Method and mechanism for a task oriented XML data model

• US 6,598,219 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1999
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lau, Christina P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chavis, John Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/413,148
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 717/104-109, 709/315
• US Class Current: 717/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented

Abstract

A task oriented data model for an object oriented development tool. The data model comprises a task oriented structure which mirrors the task tree embodied in the user interface of the object development tool. The object development tool exports the data model as a document expressed in meta data language such as XML. The XML data model document comprises a series of data elements which are arranged according to a meta data model to mirror the user interface task tree. The meta data model is implemented in XML as a Document Type Definition and comprises containment relationships defined by XML constructs. The task oriented data model provides granularity for exporting and importing data elements, and also facilitates locating data elements of interest in the data model.

Claims

1. A computer program product for an object oriented application program for creating objects, the application program having a user interface for supporting the creation of objects, said user interface comprising a plurality of items, said items defining a sequence of tasks for creating the objects, and said application program including an export utility for exporting document files, said computer program product comprising:

a program storage device having recorded thereon a plurality of machine-readable instructions, said instructions instructing a computer to generate document files for export, and to export said document files, wherein;

(a) each said document file expresses at least a portion of a respective data model, each data model comprising a plurality of objects, each of said objects corresponding to a respective task in said sequence of tasks for creating the objects, each said document file being expressed according to a meta data programming language;

(b) each said document file comprises a non-empty subset of a plurality of data elements corresponding to the plurality of objects of the respective data model, each of said data elements corresponding to a respective task in said sequence of tasks for creating the objects;

(c) said data elements are arranged according to a meta data model;

(d) said meta data model mirrors the sequence of tasks defined in the user interface; and

(e) said instructions of said program storage device are capable of generating a first document file expressing a first data model, said first document file containing all of said plurality of data elements corresponding to the plurality of objects of the first data model, and a second document file expressing a portion of said first data model, said second document file containing fewer than all of said plurality of data elements corresponding to the plurality of objects of the first data model.

2. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said meta data model includes means for validating each of the data elements in said document file.

3. The computer program product as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

(i) said meta data language comprises Extensible Markup Language (XML); and

(ii) said means for validating comprises a Document Type Definition specified in XML.

4. The computer program product claimed in claim 1, wherein said meta data language comprises XML or Extensible Markup Language, and said data elements being arranged according to containment constructs specified in said meta data model.

11. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second document file contains only a single data element of said plurality of data elements corresponding to the plurality of objects of the first data model.

5. A computer system supporting data exportation, comprising:

a processor;

a memory device for storing application programs;

a display outputting information to a user;

an object-oriented application program executable on said processor, said application program supporting the creation of objects, said application program having a user interface for supporting the creation of objects, said user interface comprising a plurality of items, said items defining a sequence of tasks for creating the objects; and

an export utility for exporting document files for use by said application program, wherein said export utility generates document files for export and exports said document files;

wherein each said document file expresses at least a portion of a respective data model, each data model comprising a plurality of objects, each of said objects corresponding to a respective task in said sequence of tasks for creating the objects, each said document file being expressed according to a meta data programming language;

wherein each said document file comprises a non-empty subset of a plurality of data elements corresponding to the plurality of objects of the respective data model, each of said data elements corresponding to a respective task in said sequence of tasks;

wherein said data elements are arranged according to a meta data model;

wherein said meta data model mirrors the sequence of tasks defined in the user interface; and

wherein said export utility is capable of generating a first document file expressing a first data model, said first document file containing all of said plurality of data elements corresponding to the plurality of objects of the first data model, and a second document file expressing a portion of said first data model, said second document file containing fewer than all of said plurality of data elements corresponding to the plurality of objects of the first data model.

6. The computer system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said meta data model includes means for validating each of the data elements in said document file.

7. The computer system as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

(i) said meta data language comprises Extensible Markup Language (XML); and

(ii) said means for validating comprises a Document Type Definition specified in XML.

8. The computer system claimed in claim 5, wherein said meta data language comprises XML or Extensible Markup Language, and said data elements being arranged according to containment constructs specified in said meta data model.

9. The computer system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second document file contains only a single data element of said plurality of data elements corresponding to the plurality of objects of the first data model.

10. The computer system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said export utility is capable of generating a set of document files each expressing a respective portion of said first data model, each document file of said set of document files corresponding to a respective level of granularity, each level of granularity corresponding to a hierarchical level of a task tree of said user interface, wherein each document file of said set of document files contains all data elements corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of objects of said first data model under the task tree at the corresponding level of granularity of the document file.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 5, wherein said instructions of said program storage device are capable of generating a set of document files each expressing a respective portion of said first data model, each document file of said set of document files corresponding to a respective level of granularity, each level of granularity corresponding to a hierarchical level of a task tree of said user interface, wherein each document file of said set of document files contains all data elements corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of objects of said first data model under the task tree at the corresponding level of granularity of the document file.