Detecting and handling changes to back-end systems

• US 7,606,820 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Wilhelm, Georg, Wente, Felix, Hartig, Martin, Stienhans, Frank, Fiedler, Thomas, Hammerich, Reiner P., Seeger, Frank E., Bindewald, Jutta
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Tim T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENG, JAU SHYA
• Application Number:
  US10/843,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,988 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The description includes methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for detecting and handling changes to back-end systems. Configuration data for a pattern is received. The pattern includes a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifies predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements. The configuration data includes a first version identification and specifies associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system. The back-end system is accessed and a second version identification is obtained. If the first version identification does not match the second version identification, the configuration data is modified based on information about the back-end system.

Claims

1. A machine-readable storage device comprising a computer program product, the computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive configuration data for a pattern, the pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the configuration data comprising a first version identification and specifying an association between one of the user interface elements and an entity defined in a back-end system;

receive selection of the one of user interface elements from a user;

generate, based on the selection, an application program by using the pattern, the configuration data being used to associate the application with the entity in the back-end system, wherein the application program is configured to perform a predefined action corresponding to the selected user interface element;

determine whether the back-end system is available for access by the application program;

retrieve, based on an access request by the application program, a second version identification from the back-end system when the back-end system is determined to be available, wherein the first and second version identification correspond to a version of the entity and the access request is redirected to another back-end system when the back-end system is not available;

compare the first version identification and the second version identification, the comparison being performed when the application program accesses the entity in the back-end system;

generate a notification indicating that the first version identification does not match the second version identification, the notification including a selectable option, wherein the generated application program continues to perform the predefined action when the comparison indicates that the first version identification does not match the second version identification;

receive an authorization in response to selection of the selectable option by a user; and

modify, in response to the authorization, the configuration data corresponding to the application program, based on information stored in the back-end system, the modification including different types of modifications, wherein a type of the modification of the configuration data is determined based on the stored information.

2. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the first version identification and the second version identification each correspond to a version of the back-end system.

3. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the application program accesses the entity in the back-end system when the application program is first launched.

4. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to disregard an added entity in the back-end system.

5. The machine-readable storage device of claim 4, wherein the added entity comprises an added field.

6. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to disregard a deleted entity not included in the back-end system but referenced in the configuration data.

7. The machine-readable storage device of claim 6, wherein the deleted entity comprises a deleted field.

8. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to disable functionality associated with a deleted entity not included in the back-end system but referenced in the configuration data.

9. The machine-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the functionality comprises displaying data associated with the deleted entity.

10. The machine-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the functionality comprises invoking one of the predefined actions in association with the deleted entity.

11. The machine-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to display a notification message related to the deleted entity.

12. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to modify one or more of the user interface elements that are associated with a modified entity in the back-end system.

13. The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the information about the back-end system comprises a data type associated with the modified entity.

14. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions configured to receive input from a user to specify whether to save the configuration data.

15. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the information about the back-end system comprises a flag.

16. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to display an added entity in the back-end system that is associated with the flag.

17. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to highlight a modified entity in the back-end system that is associated with the flag.

18. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to terminate execution of an application when the flag is associated with a deleted entity not included in the back-end system but referenced in the configuration data.

19. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to modify the configuration data comprise instructions to persist the modified configuration data in a configuration file associated with the configuration file.

20. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the pattern is a first pattern and wherein the instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to:

establish an integrated development environment for developing applications based on a programming model;

establish a plurality of patterns including the first pattern, each pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, and each pattern having an associated configuration application and an associated pattern component, wherein each configuration application and each pattern component is developed using the integrated development environment and conforms to the programming model; and

develop the application by executing the configuration application for the first pattern to produce the configuration data for the first pattern, and further specifying customization data for the user interface elements.

21. The machine-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to establish one or more run-time services to be used by applications developed according to the programming model, and wherein the pattern component invokes one or more of the run-time services during execution of the application.

22. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the selectable option includes:

a first option, which when selected by the user, causes the modification of the configuration data based on the information stored in the back-end system; and

a second option, which when selected by the user, prevents the modification of the configuration data, and the generated application program continues to perform the predefined action using unmodified configuration data.

23. A method being implemented by a computer and comprising:

receiving, by a processor of the computer, configuration data for a pattern, the pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the configuration data comprising a first version identification and specifying an association between one of the user interface elements and an entity defined in a hardware back-end system;

receiving selection of one of the user interface elements from a user;

generating, based on the selection, an application program by using the pattern, the configuration data being used to associate the application with the entity in the back-end system, wherein the application program is configured to perform a predefined action corresponding to the selected user interface element;

determining whether the back-end system is available for access by the application program;

retrieving, based on an access request by the application program, a second version identification from the back-end system when the back-end system is determined to be available, wherein the first and second version identification correspond to a version of the entity and the access request is redirected to another back-end system when the back-end system is not available;

comparing the first version identification and the second version identification, the comparison being performed when the application program accesses the entity in the back-end system;

generating a notification indicating that the first version identification does not match the second version identification, the notification including a selectable option, wherein the generated application program continues to perform the predefined action when the comparison indicates that the first version identification does not match the second version identification;

receiving an authorization in response to selection of the selectable option by a user; and

modifying, in response to the authorization, the configuration data corresponding to the application program, based on information stored in the back-end system, the modification including different types of modifications, wherein a type of the modification of the configuration data is determined based on the stored information.

24. The of claim 23, wherein the selectable option includes:

a first option, which when selected by the user, causes the modification of the configuration data based on the information stored in the back-end system; and

a second option, which when selected by the user, prevents the modification of the configuration data, and the generated application program continues to perform the predefined action using unmodified configuration data.

25. A memory device comprising a pattern component causing data processing apparatus to:

receive configuration data for a pattern, the pattern including a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifying predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements, the configuration data comprising a first version identification and specifying an association between one of the user interface elements and an entity defined in a back-end system;

receive selection of the one of user interface elements from a user;

generate, based on the selection, an application program by using the pattern, the configuration data being used to associate the application with the entity in the back-end system, wherein the application program is configured to perform a predefined action corresponding to the selected user interface element;

determine whether the back-end system is available for access by the application program;

retrieve, based on an access request by the application program, a second version identification from the back-end system when the back-end system is determined to be available, wherein the first and second version identification correspond to a version of the entity and the access request is redirected to another back-end system when the back-end system is not available;

compare the first version identification and the second version identification, the comparison being performed when the application program accesses the entity in the back-end system;

generate a notification indicating that the first version identification does not match the second version identification, the notification including a selectable option, wherein the generated application program continues to perform the predefined action when the comparison indicates that the first version identification does not match the second version identification;

receive an authorization in response to selection of the selectable option by a user; and

modify, in response to the authorization, the configuration data corresponding to the application program, based on information stored in the back-end system, the modification including different types of modifications, wherein a type of the modification of the configuration data is determined based on the stored information.

26. The memory device of claim 25, wherein the selectable option includes:

a first option, which when selected by the user, causes the modification of the configuration data based on the information stored in the back-end system; and

a second option, which when selected by the user, prevents the modification of the configuration data, and the generated application program continues to perform the predefined action using unmodified configuration data.