Development computer, development program for combining components to applications, using component descriptors related to the components, method, and computer program

• US 7,100,148 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2001
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Schneider, Manfred, Kirchgaessner, Walter, Magel, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow, Chih-Ching
• Application Number:
  US09/908,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20020199005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 717/107, 717/100, 717/177, 717/103, 717/108, 709/229, 709/200, 709/201
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

In a process of developing software applications from software components, the validity of component interactions is automatically validated by a program that determines a permission statement for any given utilization of a server component (305) by a client component (307). In a predefined structure (211–272), descriptors (211–219) are assigned (231–239) to components (301–309), descriptors (220–225) are assigned (241–255) to descriptors (211–224), some descriptors (223) have declarations to components (305), and some descriptors (217) have declarations to descriptors (223). The permission statement is true when 4 predefined conditions are all in compliance. The conditions are defined in relation to a common descriptor (225), to client (217) and server (223) intermediate descriptors, and to first (261) and second (262) declarations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a permission statement for an utilization in an application that has a plurality or components, the utilization being predefined from a client component to a server component, the method comprising the steps of:

reading a predefined structure wherein

descriptors are assigned to components, descriptors are assigned to descriptors,

some descriptors have declarations to components, and some descriptors have declarations to descriptors; and

setting the permission statement to a predefined value when all of the following conditions are true;

(1) a common descriptor is assigned to the client component and to the server component,

(2) the common descriptor is assigned to a first intermediate descriptor and to a second intermediate descriptor, wherein the first intermediate descriptor is assigned to the client component, and the second intermediate descriptor is assigned to the server component,

(3) the second intermediate descriptor has a first declaration to the server component,

(4) the first intermediate descriptor has a second declaration to the second intermediate descriptor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first declaration is a visibility declaration, and the second declaration is a usability declaration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein descriptors store the visibility declaration in a visibility interface and store the usability declaration in a usability interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the setting step, the statement has at least a Boolean qualifier, and wherein the predefined value is true.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first intermediate descriptor is directly assigned to the client component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step setting the permission statement comprises:

identifying the common descriptor as least deep commonly assigned descriptor; and

identifying the first intermediate descriptor as being directly assigned to the client component and identifying the second intermediate descriptor such that the common descriptor is directly assigned to the second intermediate descriptor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the declarations are chain-declarations with linearly concatenated segments.

8. A data structure stored on a computer-readable medium which, when executed by a computer, performs a method for evaluating a software application that has a plurality of components, the data structure implicitly having a permission statement for at least single utilization of a server component by a client component, the data structure having descriptors that are independent from the components, the data structure being characterized in that:

in an assignment structure, descriptors are assigned to components, and descriptors are assigned to descriptors;

in a first declaration structure, some descriptors have declarations to components, and

in a second declaration structure, some descriptors have declarations to descriptors;

the permission statement is only true when all of the following conditions are true;

(1) in the assignment structure, a common descriptor is assigned to the client component and to the server component, (2) in the assignment structure, the common descriptor is assigned to a client intermediate descriptor and to a server intermediate descriptor, wherein the client intermediate descriptor is assigned to the client component, and the server intermediate descriptor is assigned to the server component, (3) in the first declaration structure, the server intermediate descriptor has a first declaration to the server component, and (4) in the second declaration structure, the client intermediate descriptor has a second declaration to the server intermediate descriptor.

9. A computer-readable medium that stores a set of instructions which, when executed by a computer, performs a process for developing a software application from software components, wherein the validity of component interactions is automatically validated, the process being performed in consecutive time slots with the following actions:

in a first time slot, a first person uses a descriptor creation program to define descriptors in a data structure;

in a second time slot, a second person writes the application by defining utilizations between the components;

in a third time slot, a permission statement program automatically reads the application in combination with the descriptors and issues at least one permission statement for at least one of said utilizations; and

a fourth time slot, depending on the at least one permission statement, a compiler compiles the application.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein in the first time slot, the data structure has an assignment structure in that descriptors are assigned to components, and descriptors are assigned to descriptors;

in a first declaration structure, some descriptors have declarations to components, and in a second declaration structure, some descriptors have declarations to descriptors;

the at least one permission statement is only true when all of the following conditions are true;

(1) in the assignment structure, a common descriptor is assigned to a client component and to a server component, (2) in the assignment structure, the common descriptor is assigned to a client intermediate descriptor and to a server intermediate descriptor, wherein the client intermediate descriptor is assigned to the client component, and the server intermediate descriptor is assigned to the server component, (3) in the first declaration structure, the server intermediate descriptor has a first declaration to the server component, and (4) in the second declaration structure, the client intermediate descriptor has a second declaration to the server intermediate descriptor.

11. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium for determining a permission statement for a predefined utilization from a client component to a server component in an application with a plurality of components, the computer program product having a plurality of instructions that cause a processor to perform the following steps:

reading a predefined structure wherein

descriptors are assigned to components, descriptors are assigned to descriptors,

same descriptors have declarations to components, and some descriptors have declarations to descriptors;

a first checking step to verify that a common descriptor is assigned to the client component and to the server component,

a second checking step to verify that the common descriptor is assigned to a client intermediate descriptor and to a server intermediate descriptor, wherein the client intermediate descriptor is assigned to the client component, and the server intermediate descriptor is assigned to the server component,

a third checking step to verify that the server intermediate descriptor has a first declaration to the server component,

a fourth checking step to verify that the client intermediate descriptor has a second declaration to the server intermediate descriptor;

selectively setting the permission statement to a true value when all checking steps are completed successfully, and otherwise setting the permission statement to a false value.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, causing the processor in the third checking step to read the first declaration as a visibility declaration, and in the fourth checking step, to read the second declaration as a usability declaration.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, causing the processor to perform the step setting permission statement as follows:

identifying the common descriptor as least deep commonly assigned descriptor; and

identifying the first intermediate descriptor as being directly assigned to the client component and identifying the second intermediate descriptor such that the common descriptor is directly assigned to the second intermediate descriptor.

14. A computer system for determining a permission statement for a predefined utilization from a client component to a server component in an application with a plurality of components, the computer system comprising

means for reading a predefined structure wherein

descriptors are assigned to components, descriptors are assigned to descriptors,

some descriptors have declarations to components, and some descriptors have declarations to descriptors;

and

means for setting the permission statement to a predefined value when all of the following conditions are true;

(1) a common descriptor is assigned to the client component and to the server component,

(2) the common descriptor is assigned to a first intermediate descriptor and to a second intermediate descriptor, wherein the first intermediate descriptor is assigned to the client component, and the second intermediate descriptor is assigned to the server component,

(3) the second intermediate descriptor has a first declaration to the server component,

(4) the first intermediate descriptor has a second declaration to the second intermediate descriptor.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the means for setting the statement set the statement to at least a Boolean qualifier in that the predefined value is true.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the means for setting the permission statement comprises:

means for identifying the common descriptor as least deep commonly assigned descriptor; and

means for identifying the first intermediate descriptor as being directly assigned to the client component and identifying the second intermediate descriptor such that the common descriptor is directly assigned to the second intermediate descriptor.