Extensibility application programming interface and framework for meta-model objects

• US 7,293,254 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2003
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bloesch, Anthony, Rajagopal, Ramesh
• Primary Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US10/666,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 717/100, 717/608, 717/108, 717/112, 717/116, 717/311, 717/312, 717/315, 717/310
• US Class Current: 717/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and methodology providing an Application Programming Interface (API) and framework that supports a meta-object model for application design and operating system interactions. The API includes an input component that receives data and/or instructions. The input component processes a meta-data model that interrelates data via a class hierarchy, wherein the class hierarchy includes relationship descriptions between class objects, attributes, rules, and/or behavioral descriptions. Another aspect includes a data management system that includes a component to receive an item having meta-data annotations. An analysis component determines at runtime a structure for the item via deployment of the meta-data annotations. The system can also include a framework component that defines meta-data class derivations, meta-data classes, meta-data integrity rules, and/or meta-data class behavior.

Claims

1. A system stored on computer readable media, comprising:

an input component that reads a meta-model to determine a structure of an item and stores the structure of the item to computer readable media,

the meta-model comprising at least one meta-relationship and at least one meta-class, the at least one meta-relationship describing one or more relationships between meta-classes, the at least one meta-class being a class encapsulating data employed to represent another class, and the at least one meta-class is identified via a globally unique identifier.

2. The system of claim 1, the input component is associated with services that operate in conjunction with an operating system framework.

3. The system of claim 1, the item is a document.

4. The system of claim 1, the one meta-class is associated with a relational database.

5. The system of claim 1, the at least one meta-class is identified via at least one of a name and a caption to facilitate application development.

6. The system of claim 1, the at least one meta-relationship optionally including at least one meta-role.

7. A data management system stored on computer readable media, comprising:

a processing component that receives an item that comprises a meta-model, the meta-model comprising one or more meta-classes, the one or more meta-classes comprising classes encapsulating data employed to represent another class, the one or more meta-classes is identified via a globally unique identifier; and

an analysis component that determines at runtime a structure of the item by reading the meta-model and stores the structure of the item to computer readable media.

8. Computer executable instructions for performing a method to process meta-data, the computer executable instructions stored on computer readable media, the method comprising:

receiving at least one meta-model object, the meta-model object comprising at least one meta-relationship between two or more meta-model classes;

determining the structure of an item according to the meta-relationship between the two or more meta-model classes, the two or more meta-model classes are identified via a globally unique identifier; and

storing the structure of the item to computer readable media.

9. A computer implemented system stored on computer readable media, the system to facilitate determining the structure of an item, comprising:

means for modeling a meta-data object, the meta-data object comprising a meta-model, the meta-model comprising a meta-relationship between two or more classes, the two or more classes are identified via a globally unique identifier;

means for determining the structure of the item at least in part via the meta-relationship; and

means for storing the structure of the item to computer readable media.