Methods and apparatus for creating markup language documents

• US 7,681,118 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Harvey, Kevin T., Dasari, Srinivas, Sockrider, Cathy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ulrich, Nicholas S
• Application Number:
  US10/906,020
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/760, 715/234, 715/235
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/16 Automatic learning of transformation rules, e.g. from examples

Abstract

A method for generating markup language documents, e.g., XML documents, uses a code generator that creates programs configured to create dynamic XML documents at run time, avoiding many of the complexities arising from the use of conventional “XML GENERATE” statements. In one embodiment, this process involves (1) creating a template document using a markup language, wherein the template document includes a set of tags associated with the markup language documents; (2) parsing the template document to determine a working storage structure corresponding to the tags in the template document; and (3) generating an application program in the programming language (e.g., COBOL), wherein the application program includes a definition of the working storage structure, and is configured to generate, during run-time, a markup language document corresponding to the original template document.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing a program executable by the processor, wherein the program includes computer code for implementing a method for obtaining computer-generated markup language documents using a programming language, the method including steps of:

creating, using a markup language, a template document including a plurality of tags;

populating each of the plurality of tags with a value, wherein at least one of the plurality of tags is populated with a maximum tag length value;

parsing the template document to determine a working storage structure corresponding to the plurality of tags; and

generating, in the programming language, an API configured to generate, during run-time, a markup language document, and to generate a corresponding set of data elements corresponding to the working storage structure, wherein the generated API includes;

a definition of the working storage structure including a plurality of API variables,

code for each tag that participates in an array, and

code configured to compress the data elements by truncating leading spaces in each data element,

wherein a dimension of the array can be adjusted upon receiving input from a user interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the programming language is COBOL.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the markup language is XML.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method further includes steps of:

receiving an input message markup language document;

extracting input data from the input message markup language document to create extracted input data;

using the extracted input data in an application program, wherein the application program is written in the programming language; and

generating markup language documents by use of the API.

5. A system for generating markup language documents, the system comprising a computer apparatus configured to:

create, using a markup language, a template document including a plurality of tags;

populate each of the plurality of tags with a value, wherein at least one of the plurality of tags is populated with a maximum tag length value,

parse the template document to determine a working storage structure corresponding to the plurality of tags, and

generate an API configured to generate, during run-time, a markup language document and to generate a corresponding set of data elements corresponding to the working storage structure, wherein the API includes;

a definition of the working storage structure including a plurality of API variables,

code for each tag that participates in an array, and

code configured to compress the data elements by truncating leading spaces in each data element,

wherein a dimension of the array can be adjusted upon receiving input from a user interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the programming language is COBOL.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the markup language is XML.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer apparatus is further configured to:

receive an input message markup language document;

extract input data from the input message markup language document to create extracted input data;

use the extracted input data in an application program, wherein the application program is written in the programming language; and

generate markup language documents by use of the API.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing, in executable form, computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, implement a method for obtaining computer-generated markup language documents using a programming language, the method comprising:

creating, using a markup language, a template document including a plurality of tags;

populating each of the plurality of tags with a value, wherein at least one of the plurality of tags is populated with a maximum tag length value;

parsing the template document to determine a working storage structure corresponding to the plurality of tags; and

generating, in the programming language, an API configured to generate, during run-time, a markup language document, and to generate a corresponding set of data elements corresponding to the working storage structure, wherein the API includes;

a definition of the working storage structure including a plurality of API variables,

code for each tag that participates in an array, and

code configured to compress the data elements by truncating leading spaces in each data element,

wherein a dimension of the array can be adjusted upon receiving input from a user interface.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further includes:

receiving an input message markup language document;

extracting input data from the input message markup language document to create extracted input data;

using the extracted input data in an application program, wherein the application program is written in the programming language; and

generating markup language documents by use of the API.