Method and computer system for separating and processing layout information and data of a document

• US 7,890,855 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Koch, Wolfgang, Ahlert, Dirk, Liebich, Gunther
• Primary Examiner(s): Basehoar; Adam L
• Application Number:
  US10/484,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20050034066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,227 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/522, 715/523, 715234-236, 715/243, 715/239, 715/242, 715/249, 715/272, 715/248, 707/100, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 715/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods, computer systems and computer program products are provided for separating and processing layout information and data of a document. The computer system provides a predefined document description. The document description is decomposed into a layout template and a data description. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, decomposition is achieved by using style sheet language transformations. Optionally, the computer system may instantiate a data instance from the data description and merge the data instance with the layout template into an individual document description. The individual document description can be rendered by a conventional browser.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for separating and processing layout information and data of a document, wherein the document describes an interface to an application, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a predefined document description with an attribute, the attribute comprising a default attribute value and a data path having a plurality of elements;

decomposing the document description into a layout template and a data description by extracting the layout template and the data description from the document description using a style sheet language transformation, the layout template containing a placeholder linking to corresponding data, and the data description containing the default attribute value and a plurality of tags corresponding to the data path elements, the decomposing further comprising;

detecting the attribute in the document description;

inserting, for data path elements of the attribute, corresponding tags in the data description, wherein the tags are arranged hierarchically in the data description; and

inserting the default attribute value in the data description at a lowest hierarchical level of the tags; and

storing the layout template and the data description in different locations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

instantiating a data instance from the data description using run-time data;

receiving an input from the application and modifying the default attribute value with the received input;

merging the data instance with the layout template to create an individual document description; and

rendering the individual document description and presenting the individual document description to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the merging step uses a transformation program in a programming language.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transformation program is a style sheet language transformation.

5. The method of claim 2, the decomposing further comprising:

inserting a reference to the attribute in the layout template; and

inserting a link, in the layout template, to the modified attribute value in the data instance.

6. A data storage medium readable by a computer, the data storage medium storing a plurality of instructions for causing a processor of the computer to separate and process layout information and data of a document, the plurality of instructions causing the computer to execute the method according to claim 1.

7. A computer system for separating and processing layout information and data of a document, wherein the document describes an interface to an application, the computer system comprising:

a receiving component receiving a predefined document description with an attribute, the attribute comprising a default attribute value and a data path having a plurality of elements;

a decomposing component decomposing the document description into a layout template and a data description by extracting the layout template and the data description from the document description using a style sheet language transformation, the layout template containing a placeholder linking to corresponding data, and the data description containing the default attribute value and a plurality of tags corresponding to the data path elements, the decomposing component further performing;

detecting the attribute in the document description;

inserting, for data path elements of the attribute, corresponding tags in the data description, wherein the tags are arranged hierarchically in the data description; and

inserting the default attribute value in the data description at a lowest hierarchical level of the tags; and

a storage component storing the layout template and the data description in different locations.

8. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising:

an instantiating component instantiating a data instance from the data description using run-time data;

an interface component receiving an input from the application and modifying the default attribute value with the received input;

a merging component merging the data instance with the layout template to create an individual document description; and

a rendering component rendering the individual document description and presenting the individual document description to the user.

9. The computer system of claim 8, the means for decomposing further comprising:

inserting a reference to the attribute in the layout template; and

inserting a link, in the layout template, to the modified attribute value in the data instance.

10. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, having a plurality of instructions for causing a processor of a computer to separate and process layout information and data of a document, wherein the document describes an interface to an application, the computer program product causing the computer to execute the following steps:

providing a predefined document description with an attribute, the attribute comprising a default attribute value and a data path having a plurality of elements;

decomposing the document description into a layout template and a data description by extracting the layout template and the data description from the document description using a style sheet language transformation, the layout template containing a placeholder linking to corresponding data, and the data description containing the default attribute value and a plurality of tags corresponding to the data path elements, the decomposing further comprising;

detecting the attribute in the document description;

inserting, for data path elements of the attribute, corresponding tags in the data description, wherein the tags are arranged hierarchically in the data description; and

inserting the default attribute value in the data description at a lowest hierarchical level of the tags; and

storing the layout template and the data description in different locations.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, causing the computer to further execute the steps of:

instantiating a data instance from the data description using run-time data;

receiving an input from the application and modifying the default attribute value with the received input;

merging the data instance with the layout template to create an individual document description; and

rendering the individual document description and presenting the individual document description to the user.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, the decomposing further comprising:

inserting a reference to the attribute in the layout template; and

inserting a link, in the layout template, to the modified attribute value in the data instance.