Data dictionary file based source code generation method and system

• US 8,028,270 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Garrett, Andrew John, Martin, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang; Insun
• Application Number:
  US11/558,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20080115105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code

Abstract

A software generation method and system. The method includes receiving by a computing system, a first data file including first data associated with an entity. The first data file includes a first file format. The first data file is converted to a second data file including a second file format. The second data file includes the first data. A data dictionary including second data is generated. Computer source code is generated within the data dictionary. The computer source code is generated from the second data. The computer source code is transferred from the data dictionary to an import agent source code editor of a software application.

Claims

1. A software generation method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, a first data file comprising first data associated with an entity, said first data file comprising a first file format comprising a spreadsheet file;

converting, by said computing system, said first data file into a second data file comprising a second file format, said second data file comprising said first data, wherein said second file format comprises a comma separated value file format;

generating, by a computer processor of said computing system, a data dictionary file comprising second data, wherein said data dictionary file comprises a spreadsheet format comprising rows and columns forming cells, and wherein each row of said rows of said data dictionary file corresponds to an associated column of columns of said first data file, wherein said columns of said data dictionary file comprise an import column associated with data specified for importing from said second data file, a destination column, and a document type column;

automatically generating within said data dictionary file, by said computing system, computer source code from said second data of said data dictionary file, wherein said computer source code comprises interpretable computer source code;

first transferring, by said computing system, first computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to a software application, wherein said first transferring comprises retrieving said first computer source code from first cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said first computer source code into a declarations area of an import agent source code editor of said software application;

second transferring, by said computing system, second computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to said software application, wherein said second transferring comprises retrieving said second computer source code from second cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said second computer source code into a first initialize area of said import agent source code editor; and

third transferring, by said computing system, third computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to said software application, wherein said third transferring comprises retrieving said third computer source code from third cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said third computer source code into a second initialize area of said import agent source code editor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing by said software application, said first computer source code of said computer source code, said executing said first computer source code of said computer source code comprising issuing a first command and a second command, said first command for retrieving a portion of said first data from said second data file;

automatically retrieving in response to said first command, by said software application, said portion of said first data from said second data file; and

processing in response to said second command, by said software application, said portion of said first data that has been automatically retrieved.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said processing said portion of said first data comprises placing said portion of said first data into a document stored within said computing system.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said processing said portion of said first data comprises performing a calculation on said portion of said first data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said second data file comprises said comma-separated value file comprising a first set of columns and rows, wherein said data dictionary file comprises said spreadsheet file comprising a second set of columns and rows, and wherein each row of said second set is associated with a different column of said first set.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically generating comprises applying formulas to associated sections of said second data of said data dictionary file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said software application comprises a database software application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer source code comprises statements selected from the group consisting of DIM statements, parse statements, and field value assignment statements.

9. A computing system comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the computer processor implement a software generation method, said method comprising:

receiving, by said computing system, a first data file comprising first data associated with an entity, said first data file comprising a first file format comprising a spreadsheet file;

converting, by said computing system, said first data file into a second data file comprising a second file format, said second data file comprising said first data, wherein said second file format comprises a comma separated value file format;

generating, by said computer processor of said computing system, a data dictionary file comprising second data, wherein said data dictionary file comprises a spreadsheet format comprising rows and columns forming cells, and wherein each row of said rows of said data dictionary file corresponds to an associated column of columns of said first data file, wherein said columns of said data dictionary file comprise an import column associated with data specified for importing from said second data file, a destination column, and a document type column;

automatically generating within said data dictionary file, by said computing system, computer source code from said second data of said data dictionary file, wherein said computer source code comprises interpretable computer source code;

first transferring, by said computing system, first computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to a software application, wherein said first transferring comprises retrieving said first computer source code from first cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said first computer source code into a declarations area of an import agent source code editor of said software application;

second transferring, by said computing system, second computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to said software application, wherein said second transferring comprises retrieving said second computer source code from second cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said second computer source code into a first initialize area of said import agent source code editor; and

third transferring, by said computing system, third computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to said software application, wherein said third transferring comprises retrieving said third computer source code from third cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said third computer source code into a second initialize area of said import agent source code editor.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises:

executing by said software application, said first computer source code of said computer source code, said executing said first computer source code of said computer source code comprising issuing a first command and a second command, said first command for retrieving a portion of said first data from said second data file;

automatically retrieving in response to said first command, by said software application, said portion of said first data from said second data file; and

processing in response to said second command, by said software application, said portion of said first data that has been automatically retrieved.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein said processing said portion of said first data comprises placing said portion of said first data into a document stored within said computing system.

12. The computing system of claim 10, wherein said processing said portion of said first data comprises performing a calculation on said portion of said first data.

13. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said second data file comprises said comma-separated value file comprising a first set of columns and rows, wherein said data dictionary file comprises said spreadsheet file comprising a second set of columns and rows, and wherein each row of said second set is associated with a different column of said first set.

14. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said automatically generating comprises applying formulas to associated sections of said second data of said data dictionary file.

15. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said software application comprises a database software application.

16. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said computer source code comprises statements selected from the group consisting of DIM statements, parse statements, and field value assignment statements.

17. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program code that when executed by a computer processor of a computing system implements a software generation method within a computing system, said method comprising:

receiving, by said computing system, a first data file comprising first data associated with an entity, said first data file comprising a first file format comprising a spreadsheet file;

converting, by said computing system, said first data file into a second data file comprising a second file format, said second data file comprising said first data, wherein said second file format comprises a comma separated value file format;

generating, by said computer processor of said computing system, a data dictionary file comprising second data, wherein said data dictionary file comprises a spreadsheet format comprising rows and columns forming cells, and wherein each row of said rows of said data dictionary file corresponds to an associated column of columns of said first data file, wherein said columns of said data dictionary file comprise an import column associated with data specified data for importing from said second data file, a destination column, and a document type column;

automatically generating within said data dictionary file, by said computing system, computer source code from said second data of said data dictionary file, wherein said computer source code comprises interpretable computer source code;

first transferring, by said computing system, first computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to a software application, wherein said first transferring comprises retrieving said first computer source code from first cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said first computer source code into a declarations area of an import agent source code editor of said software application;

second transferring, by said computing system, second computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to said software application, wherein said second transferring comprises retrieving said second computer source code from second cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said second computer source code into a first initialize area of said import agent source code editor; and

third transferring, by said computing system, third computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to said software application, wherein said third transferring comprises retrieving said third computer source code from third cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said third computer source code into a second initialize area of said import agent source code editor.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said method further comprises:

executing by said software application, said first computer source code of said computer source code, said executing said first computer source code of said computer source code comprising issuing a first command and a second command, said first command for retrieving a portion of said first data from said second data file;

automatically retrieving in response to said first command, by said software application, said portion of said first data from said second data file; and

processing in response to said second command, by said software application, said portion of said first data that has been automatically retrieved.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said processing said portion of said first data comprises placing said portion of said first data into a document stored within said computing system.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said processing said portion of said first data comprises performing a calculation on said portion of said first data.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said second data file comprises said comma-separated value file comprising a first set of columns and rows, wherein said data dictionary file comprises said spreadsheet file comprising a second set of columns and rows, and wherein each row of said second set is associated with a different column of said first set.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said automatically generating comprises applying formulas to associated sections of said second data of said data dictionary file.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said software application comprises a database software application.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said computer source code comprises statements selected from the group consisting of DIM statements, parse statements, and field value assignment statements.

25. A process for integrating computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing a software generation method comprising:

receiving, by said computing system, a first data file comprising first data associated with an entity, said first data file comprising a first file format comprising a spreadsheet file;

converting, by said computing system, said first data file into a second data file comprising a second file format, said second data file comprising said first data, wherein said second file format comprises a comma separated value file format;

generating, by a computer processor of said computing system, a data dictionary file comprising second data, wherein said data dictionary file comprises a spreadsheet format comprising rows and columns forming cells, and wherein each row of said rows of said data dictionary file corresponds to an associated column of columns of said first data file, wherein said columns of said data dictionary file comprise an import column associated with data specified for importing from said second data file, a destination column, and a document type column;

automatically generating within said data dictionary file, by said computing system, computer source code from said second data of said data dictionary file, wherein said computer source code comprises interpretable computer source code;

first transferring, by said computing system, first computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to a software application, wherein said first transferring comprises retrieving said first computer source code from first cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said first computer source code into a declarations area of an import agent source code editor of said software application;

second transferring, by said computing system, second computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to said software application, wherein said second transferring comprises retrieving said second computer source code from second cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said second computer source code into a first initialize area of said import agent source code editor; and

third transferring, by said computing system, third computer source code of said computer source code from said data dictionary file to said software application, wherein said third transferring comprises retrieving said third computer source code from third cells of said data dictionary file and transferring said third computer source code into a second initialize area of said import agent source code editor.

26. The process of claim 25, wherein said method further comprises:

executing by said software application, said first computer source code of said computer source code, said executing said first computer source code of said computer source code comprising issuing a first command and a second command, said first command for retrieving a portion of said first data from said second data file;

automatically retrieving in response to said first command, by said software application, said portion of said first data from said second data file; and

processing in response to said second command, by said software application, said portion of said first data that has been automatically retrieved.

27. The process of claim 26, wherein said processing said portion of said first data comprises placing said portion of said first data into a document stored within said computing system.

28. The process of claim 26, wherein said processing said portion of said first data comprises performing a calculation on said portion of said first data.

29. The process of claim 25, wherein said second data file comprises said comma-separated value file comprising a first set of columns and rows, wherein said data dictionary file comprises said spreadsheet file comprising a second set of columns and rows, and wherein each row of said second set is associated with a different column of said first set.

30. The process of claim 25, wherein said automatically generating comprises applying formulas to associated sections of said second data of said data dictionary file.

31. The process of claim 25, wherein said software application comprises a database software application.

32. The process of claim 25, wherein said computer source code comprises statements selected from the group consisting of DIM statements, parse statements, and field value assignment statements.