Conversion of structured documents

• US 7,581,177 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Friend, Ned B., Begun, Andrew P., Mooney, Stephen J., Mollicone, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTLEDGE, AMELIA L
• Application Number:
  US10/632,437
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 715/523, 715/248, 715/243
• US Class Current: 715/243
• 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

An upgrade module is used to convert arbitrary XML documents into a form compatible with the processing expectations of a particular processing mechanism. In one implementation, the upgrade module can be used to convert XML documents pertaining to an earlier version of the processing mechanism to a form compatible with a later version of the processing mechanism. The processing mechanism can pertain to a solution module that transforms an input XML document into an electronic form. The upgrade module can be automatically generated when a user makes changes to the electronic form in a manner that affects the schema of the electronic form, or which affects other aspects of the electronic form. The upgrade module can be implemented as an Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) file.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading documents for processing by a solution module associated with a markup language schema, comprising:

creating a structured document using a first version of the solution module;

inputting the structured document having particular data entry fields associated therewith into a particular version of the solution module, wherein the particular version is different from the first version of the solution module;

accessing upgrade functionality for;

determining whether each of the particular data entry fields matches expected data entry fields associated with the particular version of the solution module, wherein the determining further comprises determining whether the input structured document lacks data entry fields that were previously classified as optional but are no longer classified as optional in the particular version of the solution module; and

modifying the particular data entry fields of the input structured document so that the particular data entry fields match the expected data entry fields to thereby provide a modified structured document that is compatible with the particular version of the solution module, wherein said modifying occurs prior to transforming the modified structured document into a format suitable for visual presentation on a display device.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transforming the modified structured document into another document suitable for presentation;

displaying the another document suitable for presentation using the particular version of the solution module to provide a displayed document; and

receiving edits to the displayed document.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input structured document is expressed in a markup language that uses tags pertaining to subject matter fields in the input structured document.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the input structured document is expressed in extensible markup language (XML).

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the another document suitable for presentation is expressed in a markup language that uses tags pertaining to visual features associated with the presentation of the another document.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the another document suitable for presentation is expressed in hypertext markup language (HTML).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modifying uses an upgrade module that provides a transformation function using extensible stylesheet language (XSL).

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the another document suitable for presentation comprises an electronic form having at least one user data entry field therein.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of whether each of the particular data entry fields matches expected data entry fields associated with the particular version of the solution module comprises:

determining whether the input structured document contains each of the data entry fields expected by the particular version of the solution module.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the modifying of the particular data entry fields of the input structured document to produce the modified structured document comprises:

creating each of the data entry fields expected by the particular version of the solution module to provide created data entry fields;

copying data entry fields content from the input structured document into corresponding created data entry fields in the modified structured document for those data entry fields in the input structured document that have counterpart data entry fields expected by the particular version of the solution module; and

creating default data entry fields content in corresponding data entry fields in the modified structured document for those created data entry fields that do not have counterpart data entry fields in the input structured document.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modifying of the particular data entry fields of the input structured document to produce the modified structured document comprises:

creating new data entry fields in the modified structured document providing that the new data entry fields are lacking in the input structured document and providing that the new data entry fields are required in the particular version of the solution module although considered optional by its schema.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the expected data entry fields are specified by a schema associated with the particular version of the solution module.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the expected data entry fields are specified by some information other than a schema associated with the particular version of the solution module.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input structured document corresponds to a markup language document generated by an earlier version of the solution module compared to the particular version.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input structured document corresponds to a markup language document generated by a later version of the solution module compared to the particular version.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modifying is performed using an upgrade module, and wherein the upgrade module is developed without knowledge of any requirements of any input structured document.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modifying of the particular data entry fields of the input structured document to produce the modified structured document comprises:

creating new data entry fields in the modified structured document providing that the new data entry fields are lacking in the input structured document and providing that the new data entry fields are required in the particular version of the solution module.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modifying of the particular data entry fields of the input structured document to produce the modified structured document comprises:

omitting from the modified structured document existing data entry fields in the input structured document that are not required in the particular version of the solution module.

19. A method for generating an upgrade module for upgrading documents for processing by a solution module associated with a markup language schema, comprising:

determining whether a particular version of the solution module has been created that warrants generation of the upgrade module;

when the determination indicates that generation of the upgrade module is warranted, generating the upgrade module;

configuring the upgrade module to modify an input structured document having particular data entry fields associated therewith to create an updated document which conforms to expected data entry fields associated with the particular version of the solution module;

modifying the input structured document to create new data entry fields in the updated document provided that the new data entry fields are required in the particular version of the solution module even if the new data entry fields are considered optional by its schema; and

displaying the updated document on a display device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the upgrade module is generated using extensible stylesheet language (XSL).

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

configuring the upgrade module to modify the particular data entry fields in the input structured document such that the updated document conforms to the expected data entry fields associated with the particular version of the solution module.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

configuring the upgrade module to omit data entry fields in

the input structured document from the updated document such that the updated document conforms to the expected data entry fields associated with the particular version of the solution module.