Marshaling and un-marshaling data types in XML and Java

• US 7,650,591 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Bau, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Qing
• Application Number:
  US10/762,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,189 Days
• Field of Search: 717103-105, 717/108, 717137-145, 717/100, 717114-123, 706/45
• US Class Current: 717/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source

Abstract

The use of XML types can allow the combination of XML and JAVA® type systems, which overcomes many deficiencies in existing marshaling and unmarshaling systems by translating XML schemas which define XML data in an XML document into XML types in JAVA®. Unlike traditional attempts at translating between XML and JAVA®, XML schemas realized as XML types can remain fully faithful to the XML, and are capable of a number of XML data operations. In addition, the XML types can be easily transformed among themselves and JAVA® types, and a lightweight store retaining XML information at tag level allows incremental XML marshaling and unmarshaling.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system to marshal and unmarshal data between an extensible markup language (XML) and an object-oriented programming language, comprising:

an XML schema which defines an XML data; and

a compiler, running on one or more processors of the computer-implemented system, to generate an object-oriented programming language type from the XML schema, wherein the object-oriented programming language type is automatically generated for an object-oriented programming language component as an inner class to an XML control interface for the object-oriented programming language component,

wherein the object-oriented programming language type corresponds to the XML schema and provides XML-oriented data manipulation, wherein the object-oriented programming language type extends from a base type that allows the combination of an XML type system and an object-oriented programming language type system and can access and manipulate the XML data from within the object-oriented programming language type system,

wherein the object-oriented programming language type executes one or more XML data operations provided by the XML type system, on the XML data, to generate one or more result sets in the object-oriented programming language type system, wherein each of the one or more XML data operations is one of

an XML data query operation;

an XML data transformation operation; and

an XML data iteration operation.

2. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the compiler is capable of generating the object-oriented programming language type based on the definition of a web service method.

3. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the compiler is capable of generating the object-oriented programming language type based on a definition file.

4. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the compiler is capable of compiling an object-oriented programming language project into one or more regular object-oriented programming language types.

5. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the object-oriented programming language type can be a movable cursor, capable of reading anywhere within the XML data.

6. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the object-oriented programming language type can be an immovable value, capable of referencing a fixed part of the XML data.

7. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the object-oriented programming language type can be shared among multiple object-oriented programming language components.

8. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the object-oriented programming language type is capable of updating the XML data within the object-oriented programming language.

9. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the object-oriented programming language type is capable of accessing and updating object-oriented programming language data using object-oriented programming language type methods.

10. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the object-oriented programming language type is capable of accessing and updating a database.

11. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an XML schema capable of defining legal types of the XML data, which include constraints on data types and ranges of the XML data; and

constraints on the data types and ranges of the object-oriented programming language type.

12. The computer-implemented system according to claim 11, wherein:

the compiler is capable of generating constraints on the object-oriented programming language type from the XML schema on legal types of the XML data.

13. The computer-implemented system according to claim 11, wherein:

the constraints on the object-oriented programming language type are capable of validating the object-oriented programming language type.

14. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the object-oriented programming language type is shared among multiple object-oriented programming language components.

15. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein:

the object-oriented programming language type is both validated by one or more schema in XML type system and checked under the object-oriented programming language type system.

16. A method to marshal and unmarshal data between an extensible markup language (XML) and an object-oriented programming language, comprising:

defining an XML data using an XML schema;

generating, via a compiler running on one or more processors, an object-oriented programming language type from the XML schema, wherein the object-oriented programming language type is automatically generated for an object-oriented programming language component as an inner class to an XML control interface for the object-oriented programming language component, wherein the object-oriented programming language type corresponds to the XML schema and provides XML-oriented data manipulation, wherein the object-oriented programming language type extends from a base type that allows the combination of XML and object-oriented programming language type systems and can access and manipulate the XML data from within the object-oriented programming language type system; and

executing, via the object-oriented programming language type, one or more XML data operations provided by the XML type system, on the XML data, to generate one or more result sets in the object-oriented programming language type system, wherein each of the one or more XML data operations is one of

an XML data query operation;

an XML data transformation operation; and

an XML data iteration operation.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

generating the object-oriented programming language type based on the definition of a web service method.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

generating the object-oriented programming language type based on a definition file.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

compiling an object-oriented programming language project into one or more regular object-oriented programming language types.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

utilizing the object-oriented programming language type as a movable cursor to read anywhere within the XML data.

21. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

utilizing the object-oriented programming language type as an immovable value to reference a fixed part of the XML data.

22. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

sharing the object-oriented programming language type among multiple object-oriented programming language components.

23. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

updating the XML data within an object-oriented programming language via the object-oriented programming language type.

24. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

accessing and updating object-oriented programming language data using object-oriented programming language type methods.

25. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

accessing and updating a database via the object-oriented programming language type.

26. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

defining legal types of the XML data via an XML schema, which include constraints on data types and ranges of the XML data.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

generating constraints on the data types and ranges of the object-oriented programming language type from the XML schema on legal types of the XML data.

28. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

validating the object-oriented programming language type using the constraints on the object-oriented programming language type.

29. A machine readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor cause a system to:

define an extensible markup language (XML) data using an XML schema;

generate, via a compiler running on one or more processors, an object-oriented programming language type from the XML schema, wherein the object-oriented programming language type is automatically generated for an object-oriented programming language component as an inner class to an XML control interface for the object-oriented programming language component, wherein the object-oriented programming language type corresponds to the XML schema and provides XML-oriented data manipulation, wherein the object-oriented programming language type extends from a base type that allows the combination of XML and object-oriented programming language type systems and can access and manipulate the XML data from within the object-oriented programming language type system; and

execute, via the object-oriented programming language type, one or more XML data operations provided by the XML type system, on the XML data, to generate one or more result sets in the object-oriented programming language type system, wherein each of the one or more XML data operations is one of

an XML data query operation;

an XML data transformation operation; and

an XML data iteration operation.

30. The machine readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

generate the object-oriented programming language type based on the definition of a web service method.

31. The machine readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

generate the object-oriented programming language type based on a definition file.

32. The machine readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

compile an object-oriented programming language project into one or more regular object-oriented programming language types with the compiler.

33. The machine readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

utilize the object-oriented programming language type as a movable cursor to read anywhere within the XML data.

34. The machine readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

utilize the object-oriented programming language type as an immovable value to reference a fixed part of the XML data.

35. The machine readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

share the object-oriented programming language type among multiple object-oriented programming language components.

36. The machine readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

update the XML data within an object-oriented programming language via the object-oriented programming language type.

37. The machine readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

access and update object-oriented programming language data using regular object-oriented programming language type methods.

38. The machine readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

access and update a database via the object-oriented programming language type.

39. The machine readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

define legal types of the XML data via an XML schema, which include constraints on data types and ranges of the XML data.

40. The machine readable storage medium of claim 39, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

generate constraints on the object-oriented programming language type from the XML schema on legal types of the XML data.

41. The machine readable storage medium of claim 39, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

validate the object-oriented programming language type using the constraints on the object-oriented programming language type.