Automated method, system, and software for transforming data between extensible markup language format and electronic data interchange format

• US 7,281,211 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GXS Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GXS Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Dupree, Joseph, Jeannette, James, Eck, Jeffery R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Cam-Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stevens; Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/023,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20030121001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,118 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/523
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus and software for automatically transforming data between a self-describing markup language format and an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) format. For generating EDI documents, a standard data model with EDI related data is received. Data definitions for the self-describing markup language are generated. The generated data definitions are used to generate self-describing markup language data. An EDI document is automatically created based on the self-describing markup language data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of automatically generating Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) documents by a trading partner comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the trading partner, a standard data model comprising EDI related data for a plurality of transactions;

generating from the standard data model, by the trading partner, data definitions for a self describing markup language corresponding to each transaction of the EDI related data;

generating self-describing markup language data using a data definition from the generated data definitions for the self-describing markup language corresponding to an EDI transaction and corresponding application data related to EDI; and

automatically generating, by the trading partner, an EDI document based on the self-describing markup language data,

wherein the step of generating data definitions further comprises, for each transaction, generating data definitions for the self-describing markup language, a separate data model to read in data, a separate data model to read out data, and a map component file,

wherein the step of generating data definitions comprises receiving user input of an EDI standard, a version of the standard, a transaction set, and mapping rules for the standard data model.

2. A system for automatically generating Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) documents by a trading partner, the system comprising:

a standard data model comprising EDI related data of a plurality of transactions;

a computer implemented first generator that generates, from the standard data model, data definitions for a self-describing markup language corresponding to each transaction of the EDI related data;

a computer implemented second generator that generates self-describing markup language data using a data definition for the self-describing markup language corresponding to an EDI transaction and corresponding application data related to the EDI; and

a computer implemented translator that automatically generates an EDI document based on the self-describing mark up language data,

wherein the first generator generates, for each of the plurality of transactions, data definitions for the self-describing markup language, a separate data model to read in data, a separate data model to read out data, and a map component file,

wherein the first generator further comprises a user interface for user input of an EDI standard, a version of the standard, and a transaction set prior to generating the EDI document.

3. Program code on a computer readable medium, that is executable by a computer for generating Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) documents by a trading partner, the program code configured to cause the computer to perform the following steps:

receiving, by the trading partner, a standard data model comprising EDI related data for a plurality of transactions;

generating from the standard data model, by the trading partner, data definitions for a self-describing markup language corresponding to each transaction of the EDI related data;

generating self-describing markup language data using a data definition from the generated data definitions for the self-describing markup language corresponding to an EDI transaction and corresponding application data related to EDI; and

automatically generating, by the trading partner, an EDI document based on the self-describing markup language data,

wherein the step of generating data definitions further comprises, for each transaction, generating data definitions for the self-describing markup language, a separate data model to read in data, a separate data model to read out data, and a map component file,

wherein the step of generating data definitions comprises receiving user input of an EDI standard, a version of the standard, a transaction, and mapping rules for the standard data model.

4. A computer implemented method of automatically generating Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) documents, by a trading partner, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the trading partner, a standard data model containing EDI related data for a plurality of transactions;

receiving a manual entry of parameters related to an EDI document format;

generating from the standard data model and the manual entry of parameters, by the trading partner, data definitions for the self-describing markup language corresponding to each transaction of the EDI related data and the received manually entered parameters;

generating self-describing markup language data using the data definition for the self-describing markup language corresponding to an EDI transaction and corresponding application data related to EDI; and

automatically generating, by the trading partner, an EDI document based on the self-describing markup language data,

wherein the step of generating data definitions further comprises, for each transaction, generating data definitions for the self-describing markup language, a separate data model for read in data, a separate data model for read out data, and a map component file,

wherein the step of receiving a manual entry of parameters comprises receiving user input of an EDI standard, a version of the standard, a transaction set, a direction, and mapping rules for the standard data model.

5. A computer implemented method of automatically generating data in a self-describing markup language format from received EDI data, comprising the steps of:

receiving user input of an EDI standard, a version of the standard, and a transaction set in generating the self-describing markup language data definition, and mapping rules for the standard data model;

receiving EDI data from a component;

retrieving a self-describing markup language data definition corresponding to a transaction type of received EDI data; and

automatically generating self-describing markup language data based on the received EDI data and the self-describing markup language data definition,

prior to said receiving step, generating data definitions corresponding to each transaction type from a standard data model of EDI related data,

wherein the generating data definitions step comprises, for each transaction, a data definition for the self-describing mark up language, a separate EDI data model to read in data, a separate self-describing mark up language data model to read-out data, and a map component file.

6. A computer program product for automatically generating data in a self-describing markup language format from received EDI data, the computer program product embodied in computer readable media executable by a computer, the computer program product comprising:

a component for transmitting EDI data;

a translator that receives a self-describing markup language data definition corresponding to a transaction type of received EDI data;

wherein the translator that automatically generates the self-describing markup language data based on the received EDI data and the self-describing markup language data definitions,

wherein the translator receives the self-describing markup language data definition generated by a generator from a standard data model comprising EDI related data for a plurality of transactions, the data definition comprising, for each transaction, a data definition for the self-describing mark up language, a separate EDI data model to read in data, a separate self-describing mark up language data model to read-out data, and a map component file,

wherein the generator further comprises a user interface for user input of an EDI standard, a version of the standard, and a transaction set prior to generating the self-describing markup language format.

7. A program code on a computer readable medium that is executable by a computer for automatically generating data in a self-describing markup language data from received EDI data, the program code configured to cause the computer to perform the following steps:

receiving user input of an EDI standard, a version of the standard, a transaction set in generating the self-describing markup language data definition, and mapping rules for the standard data model;

receiving EDI data from a component;

retrieving a self-describing markup language data definition corresponding to a transaction type of received EDI data; and

automatically generating self-describing markup language data based on the received EDI data and the self-describing markup language data definition,

prior to said receiving step, generating data definitions corresponding to each transaction type from a standard data model comprising EDI related data for a plurality of transactions,

wherein the generating data definitions step comprises, for each transaction, a data definition for the self-describing mark up language, a separate EDI data model to read in data, a separate self-describing mark up language data model to read-out data, and a map component file.