Dynamic extension fields for business objects

• US 8,108,433 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Baeuerle, Stefan A., Ritter, Gerd M., Schlarb, Uwe, Brunswig, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US12/198,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/793
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system may include generation of extension metadata defining an extension field of a core node of a business object, and generation of a runtime metadata buffer comprising enhanced metadata, the enhanced metadata based on core metadata of the business object and the extension metadata. In some aspects, a service request associated with the business object is received, it is determined whether the service request is associated with the extension field, an extension service associated with a dynamic data type is provided if it is determined that the service request is associated with the extension field, wherein the dynamic data type is associated with extension data of the extension field and core data of the business object, and a core service associated with an original data type is provided if it is determined that the service request is not associated with the extension field.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a computer, extension metadata defining an extension field of a core node of a business object; and

generating, by a computer, a runtime metadata buffer comprising enhanced metadata, the enhanced metadata based on core metadata of the business object and the extension metadata.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by a computer, a business object proxy comprising the core metadata of the business object based on a model of the business object,

wherein the enhanced metadata is generated based on the core metadata of the business object proxy.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the model of the business object is stored in an enterprise services repository,

wherein the business object proxy is generated in a business process platform, and

wherein the extension metadata is stored in an extension repository of the business process platform.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a service request associated with the business object;

determining, by a computer, whether the service request is associated with the extension field;

if it is determined that the service request is associated with the extension field, providing an extension service associated with a dynamic data type, the dynamic data type associated with extension data of the extension field and core data of the business object; and

if it is determined that the service request is not associated with the extension field, providing a core service associated with an original data type, the original data type associated with the core data of the business object.

5. A method according to claim 4,

wherein determining whether the service request is associated with the extension field is based on the enhanced metadata of the runtime metadata buffer.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

providing, by a computer, a core service associated with the original data type if it is determined that the service request is associated with the extension node.

7. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the enhanced metadata comprises a dynamic data type associated with core data of the business object and extension data of the extension field.

8. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the extension repository stores extension metadata associated with a plurality of database tenants, and

wherein the enhanced metadata is associated with a single database tenant.

9. A system comprising:

an extension repository storing extension metadata defining an extension field of a core node of a business object; and

a runtime metadata buffer comprising enhanced metadata, the enhanced metadata based on core metadata of the business object and the extension metadata.

10. A system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a business object proxy comprising the core metadata of the business object,

wherein the enhanced metadata is based on the core metadata of the business object proxy.

11. A system according to claim 10, further comprising:

an enterprise services repository storing a model of the business object; and

a business process platform comprising the business object proxy and the extension repository.

12. A system according to claim 9, further comprising:

an enterprise services framework to receive a service request associated with the business object;

a generic wrapper class to determine whether the service request is associated with the extension field;

an extension service provider to provide an extension service associated with a dynamic data type if it is determined that the service request is associated with the extension field, the dynamic data type associated with extension data of the extension field and core data of the business object; and

a core service provider to provide a core service associated with an original data type if it is determined that the service request is not associated with the extension field, the original data type associated with the core data of the business object.

13. A system according to claim 12,

wherein the generic wrapper class is to determine whether the service request is associated with the extension field based on the enhanced metadata of the runtime metadata buffer.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein if it is determined that the service request is associated with the extension field, the extension service provider is further to call the core service provider to provide a core service associated with the original data type.

15. A system according to claim 9,

wherein the enhanced metadata comprises a dynamic data type associated with core data of the business object and extension data of the extension field.

16. A system according to claim 9,

wherein the extension repository stores extension metadata associated with a plurality of database tenants, and

wherein the enhanced metadata is associated with a single database tenant.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code executable by a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

generating extension metadata defining an extension field of a core node of a business object; and

generating a runtime metadata buffer comprising enhanced metadata, the enhanced metadata based on core metadata of the business object and the extension metadata.

18. A medium according to claim 17, the method further comprising:

generating a business object proxy comprising the core metadata of the business object based on a model of the business object,

wherein the enhanced metadata is generated based on the core metadata of the business object proxy.

19. A medium according to claim 18, wherein the model of the business object is stored in an enterprise services repository,

wherein the business object proxy is generated in a business process platform, and

wherein the extension metadata is stored in an extension repository of the business process platform.

20. A medium according to claim 17, the method further comprising:

receiving a service request associated with the business object;

determining whether the service request is associated with the extension field;

if it is determined that the service request is associated with the extension field, providing an extension service associated with a dynamic data type, the dynamic data type associated with extension data of the extension field and core data of the business object; and

if it is determined that the service request is not associated with the extension field, providing a core service associated with an original data type, the original data type associated with the core data of the business object.

21. A medium according to claim 20,

wherein determining whether the service request is associated with the extension field is based on the enhanced metadata of the runtime metadata buffer.

22. A medium according to claim 20, the method further providing a core service associated with the original data type if it is determined that the service request is associated with the extension node.

23. A medium according to claim 17,

wherein the enhanced metadata comprises a dynamic data type associated with core data of the business object and extension data of the extension field.

24. A medium according to claim 17,

wherein the extension repository stores extension metadata associated with a plurality of database tenants, and

wherein the enhanced metadata is associated with a single database tenant.