System and method using transformation nodes with enhancement layers

• US 7,844,912 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kornmann, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan; Ulka
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ricks; Donna J
• Application Number:
  US11/615,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Methods and systems to include transformation nodes in a business system are provided. A transformation node may provide controlled redundancy of data within the business object hierarchy. Transformation nodes may store data from core nodes without persistency, and permit different data presentation modes than for the core nodes. When a service call is placed to a transformation node, the transformation node may call corresponding services from associated core nodes.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of, via a user interface layer, updating information displayed in a user interface, comprising:

receiving, by a computer processor, at a service layer that interfaces between a backend application layer and the user interface layer, a request for a service, the service layer including data objects each representing a core node or a transformation node, the each core node defining one service of a business object stored in a backend application, and the each transformation node defining a service that is mapped from one or more core nodes;

responsive to the request, identifying, by the computer processor, whether the request is directed to a core node or to a transformation node,

if the request is directed to the transformation node,

identifying, by the computer processor, core nodes in the service layer that are associated with the transformation node;

requesting, by the computer processor, data representing the services defined by the core nodes that are associated with the transformation node;

responsive to receiving the data representing services from the core nodes associated with the transformation node, mapping, by the computer processor, the services of the core nodes to the service of the transformation node;

performing, by the computer processor, an exit operation to modify data of the transformation node to be sent to the user interface;

sending, by the computer processor, the modified data of the transformation node to the user interface; and

updating, by the computer processor, user interface element(s) associated with the transformation node to display the modified data;

if the request is directed to the core node,

requesting, by the computer processor, the service defined in the core node;

responsive to receiving the service from the core node, sending, by the computer processor, data representing the service of the core node to the user interface; and

updating, by the computer processor, user interface element(s) associated with the core node to display the data representing the service of the core node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the exit operation is a pre-exit operation performed prior to receiving the data representing the services from the core node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the exit operation is a post-exit operation performed after receiving the data representing the services from the core node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transformation node is a redirect of the core nodes.

5. A system for accessing a business management system, comprising:

a database configured with a backend application layer and stored therein business objects;

a display device configured with a user interface layer that includes a model-driven user interface to construct user interface elements; and

a processor configured to support a service layer that interfaces between the backend application layer and the user interface layer, the service layer including data objects of;

a plurality of core nodes, each core node defining a service of a business object;

a transformation node derived from a subset of the plurality of core nodes; and

an enhancement layer of the transformation node to provide data from the transformation node to associated elements of the model-driven user interface,

wherein;

upon receiving a request for a service from the model-driven user interface, the processor identifies whether the service request is directed to a core node or a transformation node;

if the request is directed to the core node, the processor performs;

receiving from the core node data representing the service defined by the core node; and

transmitting the data of the core node to the model-driven user interface for displaying at the user interface; and

if the request is directed to the transformation node, the computer processor performs;

requesting data representing services defined by the subset of the plurality of core nodes associated with the transformation node;

responsive to receiving the data representing services defined by the subset of core nodes associated with the transformation node, mapping the services of the subset of core nodes to the service of the transformation node;

executing an exit operation to modify data of the transformation node to be sent to the user interface; and

transmitting the modified data of the transformation node to the user interface for displaying the data at the user interface.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the transformation node includes data stored in a second core node.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the transformation node includes a service exposed by a second core node.

8. A machine-readable hardware storage medium having stored thereon executable program instructions for execution on at least one processor, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform:

receiving at a service layer that interfaces between a backend application layer and the user interface layer, a first request for a service, the service layer including data objects each representing a core node or a transformation node, the each core node defining one service of a business object stored in a backend application, and each transformation node defining a service that is mapped from one or more core nodes;

responsive to receiving the first request, sending the first request to a transformation node;

selecting core node(s) associated with the transformation node;

defining a second request based on the first request and the selected core node(s);

performing an exit operation defined in an enhancement layer of the transformation node to modify the second request;

sending the second request to the selected core node(s);

executing the second request with respect to each of the selected core node(s); and

updating a user interface supported by the user interface layer to reflect changes resulting from execution of the second request.

9. The machine-readable hardware storage medium of claim 8, wherein the exit request is a pre-exit operation.

10. The machine-readable hardware storage medium of claim 8, wherein the exit request is a post-exit operation.

11. A computer-readable hardware storage medium having stored thereupon a data object representing a service layer that, when executing a user interface application, interfaces between a backend application layer and a user interface layer for displaying information of a business object stored in a backend application, the service layer comprising:

data objects representing core nodes, each core node defining a service of the business object; and

data objects representing transformation nodes, each transformation node defining a service that is derived from one or more core nodes,

wherein;

when receiving a request for a service from the user interface, a computer processor identifies whether the service request is directed to a core node or a transformation node;

if the request is directed to the core node, the computer processor performs;

receiving from the core node the data object representing the service defined on the core node; and

transmitting the data object representing the service of the core node to the user interface for displaying at the user interface; and

if the request is directed to the transformation node, the computer processor performs;

requesting data objects representing services from core nodes associated with the transformation node;

responsive to receiving the data objects representing the services from the core nodes associated with the transformation node, mapping the services from the core nodes to the service of the transformation node;

executing an exit operation to modify data of the transformation node to be sent to the user interface; and

transmitting the modified data of the transformation node to the user interface for displaying the modified data at the user interface.