Automatic translation code generation

• US 7,934,012 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Philipp, Ralf, Martinez, Juan Carlos, Sommerlade, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky; Moustafa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIU, HO T
• Application Number:
  US10/800,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20050204055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,601 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems for automatic translation code generation. The client transmits a data object message comprising the current data model of the client to the server. The server automatically generates a new translation code based on the current data model of the client. The newly generated translation code may then be used to convert the data in the server into a data format required by the client. If the current data model of the client changes, the translation code on the server may be automatically adapted according to the changed data format and data on the server is converted with the adapted translation code.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically configuring a plurality of translation codes, the method performed by a server which includes a memory for storing client-translation code association information for associating each of the plurality of translation codes with one or more of a plurality of clients, the method comprising:

storing, in the memory, the client-translation code association information including first information that indicates an association between a first translation code and one client of the plurality of clients, the first translation code used for data translation to a first data format required by the one client;

translating, using the first translation code, data within the server into the first data format;

transmitting the translated data to the one client;

automatically detecting a change during an exchange of information with the one client, the change indicating that the one client requires a second data format different from the first data format;

receiving information related to the second data format from the one client in a data object definition message;

automatically generating a second translation code for data translation to the second data format;

replacing, in the client-translation code association information stored in the memory, the first information with a second information that indicates an association between the second translation code and the one client;

newly translating, using the second translation code, data within the server into the second data format; and

transmitting the newly translated data to the one client,

wherein the data object definition message is authorized by an authorization management unit on the server used to control and restrict the reaction of the server to the data object definition message.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data object definition message is automatically transmitted from the client to the server upon detecting the change.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the second translation code is generated within a translation code generator upon receipt of the data object definition message.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the translated data is transmitted from the server to the client using a standard object description language.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the data object definition message is transmitted from the client to the server using a standard object description language.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the data format required by the client is extracted and translated from the stored data by the translation code prior to sending the translated data from the server to the client.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the translation code uses XSL for translating the data into said the data format required by the client.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the server provides a data object definition message format.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising the step of managing access to the server by the data object definition messages via an authorization management procedure.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising the step of managing data formats of different clients via a version management procedure.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, upon automatically detecting the change, the server requests the data object definition message from the one client.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the second translation code is generated within a translation code generator upon reception of the data object definition message.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the translated data is transmitted from the server to the client using a standard object description language.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the data object definition message is transmitted from the client to the server using a standard object description language.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the data required by the client is extracted and translated from the stored data by the translation code prior to sending the translated data from the server to the client.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the translation code uses XSL for translating the data into the data format used by the client.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the server provides a data object definition message format.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising the step of managing access to the server by the data object definition messages via an authorization management procedure.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising the step of managing data formats of different clients via a version management procedure.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the change in the data format is detected by version identification.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the authorization management unit authorizes the data object definition message if the one client is authorized to initiate translation code generation.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the authorization management unit authorizes the data object definition message based on user roles.

23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying a program of instructions that, when executed by a server computer, cause the server computer to perform a method for automatically configuring a plurality of translation codes, the method comprising:

storing, in a memory of the server computer, client-translation code association information including first information that indicates an association between a first translation code and one client of a plurality of clients, the first translation code used for data translation to a first data format required by the one client;

translating data within the server into the first data format using the first translation code;

transmitting the translated data to the one client;

automatically detecting a change during an exchange of information with the one client, the change indicating that the one client requires a second data format different from the first data format;

receiving information related to the second data format from the one client in a data object definition message;

authorizing the data object definition message by an authorization management unit used to control and restrict the reaction of the server to the data object definition message;

automatically generating a second translation code for data translation to the second data format;

replacing, in the client-translation code association information stored in the memory of the server computer, the first information with a second information that indicates an association between the second translation code and the one client;

newly translating, using the second translation code, data within the server into the second data format; and

transmitting the newly translated data to the one client.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 23, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to automatically transmit the data object definition message from the client to the server upon detecting the change.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to generate the second translation code within a translation code generator upon reception of the data object definition message.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to transmit the translated data from the server to the client using a standard object description language.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to transmit the data object definition message from the client to the server using a standard object description language.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to extract and translate the data required by the client from the stored data prior to sending the translated data from the server to the client.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to use XSL in the translation code for translating the data into the data format used by the client.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to provide, via the server, a data object definition message format.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to manage, via an authorization management process, access to the server by the data object definition messages.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to manage, via a version management procedure, data formats of different clients.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 23, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer, upon automatically detecting the change, to initiate a server request for the data object definition message from the one client.

34. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 33, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to generate the second translation code within a translation code generator upon reception of the data object definition message.

35. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 33, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to transmit the translated data from the server to the client using a standard object description language.

36. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 33, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to transmit the data object definition message from the client to the server using a standard object description language.

37. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 33, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to extract and translate the data required by the client from the stored data, via a translation code procedure, prior to sending the translated data from the server to the client.

38. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 33, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to use XSL in the translation code for translating the data into the data format used by the client.

39. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 33, wherein the program further comprising instructions operable to cause the computer to provide, via the server, a data object definition message format.

40. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 33, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to manage, via an authorization management procedure, access to the server by the data object definition messages.

41. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 33, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to manage, via a version management procedure, data formats of different clients.

42. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 23, wherein the program further comprises instructions operable to cause the computer to detect the changes in the data format by use of a version identification procedure.

43. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the authorization management unit authorizes the data object definition message if the one client is authorized to initiate translation code generation.

44. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the authorization management unit authorizes the data object definition message based on user roles.

45. A server computer system for automatically configuring a plurality of translation codes, the system comprising:

a memory for storing client-translation code association information for associating each of the plurality of translation codes with one or more of a plurality of clients;

means for storing, in the client-translation code association information stored in the memory, first information that indicates an association between a first translation code and one client of the plurality of clients, the first translation code used for data translation to a first data format required by the one client;

a translating means for translating, using the first translation code, data within the server into the first data format;

means for transmitting the translated data to the one client;

a detecting means for automatically detecting a change during an exchange of information data associated with the one client, the change indicating that the one client requires a second data format different from the first data format;

a data receiving unit for receiving information related to the second data format from the one client in a data object definition message;

an authorization management unit for controlling and restricting the reaction of the server to the data object definition message and for authorizing the data object definition message;

a code generator for generating a second translation code for data translation to the second data format and replacing, in the client-translation code association information stored in the memory, the first information with a second information that indicates an association between the second translation code and the one client; and

newly translating, using the second translation code, data within the server into the second data format; and

transmitting the newly translated data to the one client.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the translating means extracts information required by the one client from the data prior to sending the translated data to the one client.

47. The system of claim 45, further comprising a managing procedure that manages the data format of the data object definition message.

48. The system of claim 45, further comprising an access control procedure that controls access to the server by the data object definition messages.

49. The server computer system of claim 45, wherein the authorization management unit authorizes the data object definition message if the one client is authorized to initiate translation code generation.

50. The server computer system of claim 45, wherein the authorization management unit authorizes the data object definition message based on user roles.