to operations of said screen specification; and

,

b-4. establishing for each field name within said screen specification a corresponding relationship among said classes; and

c. displaying said modeling language-based representation with a graphical user interface.

14. The storage device as in claim 13 further including the step of generating document type definitions of said modeling language-based representation for facilitating transmission of said representation among modeling tools.

15. The storage device as in claim 13 and in response to a user'"'"'s selection of specific references within one of said terminal-based screen applications, further including the step of creating a project file containing said specific references.

16. The storage device as in claim 15 wherein said step of transforming further includes the steps of discovering applications within said legacy computer system by using a transform navigator and storing said discovered application in a repository.

17. The storage device as in claim 16 further including the step of creating application specifications of said discovered legacy applications.

18. The storage device as in claim 17 further including the step of displaying one of said application specifications of one of said discovered applications in a file warehouse interface.

19. The storage device as in claim 18 and in response to a user'"'"'s selection of a specific application specification, further including the step of creating a file reference model thereof.

20. The storage device as in claim 18 and in response to a user'"'"'s selection of a specific application specification, further including the step of displaying a file reference model thereof.

21. The storage device as in claim 18 and in response to a user'"'"'s selection of a specific application specification, further including the step of saving a file reference model thereof.

22. The storage device as in claim 13 further including the step of saving said modeling language-based representation in a repository.

23. The storage device as in claim 13 wherein said graphical based representation is the Universal Modeling Language.

24. The storage device as in claim 13 wherein said modeling language based representation is the Extended Mark-up Language.