Integrating line-of-business application data with documents

• US 7,818,662 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nene, Bhushan Sharad, Keyser, Chris Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell; Joshua D
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRYANT, CHRISTOPHER D
• Application Number:
  US11/267,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 715/224, 715/223, 715/225
• US Class Current: 715/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Merging data from LOB applications into document templates within productivity applications without the need for custom programming is provided. A document template within a productivity application is provided, and an XML schema is attached to the document template. The XML schema allows the LOB application data to be modeled generically using a business object paradigm. Meta-data is accessed from the LOB application. Using the attached XML schema, a user may mark-up the document template with schema nodes corresponding to the meta-data from the LOB application. Data from the LOB application may then be accessed and merged into the schema nodes, creating a data-merged document. Data may be further interactively merged from the LOB application into the data-merged document.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of interactively merging data from a line-of-business (LOB) application into a document template, the document template having one or more schema nodes, the method comprising:

marking up the document template with a plurality of schema nodes, wherein each of the plurality of schema nodes is a placeholder for merging business data from the LOB application, and wherein marking up the document template includes;

accessing meta-data from the LOB application, wherein the meta-data represents a hierarchical structure of business data stored in a database, wherein the LOB application manages the business data, and wherein business data includes a plurality of business objects, wherein a first one of the plurality of business objects is linked to a second one of the plurality of business objects by a relationship;

attaching a schema to the document template, wherein the schema facilitates modeling business data based on the accessed meta-data; and

attaching the plurality of schema nodes to the document template;

determining a current schema node within the document template, wherein the schema node is mapped to the document template;

determining a business object associated with the current schema node;

formulating a data query based on the current schema node mapped to the document template;

sending the data query to the LOB application;

receiving business data from the LOB application;

displaying a context-sensitive user interface on the display based on the business object associated with the current schema node, the context-sensitive user interface comprising the business data from the LOB application corresponding to the business object associated with the current schema node;

receiving, via the user interface selection device, a user selection of one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application;

creating a data-merged document by copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template based on the user selection; and

maintaining an active link between the data-merged document and the LOB application to allow for interactive merging, wherein the active link is maintained after copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a context-sensitive user interface comprises:

tracing an ancestor hierarchy of the business object to a top-level business object;

determining if the ancestor hierarchy comprises a one-to-many relationship;

and displaying the context-sensitive user interface based.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ancestor hierarchy is determined not to comprise a one-to-many relationship, and the user interface comprises a business object query form based on the business object associated with the current schema node.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the ancestor hierarchy is determined to comprise a one-to-many relationship, and the user interface comprises a tree control showing all business objects in the ancestor hierarchy.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein copying the one or more instances of the data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template comprises creating a repeating document element and copying the one or more instances of data into the repeating document element.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the repeating document element comprises at least one of a table row and a list bullet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the placeholder is shown as an XML tag.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the placeholder is shown as text.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an option to the user for toggling between two views, wherein, in a first view, the placeholder is shown as an XML tag and wherein, in a second view, the placeholder is shown as text.

10. A computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, wherein the computer system includes a processor that executes computer-readable instructions, said execution causing the computer system to perform a method of interactively merging data from a line-of-business (LOB) application into a document template, the document template having one or more schema nodes, the method comprising:

marking up the document template with a plurality of schema nodes, wherein each of the plurality of schema nodes is a placeholder for merging business data from the LOB application, and wherein marking up the document template includes;

accessing meta-data from the LOB application, wherein the meta-data represents a hierarchical structure of business data stored in a database, wherein the LOB application manages the business data, and wherein business data includes a plurality of business objects, wherein a first one of the plurality of business objects is linked to a second one of the plurality of business objects by a relationship;

attaching a schema to the document template, wherein the schema facilitates modeling business data based on the accessed meta-data; and

attaching the plurality of schema nodes to the document template;

determining a current schema node within the document template, wherein the schema node is mapped to the document template;

determining a business object associated with the current schema node;

formulating a data query based on the current schema node mapped to the document template;

sending the data query to the LOB application;

receiving business data from the LOB application;

displaying a context-sensitive user interface on the display based on the business object associated with the current schema node, the context-sensitive user interface comprising the business data from the LOB application corresponding to the business object associated with the current schema node;

receiving, via the user interface selection device, a user selection of one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application;

creating a data-merged document by copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template based on the user selection; and

maintaining an active link between the data-merged document and the LOB application to allow for interactive merging, wherein the active link is maintained after copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein displaying a context-sensitive user interface comprises:

tracing an ancestor hierarchy of the business object to a top-level business object;

determining if the ancestor hierarchy comprises a one-to-many relationship; and

displaying the context-sensitive user interface based.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the ancestor hierarchy is determined not to comprise a one-to-many relationship, and the user interface comprises a business object query form based on the business object associated with the current schema node.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the ancestor hierarchy is determined to comprise a one-to-many relationship, and the user interface comprises a tree control showing all business objects in the ancestor hierarchy.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein copying the one or more instances of the data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template comprises creating a repeating document element and copying the one or more instances of data into the repeating document element.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the repeating document element comprises at least one of a table row and a list bullet.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the placeholder is shown as an XML tag.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the placeholder is shown as text.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising providing an option to the user for toggling between two views, wherein, in a first view, the placeholder is shown as an XML tag and wherein, in a second view, the placeholder is shown as text.

19. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method of interactively merging data from a line-of-business (LOB) application into a document template, the document template having one or more schema nodes, the method comprising:

marking up the document template with a plurality of schema nodes, wherein each of the plurality of schema nodes is a placeholder for merging business data from the LOB application, and wherein marking up the document template includes;

accessing meta-data from the LOB application, wherein the meta-data represents a hierarchical structure of business data stored in a database, wherein the LOB application manages the business data, and wherein business data includes a plurality of business objects, wherein a first one of the plurality of business objects is linked to a second one of the plurality of business objects by a relationship;

attaching a schema to the document template, wherein the schema facilitates modeling business data based on the accessed meta-data; and

attaching the plurality of schema nodes to the document template;

determining a current schema node within the document template, wherein the schema node is mapped to the document template;

determining a business object associated with the current schema node;

formulating a data query based on the current schema node mapped to the document template;

sending the data query to the LOB application;

receiving business data from the LOB application;

displaying a context-sensitive user interface on the display based on the business object associated with the current schema node, the context-sensitive user interface comprising the business data from the LOB application corresponding to the business object associated with the current schema node;

receiving, via the user interface selection device, a user selection of one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application;

creating a data-merged document by copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node within the document template based on the user selection; and

maintaining an active link between the data-merged document and the LOB application to allow for interactive merging, wherein the active link is maintained after copying the one or more instances of the business data from the LOB application to the current schema node.

20. The media of claim 19, wherein the placeholder is shown as an XML tag.