Semantics-based data transformation over a wire in mashups

• US 8,073,857 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sreekanth, Kannepalli V.
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, CHEYNE D
• Application Number:
  US12/371,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 707/756, 709/246, 715/700
• US Class Current: 707/756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

A method of sharing data between wired properties associated with disparate data types includes receiving a first specification for dividing data items having a first data type published by an output property of a first service task into a first set of sub-units and a second specification for dividing data items having a second data type consumed an input property of a second service task into a second set of sub-units; receiving transformation logic for transforming data items divided into the first set of sub-units to data items divided into the second set of sub-units; dividing a first data item published by the output property into the first set of sub-units; applying the transformation logic to transform the divided first item to a second data item divided into the second set of sub-units; and joining the divided second data item. The service tasks are registered with an aggregation application that includes a wire between the properties.

Claims

1. A method of sharing data between wired properties associated with disparate data types, the method comprising:

receiving a first specification for dividing data items having a first data type published by an output property of a first service task into a first set of atomic sub-units and a second specification for dividing data items having a second data type consumed an input property of a second service task into a second set of atomic sub-units, the first and second service tasks being registered with a property broker coupled to a content aggregation application aggregating the first and second service tasks, the property broker further coupling to a wiring scheme for the content aggregation application that includes a wire between the output property and the input property;

receiving a set of transformation logic for transforming data items divided into the first set of sub-units to data items divided into the second set of sub-units;

dividing a first data item published over the wire by the output property into the first set of sub-units;

automatically applying the set of transformation logic to transform the first item divided into the first set of sub-units to a second data item divided into the second set of sub-units;

joining the divided second data item based on the second data type; and

passing the second data item over the wire to the input property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the set of transformation logic comprises providing an option to specify the set of transformation logic via a first user interface implemented by an application development tool being operated to assemble the content aggregation application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the set of transformation logic further comprises receiving the set of transformation logic via the first user interface if the option to specify the set of transformation logic is selected.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the set of transformation logic further comprises performing a semantic analysis of metadata associated with the output property and the input property upon the first data item being published over the wire to generate the set of transformation logic if the option to specify the set of transformation logic is not selected.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the metadata associated with the output property and the input property includes metadata associated with the first and second data types, metadata associate with the first specification for dividing data items having the first data type into the first set of sub-units, and metadata associated the second specification for dividing data items having the second data type into the second set of sub-units.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein performing a semantic analysis of metadata associated with the output property and the input property comprises identifying semantic similarities between the sub-units of the first set of sub-units and the sub-units of the second set of sub-units, generating a mapping of semantic attribute equivalences between the sub-units of the first set of sub-units and the sub-units of the second set of sub-units based on the identified semantic similarities, and generating the set of transformation logic based on the mapping of semantic attribute equivalences.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the set of transformation logic based on the mapping of semantic attribute equivalences is performed by a semantic mapper tool.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the set of transformation logic further comprises performing a semantic analysis of metadata associated with the output property and the input property to generate one or more recommendations for the set of transformation logic if the option to specify the set of transformation logic is selected, providing a second option to specify one of the one or more recommendations for the set of transformation logic via a first user interface, and receiving the specified one of the one or more recommendations as the set of transformation logic if the second option is selected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a data transformation service module is called by the property broker to automatically apply the set of transformation logic to transform the first item divided into the first set of sub-units to a second data item divided into the second set of sub-units.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the content aggregation application is a composite application, and wherein the first and second service tasks are atomic application components.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the content aggregation application is a portal application, and wherein the first and second service tasks are atomic portlets.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the content aggregation application is a workplace application, and wherein the first and second service tasks are atomic collaborative services.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the content aggregation application is a mashup application, and wherein the first and second service tasks are atomic widgets.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the mashup application is selected from websites, web 2.0 applications, and web services.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the option to specify the set of transformation logic via a first user interface implemented by an application development tool is provided upon creation of the wire between the output property and the input property using a wiring tool implemented within the application development tool.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the set of transformation logic via the first user interface further comprises storing the set of transformation logic in a wiring template for the wire that includes a definition of the wire.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the wiring template is coded in an XML programming language.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein each sub-unit of the first and second sets of sub-units is specified as a string data type.

19. A computer-usable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method of sharing data between wired properties associated with disparate data types, the method comprising:

receiving a first specification for dividing data items having a first data type published by an output property of a first service task into a first set of atomic sub-units and a second specification for dividing data items having a second data type consumed an input property of a second service task into a second set of atomic sub-units, the first and second service tasks being registered with a property broker coupled to a content aggregation application aggregating the first and second service tasks, the property broker further coupling to a wiring scheme for the content aggregation application that includes a wire between the output property and the input property;

receiving a set of transformation logic for transforming data items divided into the first set of sub-units to data items divided into the second set of sub-units;

dividing a first data item published over the wire by the output property into the first set of atomic sub-units;

automatically applying the set of transformation logic to transform the first item divided into the first set of atomic sub-units to a second data item divided into the second set of atomic sub-units;

joining the divided second data item based on the second data type; and

passing the second data item over the wire to the input property.

20. A data processing system comprising:

at least one processor;

a random access memory for storing data and programs for execution by the at least one processor; and

computer readable instructions stored in the random access memory for execution by the at least one processor to perform a method of sharing data between wired properties associated with disparate data types, the method comprising;

receiving a first specification for dividing data items having a first data type published by an output property of a first service task into a first set of atomic sub-units and a second specification for dividing data items having a second data type consumed an input property of a second service task into a second set of atomic sub-units, the first and second service tasks being registered with a property broker coupled to a content aggregation application aggregating the first and second service tasks, the property broker further coupling to a wiring scheme for the content aggregation application that includes a wire between the output property and the input property;

receiving a set of transformation logic for transforming data items divided into the first set of sub-units to data items divided into the second set of sub-units;

dividing a first data item published over the wire by the output property into the first set of atomic sub-units;

automatically applying the set of transformation logic to transform the first item divided into the first set of atomic sub-units to a second data item divided into the second set of atomic sub-units;

joining the divided second data item based on the second data type; and

passing the second data item over the wire to the input property.