Using relatedness information for programming

• US 7,774,744 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2006
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Moore, Dennis B, Werner, Horst, Beringer, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US11/412,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 717/101, 717/106, 717/107, 717/104, 717/108, 717/111, 717/116, 717/118, 707/706, 707/755, 707/780, 707/803
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses enable evolution of components used in developing modeled applications and processes. A framework allows for observing and storing information regarding the relatedness of a component to another component. The framework can provide context changes and component modifications based at least in part on the observed relatedness information for use in development and/or execution of developed applications and processes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

modeling a building block component, the building block component having a behavior definition;

creating an information gatherer for the building block component to gather relatedness information of the building block component to components of a composite application modeled with the building block component,

the relatedness based, at least in part, on an observed runtime behavior of the building block component in the composite application, where the observed runtime behavior is compared with previously observed behavior of the building block component to determine relatedness to the components;

storing the building block component in a repository of building block components with which to generate the composite application, including storing the relatedness information;

modeling the composite application with the building block component from the repository; and

modifying the behavior definition of the building block component in accordance with the observed behavior of the relatedness information of the building block component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein modeling the building block component comprises:

modeling one or more of a business object, a service that accesses a business object, a business process, or a template.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite application comprises a software program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite application comprises a business process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the relatedness information comprises:

storing metadata with the building block component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the behavior definition of the building block component comprises:

modifying metadata that indicates a relationship between the building block component and another building block component.

7. A composite application content manager executing in a computing device comprising:

a memory coupled with a control logic which, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to,

generate an object access module to provide access to a data object repository, the data object repository including a data object having a behavior definition, including a description of a relationship with one or more other components of a composite application that accesses the data object;

generate an object behavior observer coupled to the object access module to gather information based on observed runtime behavior of the data object in the composite application; and

generate an object modification module coupled to the object behavior observer to modify the behavior definition of the data object based, at least in part, on the gathered information, including modifying based on relatedness determined by comparing the observed runtime behavior with a previously observed behavior of the data object.

8. The composite application content manager of claim 7, wherein the object behavior observer further comprises:

a relationship evaluation module to determine if the gathered information matches previously known behavior of the data object.

9. The composite application content manager of claim 8, wherein the object modification module further comprises:

a new relationship module to add to the data object behavior definition a relationship between the data object and one or more of the other components determined to be not previously known.

10. The composite application content manager of claim 7, wherein the object modification module further comprises:

a new relationship module to generate a new composite data object that includes the data object and one or more of the other components determined to have a relationship with the data object.

11. A composite application programming system comprising:

a framework that provides access to services of multiple, disparate backend enterprise systems;

a repository to store a business object having a behavior definition; and

a composite application content manager coupled to the framework and the repository having;

an object access module to access the business object as a component of a composite application;

an object behavior observer to gather relatedness information based on observed runtime behavior of the business object that indicates how the business object is used with other components of the composite application; and

a context module to modify accessible content of the composite application based at least in part on the gathered relatedness information, including modifying the behavior definition of the business object based on relatedness information determined by comparing the observed runtime behavior with a previously observed behavior of the business object.

12. The composite application programming system of claim 11, wherein the context module modifies the accessible content based on a result of a heuristic determination produced with the gathered relatedness information.

13. The composite application programming system of claim 11, wherein the composite application content manager further comprises:

an object definition modifier module to modify metadata defining at least a portion of the behavior definition of the business object.

14. A method in a computing device comprising:

providing, via the computing device, a data object as a building block for modeled software, the data object having a definition of a behavior of the data object, including a description of a relationship with one or more other data objects;

observing, via the computing device, a runtime behavior of the data object in a modeled software application that accesses the data object;

comparing, via the computing device, the runtime behavior of the data object with a previously observed behavior of the data object; and

modifying, via the computing device, the definition of the behavior of the data object to provide an updated building block for modeled software in response to comparing the runtime behavior of the data object.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the data object having the definition comprises:

providing the data object having a description of a relationship with one or more other data objects.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein observing the behavior of the data object comprises:

searching an enterprise database to identify a relationship between the data object and another data object.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein observing the behavior of the data object comprises:

receiving user input that identifies a relationship between the data object and another data object.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a developer interface window to develop the modeled software with the data object;

wherein observing the behavior of the data object comprises;

determining a use of the data object in the modeled software being developed.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a suggestion of a use of the data object in response to observing the behavior of the data object in the developer interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein providing the suggestion comprises:

providing a guided procedure to suggest a pattern of use in the modeled software based on a known use of the data object.

21. An article of manufacture comprising a machine readable storage medium having content stored thereon to provide instructions to cause a machine to perform operations, including:

providing a data object as a building block for modeled software, the data object having a definition of a behavior of the data object, including a description of a relationship with one or more other data objects;

observing a runtime behavior of the data object in a modeled software application that accesses the data object;

comparing the runtime behavior of the data object with a previously observed behavior of the data object; and

modifying the definition of the behavior of the data object to provide an updated building block for modeled software in response to comparing the runtime behavior of the data object.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein observing the behavior of the data object comprises:

generating a heuristic evaluation of a use of the data object compared to a known use of the data object.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein modifying the definition of the data object comprises:

alternating a metadata definition of a behavior of the data object.