System and method for providing nested types for content management

• US 7,818,344 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhou, Xiaojiang, McVeigh, Ryan Sean, Posner, Brad, Roth, Steven L., Saarva, Tanya, Patadia, Jalpesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casanova; Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US11/438,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/202, 707/9, 707/999.005, 707/999.009, 707/999.01, 707/999.104, 707/999.202, 707/786
• US Class Current: 707/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4492 Inheritance

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for providing nested variables in a content management system. These mechanisms and methods for providing nested variables in a content management system can enable users to model types that can be used within other type definitions. This differs from the Type Inheritance feature in that types that make use of the nested type feature do not extend their functionality but define a property definition having a value defined by all property definitions in the nested type. For example, user can create a type address with property definitions such as street, city, zip code, etc. The user can then create another type person that has property definitions such as “name” and home address and business address. The two address property definitions can be represented by the address type, each with the address type'"'"'s property definitions. Embodiments may further provide the ability to have abstract types and link property types.

Claims

1. A method for providing nested types in a content management system, the method comprising:

providing a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories, wherein the VCR includes a plurality of nodes that are associated with a plurality of data types, wherein the VCR is associated with an application program interface (API) that allows a user to interact with the VCR using an programming language;

receiving definitions of a first data type and a second data type of the plurality of data types in the programming language, wherein the second data type is nested within the first data type and the first data type contains at least one additional data type, wherein the first data type is associated with a first node within a first content repository in the VCR, and the second data type is associated with a second node within a second content repository in the VCR; and

providing a type level security mechanism, via one or more processors, that prevents the user from accessing the first data type associated with the first node in the first content repository in the VCR, if the user does not have a right to access the second data type, even when the user has a right to access the at least one additional data type.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a capability of limiting nesting to within a single content repository.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

blocking attempting to create a cyclical nesting chain.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

managing the second node explicitly by the first node;

thereby obviating representation that the second node exists outside of the first node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enforcing that the property of the first data type have a value defined by property definitions in the second data type during operations on the VCR.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second data type and the first data type are abstract types.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the first content repository to be associated with a first SPI implementation, and the second content repository to be associated with a second SPI implementation, which is a different SPI implementation from the first SPI implementation, wherein, if a user has a right to access the second data type, the user is allowed to

access the first node in the first content repository through the first SPI implementation, and

access the second node in the second content repository through the second SPI implementation from the first node.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the user to access the first node in the first content repository in the VCR if the user has a right to access the second data type and the at least one additional data type; and

accessing the second node from the first node, based on the definition of both the first data type and the second data type.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a node level security mechanism in addition to the type level mechanism.

10. A machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for providing nested types in a content management system, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

providing a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories, wherein the VCR includes a plurality of nodes that are associated with a plurality of data types, wherein the VCR is associated with an application program interface (API) that allows a user to interact with the VCR using an programming language;

receiving definitions of a first data type and a second data type of the plurality of data types in the programming language, the second data type nested within the first data type and the first data type contains at least one additional data type, wherein the first data type is associated with a first node within a first content repository in the VCR and the second data type is associated with a second node within a second content repository in the VCR; and

providing a type level security mechanism, via one or more processors, that prevents the user from accessing the first data type associated with the first node in the first content repository in the VCR, if the user does not have a right to access the second data type, which is a nested data type of the first data type that is associated with the first node, even when the user has a right to access the at least one additional data type.

11. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising instructions for carrying out the step of:

providing a capability of limiting nesting to within a single content repository.

12. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising instructions for carrying out the step of:

providing a nesting model with unlimited depth.

13. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising instructions for carrying out the step of:

blocking attempting to create a cyclical nesting chain.

14. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising instructions for carrying out the step of:

managing the nested node explicitly by the containing node;

thereby obviating representation that the nested node exists outside of the containing node.

15. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein at least one of the second data type and the first data type are abstract types.

16. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

enforcing that the property of the first data type have a value defined by property definitions in the second data type during operations on the VCR.

17. An apparatus for providing nested types in a content management system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

providing a virtual content repository (VCR) that models content in a plurality of content repositories, wherein the VCR includes a plurality of nodes that are associated with a plurality of data types, wherein the VCR is associated with an application program interface (API) that allows a user to interact with the VCR using an programming language;

receiving definitions of a first data type and a second data type of the plurality of data types in the programming language, the second data type nested within the first data type and the first data type contains at least one additional data type, wherein the first data type is associated with a first node within a first content repository in the VCR and the second data type is associated with a second node within a second content repository in the VCR; and

providing a type level security mechanism, via one or more processors, that prevents the user from accessing. the first data type associated with the first node in the first content repository in the VCR, if the user does not have a right to access the second data type, which is a nested data type of the first data type that is associated with the first node, even when the user has a right to access the at least one additional data type.