COBOL/natural copybook to Java conversion Wizard

• US 6,782,540 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Lee, Wing, Tsai, Denis, Yang, Jiangxiang, Chow, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/629,924
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310-320, 719/328-330, 709/200-207, 709/217-219, 709/230-237, 717/118, 717/136-139, 717/148, 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y, 707/103, 707/103.Z
• US Class Current: 719/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

The present invention, sometimes referred to as an Application Message Wrapper Generation Wizard or Wizard (for short), is a tool to help application developers map Cobol or Natural copybooks into a message command for an ASCII-based text messaging service. In this sense, the Wizard facilitates communication between client applications and server applications by allowing the client to use generic requests and allowing the Wizard generated files providing the correct protocol and syntax for communication with the destination server application. The Wizard generates Java classes that will mine/plant data a runtime between business objects and a message string that corresponds to the copybook'"'"'s data structure, and vice versa. The Wizard recognizes different data types of copybook fields respectively, and converts them to/from ASCII. The Java classes generated by the Wizard also serve to abstract mainframe services so as to encapsulate ASCI text messaging system calls from the business layer by treating mainframe services as an ordinary operation on an object and so as to act as a layer than can serve to pave a path for migrating services away from a legacy environment. The generated Java code ensures efficient runtime performance for mining/plating of data. The present invention relates to the Wizard itself, the method of using it, the software system using the files generated by the Wizard and the method of using the generated software system.

Claims

1. A method for generating computer files based on user input which facilitate communication between a client application and a server application having copybook text file wherein the copybook text file comprises a copybook structure, the method comprising:

(a) reading in a copybook text file selected by the user, wherein the copybook text file comprises a set of fields with corresponding values for each field;

(b) converting the copybook structure into an internal data representation;

(c) accepting user input defining at least one interface function;

(d) generating an IDL file from the internal data representation which represents the copybook as an IDL struct, with each field of the copybook as a member of the struct, and which incorporates the interface function defined by the user, wherein the IDL file enables communication with CORBA-compliant systems;

(e) generating an application server class implementing the interface function defined by the user; and

(f) generating a copybook interface class, which is used by the client application through the application server class to set and to get the copybook values through the IDL file.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating with the server application having a copybook text file further comprises communication with an ASCII-based text messaging system, the method further comprising:

generating a copybook converter class which converts the value of a field of the copybook as represented in the IDL file into a character array which may be transmitted and which converts a character array into the value of a field of the copybook as represented in the IDL file; and

wherein the application server class also implements functions for communicating with the ASCII-based text messaging system, wherein the ASCII-based text messaging system enables communication with server applications resident on non-CORBA-compliant systems.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the copybook text file comprises a COBOL copybook text file.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the copybook text file comprises a Natural pda file.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the copybook text file comprises a Natural pdl file.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the copybook text file comprises a COBOL copybook test file.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the copybook text file comprises a Natural pda file.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the copybook text file comprises a Natural pdl file.

9. A software system for facilitating communication between a client application and server application having a copybook text file wherein the copybook text file comprises a set of fields with corresponding values for each field, the system comprising:

(a) an IDL file which represents the copybook as an IDL struct, with each field of the copybook as a member of the struct, and which incorporates at least one interface function defined by the user, wherein the IDL file enables communication with CORBA-compliant systems;

(b) an application server class implementing at least one interface function defined by the user;

(c) a copybook interface class, which is used by the client application through the application server class to set and to get the copybook values through the IDL file.

10. The software system of claim 9 wherein communicating with the server application having a copybook text file further comprises communication with an ASCII-based text messaging system, the system further comprising:

(d) an ASCII-based text messaging system, wherein the ASCII-based text messaging system enables communication with non-CORBA-compliant systems

(e) a copybook converter class which converts the value of a field of the copybook as represented in the IDL file into a character array which may be transmitted and which converts a character array into the value of a field of the copybook as represented in the IDL file; and

(b1) wherein the application server class also implements functions for communicating with the ASCII-based text messaging system.

18. The method of claim 9 wherein the copybook text file comprises a COBOL copybook test file.

19. The method of claim 9 wherein the copybook text file comprises a Natural pda file.

20. The method of claim 9 wherein the copybook text file comprises a Natural pdl file.

11. A method for facilitating communication specifically including exchanging a request message and a response message between a client application and a server application having a copybook text file, the method comprising:

(a) using the client application to instantiate at least one Copybook Interface class object to build a request message;

(b) using the Copybook Interface class object to marshall the request message as an IIOP message using an IDL Data Struct;

(c) using the client application to instantiate an Application Server class object to handle the request message;

(d) using the Application Server class object to receive the IIOP request message from the Copybook Interface class object;

(e) using the Application Server class object to communicate the request message to the destination server application in a form compatible with the syntax and protocol of the server application copybook text file;

(f) using the Application Server class object to receive a response message from the destination server application;

(g) using the Application Server class object to return the response message in the form of an IIOP message;

(h) using the Copybook Interface class object to receive the IIOP response message;

(i) using the Copybook Interface class object to unmarshall the IIOP response message using the IDL Data Struct and to return the response to the client application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the server application is working with a CORBA-compliant Object Request Broker.

(e1) wherein the act of using the Application Server class object to communicate the request message to the destination server application in a form compatible with the syntax and protocol of the server application copybook text file comprises using the application server class object to send the IIOP request message to an Object Request Broker responsible for communicating with the server application; and,

(f1) wherein the act of using the Application Server class object to receive a response message from the server application comprises receiving an IIOP response message from the server application, through the Object Request Broker.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the server application is resident on a non-CORBA complaint system and is working with an ASCII-based text messaging system,

wherein the act of using the Application Server class object to communicate the request message to the server application in a form compatible with the syntax and protocol of the server application copybook text file comprises:

(e1) using the Application Server class object to convert the IIOP request message using a Copybook Converter object into a character array recognizable by the ASCII-based text messaging system and compatible with the syntax and protocol of the server application copybook text file;

(e2) using the Application Server class object to communicate the request character array to the ASCII-based text messaging system;

(e3) using the ASCII based text messaging system to communicate with the copybook text file of the server application based on the character array;

(e4) using the ASCII-based text messaging system to receive and interpret a response message from the copybook text file of the server application; and

wherein the act of using the Application Server class object to receive a response message from the server application comprises;

(f1) using the ASCII-based test messaging system to return a response message in the form of an ASCII-text character array to the Application Server class object; and

wherein the act of using the Application Server class object to return the response message in the form of an IIOP message comprises;

(g1) using the Application Server class object to convert the response character array into an IIOP message using the Copybook Converter object;

(g2) using the Application Server class object to return the IIOP response message.

14. The method of claim 11,

wherein the act of using the client application to instantiate at least one Copybook Interface class object to build a message comprises using the client application to instantiate a first Copybook Interface class object to build a message and a second Copybook Interface class object to receive the response message;

wherein the Copybook Interface class object used to marshall the request message as an IIOP message using an IDL Data Struct comprises the first Copybook Interface class object; and

wherein the Copybook Interface class object used to receive the IIOP response message and used to unmarshall the IIOP response message using the IDL Data Struct and to return the desired response to the client application comprises the second Copybook Interface class object.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the copybook text file comprises a COBOL copybook text file.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the copybook text file comprises a Natural pda file.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the copybook text file comprises a Natural pdl file.