Service provider inheritance in a digital information system

• US 7,716,681 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hackmann, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough; Hyung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anya; Charles E
• Application Number:
  US11/264,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20070100971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 713/100, 717/120, 717/121, 719/316, 719/331, 719/332
• US Class Current: 719/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4492 Inheritance

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of configuring a computing system may include receiving first user-actuated input selecting an existing service provider that processes data objects having a first data object type. The existing service provider may include at least a first class and a second class. Second user-actuated input may be received that identifies the first class and provides a replacement class to use in creating a new service provider to process data objects having a second data object type. An association may be stored in a service provider system between the second data object type, the existing service provider, the first class and the replacement class. During runtime, the service provider system may create the new service provider to process data objects having the second data object type by inheriting the second class from the existing service provider and incorporating the replacement class in place of the first class.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of configuring a computing system, the method comprising:

receiving first user-actuated input selecting an existing service provider that processes data objects having a first data object type, the existing service provider comprising at least a first class and a second class;

receiving second user-actuated input identifying the first class and providing a replacement class to use in creating a new service provider to process data objects having a second data object type; and

storing, in a service provider system, an association between the second data object type, the existing service provider, the first class and the replacement class, so that during runtime, the service provider system creates the new service provider to process data objects having the second data object type by inheriting the second class from the existing service provider and incorporating the replacement class in place of the first class.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising registering the existing service provider in the service provider system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein registering the existing service provider comprises storing in the service provider system a description of the first class and a description of the second class.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a list in a graphical user interface, the list comprising the existing registered service provider and other registered service providers in the service provider system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the first user-actuated input is received in response to displaying the list.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first user-actuated input is received during a configuration time that precedes runtime.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first class comprises class programming code that, when executed, performs a first processing operation on data objects having the first data object type, and the second class comprises additional class programming code that, when executed, performs a second processing operation on data objects having the first data object type.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first class further comprises a class attribute that controls a first aspect of the first processing operation.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the replacement class comprises the class programming code and a replacement class attribute that controls the first aspect or another aspect of the first processing operation, the replacement class attribute being different than the class attribute.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the replacement class comprises replacement programming code that, when executed, performs an additional processing operation on data objects having the second data object type, the replacement programming code being different than the class programming code.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein inheriting the second class comprises incorporating the second class in the new service provider without changing the additional class programming code.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein storing the association comprises storing an identifier for the second data object type, an identifier for the existing service provider, an identifier for the first class and an identifier for the replacement class in a row of a relational database table.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein storing an association between the second data object type, the existing service provider, the first class and the replacement class comprises storing the association in a registry.

13. A computer-implemented method of creating a new service provider, the method comprising:

receiving, during runtime of a computing system, input identifying a data object having a first data object type;

retrieving, from a service provider system, an association between the first data object type, a first class, a replacement class, and an existing service provider that processes data objects having a second data object type, the existing service provider comprising at least the first class and a second class; and

creating a new service provider to process the identified data object by inheriting from the existing service provider the second class and incorporating the replacement class in place of the first class.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the first class comprises class programming code that, when executed, performs a first processing operation on data objects having the second data object type, and the second class comprises additional class programming code that, when executed, performs a second processing operation on data objects having the second data object type.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the first class further comprises a class attribute that controls a first aspect of the first processing operation.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the replacement class comprises the class programming code and a replacement class attribute that controls the first aspect or another aspect of the first processing operation, the replacement class attribute being different than the class attribute.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein inheriting the second class comprises incorporating the second class in the new service provider without changing the additional class programming code.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the input is received from one of multiple applications in the computing system, each of the multiple applications processing data objects by employing service providers.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising processing the identified data object with the new service provider.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the retrieving is performed after the receiving input identifying a data object having a first data object type.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the retrieving is performed in response to the receiving input identifying a data object having a first data object type.

20. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a storage device, the computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving first user-actuated input selecting an existing service provider that processes data objects having a first data object type, the existing service provider comprising at least a first class and a second class;

receiving second user-actuated input identifying the first class and providing a replacement class to use in creating a new service provider to process data objects having a second data object type; and

storing, in a service provider system, an association between the second data object type, the existing service provider, the first class and the replacement class, so that during runtime, the service provider system creates the new service provider to process data objects having the second data object type by inheriting the second class from the existing service provider and incorporating the replacement class in place of the first class.

24. Apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive first user-actuated input selecting an existing service provider that processes data objects having a first data object type, the existing service provider comprising at least a first class and a second class;

receive second user-actuated input identifying the first class and providing a replacement class to use in creating a new service provider to process data objects having a second data object type; and

store, in a service provider system, an association between the second data object type, the existing service provider, the first class and the replacement class, so that during runtime, the service provider system creates the new service provider to process data objects having the second data object type by inheriting the second class from the existing service provider and incorporating the replacement class in place of the first class.

25. Apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive, during runtime of a computing system, input identifying a data object having a first data object type;

retrieve, from a service provider system, an association between the first data object type, a first class, a replacement class, and an existing service provider that processes data objects having a second data object type, the existing service provider comprising at least the first class and a second class; and

create a new service provider to process the identified data object by inheriting from the existing service provider the second class and incorporating the replacement class in place of the first class.