Method and apparatus for supporting context links for application program text

• US 8,108,794 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sattler, Juergen, Demant, Hilmar, Gaffga, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): DWIVEDI, MAHESH H
• Application Number:
  US12/106,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20080243849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 715/712, 715/808, 717/143
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/284 Lexical analysis, e.g. tokenisation or collocates

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for supporting text-based context links for application programs. An embodiment includes a first computer to maintain a database of data objects and a second computer to execute an application program that operates on a file having text elements. In an embodiment, the second computer is to execute a link program to access a data object on the first computer based on a user of the application program having used the application program to select a text element that is related to that data object.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

parsing an application program document at a front-end computer into a plurality of tokens;

searching a database on a back-end server to determine if the tokens match data objects stored in the back-end server;

if there is a match between a token and a matching data object in the back-end server, creating and storing in a buffer at the front-end computer a context link associating the token to the matching data object in the back-end server wherein determining the match and creating the context link comprise;

if there is one hit for a token to match one data object type in the back-end server, creating and storing in the buffer at the front-end computer the context link associating the token to a single hit data object of the matching data object type in the back-end server;

if there are multiple hits for a token to match one data object type in the back-end server;

storing the token in a wait list for the matched data object type, the token being stored according to an order in which it is found in the application program document;

determining if there are other tokens in the wait list for the matched data object type;

combining the token with a preceding token in the waiting list to form a phrase;

determining whether the phrase is related to a single data object on the back-end server; and

upon determining the phrase is related to a single data object on the back-end server, creating and storing in the buffer at the front-end computer the context link associating the phrase to the single data object;

responsive to the context link being selected, displaying in a menu structure with a list of actions including menu entries for each data object type and a relations entry for other data objects related to the matching data object;

retrieving from the back-end server a dynamic list of linkable data object types for other data objects that are related to the matching data object;

responsive to a selection of the relations entry, displaying a submenu with the list of linkable data object types for the data object;

responsive to a selection of one linkable data object type from the dynamic list, displaying a next level of the submenu with a list of data objects of the selected linkable data object type associated with the matching data object;

responsive to a selection of a data object from the list of data objects of the selected linkable data object type, displaying another level of the submenu with another list of actions associated with the selected data object; and

responsive to a selection of one of the listed actions in the application program on the front-end computer, sending a request to a back-end server to perform the selected action on a data object that is related to the selected context link.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to the parsing, receiving a list of data object types at the front-end computer from the back-end server, wherein the list contains the data object types that are supported by the back-end server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu structure is populated with information from documents stored on the front-end computer based on a parameter conversion, wherein the parameter conversion converts tokens to different text for data object functions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the menu structure is received if textual information to be displayed with the menu is not available at that time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching comprises:

searching a buffer in the front-end computer for the token; and

if the token was not found in the buffer, requesting that the back-end server search for the token, wherein the search identifies a match between the token and a data object in the back-end server if the token was found in the buffer or in the back-end server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a phrase on the list is considered to be related to a single data object on the back-end server if that phrase was found only once for a data object type.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a previous token is on this waiting list if that previous token was found more than once for that data object type and any tokens between that previous token and the token just added to the list were found more than once for that data object type.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a token is removed from the waiting list for that data object type if the token it is not part of a phase that is found more than once for that data object type.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the menu structure is populated with parameters to convert to menu text using the token.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving a list of actions from the back-end system, further comprises:

receiving a list of actions based on an authorization level of the user.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the parameter conversion converts the token to a parameter for a function item of the menu.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions adapted to execute a method comprising:

parsing an application program document at a front-end computer into a plurality of tokens;

searching a database on a back-end server to determine if the tokens match data objects stored in the back-end server;

if there is a match between a token and a matching data object in the back-end server, creating and storing in a buffer at the front-end computer a context link associating the token to the matching data object in the back-end server, wherein determining the match and creating the context link comprise;

if there is one hit for a token to match one data object type in the back-end server, creating and storing in the buffer at the front-end computer the context link associating the token to a single hit data object of the matching data object type in the back-end server;

if there are multiple hits for a token to match one data object type in the back-end server;

storing the token in a wait list for the matched data object type, the token being stored according to an order in which it is found in the application program document;

determining if there are other tokens in the wait list for the matched data object type;

combining the token with a preceding token in the waiting list to form a phrase;

determining whether the phrase is related to a single data object on the back-end server; and

upon determining the phrase is related to a single data object on the back-end server, creating and storing in the buffer at the front-end computer the context link associating the phrase to the single data object;

responsive to the context link being selected, displaying in a menu structure with a list of actions including menu entries for each data object type and a relations entry for other data objects related to the matching data object;

retrieving from the back-end server a dynamic list of linkable data object types for other data objects that are related to the matching data object;

responsive to a selection of the relations entry, displaying a submenu with the list of linkable data object types for the data object;

responsive to a selection of one linkable data object type from the dynamic list, displaying a next level of the submenu with a list of data objects of the selected linkable data object type associated with the matching data object;

responsive to a selection of a data object from the list of data objects of the selected linkable data object type, displaying another level of the submenu with another list of actions associated with the selected data object; and

responsive to a selection of one of the listed actions in the application program on the front-end computer, sending a request to a back-end server to perform the selected action on a data object that is related to the selected context link.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises prior to the parsing, receiving a list of data object types at the front-end computer from the back-end server, wherein the list contains the data object types that are supported by the back-end server.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the menu structure is populated with information from documents stored on the front-end computer based on a parameter conversion, wherein the parameter conversion converts tokens to different-text for data object functions.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the searching comprises:

searching a buffer in the front-end computer for the token; and

if the token was not found in the buffer, requesting that the back-end server search for the token, wherein the search identifies a match between the token and a data object in the back-end server if the token was found in the buffer or in the back-end server.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a phrase on the list is considered to be related to a single data object on the back-end server if that phrase was found only once for a data object type.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein a previous token is on this waiting list if that previous token was found more than once for that data object type and any tokens between that previous token and the token just added to the list were found more than once for that data object type.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein a token is removed from the waiting list for that data object type if the token it is not part of a phase that is found more than once for that data object type.

19. A system, comprising:

a memory, a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to execute instructions for a method comprising;

parsing an application program document at a front-end computer into a plurality of tokens;

searching a database on a back-end server to determine if the tokens match data objects stored in the back-end server;

if there is a match between a token and a matching data object in the back-end server, creating and storing in a buffer at the front-end computer a context link associating the token to the matching data object in the back-end server, wherein determining the match and creating the context link comprise;

if there is one hit for a token to match one data object type in the back-end server, creating and storing in the buffer at the front-end computer the context link associating the token to a single hit data object of the matching data object type in the back-end server;

if there are multiple hits for a token to match one data object type in the back-end server;

storing the token in a wait list for the matched data object type, the token being stored according to an order in which it is found in the application program document;

determining if there are other tokens in the wait list for the matched data object type;

combining the token with a preceding token in the waiting list to form a phrase;

determining whether the phrase is related to a single data object on the back-end server; and

upon determining the phrase is related to a single data object on the back-end server, creating and storing in the buffer at the front-end computer the context link associating the phrase to the single data object;

responsive to the context link being selected, displaying in a menu structure with a list of actions including menu entries for each data object type and a relations entry for other data objects related to the matching data object;

retrieving from the back-end server a dynamic list of linkable data object types for other data objects that are related to the matching data object;

responsive to a selection of the relations entry, displaying a submenu with the list of linkable data object types for the data object;

responsive to a selection of one linkable data object type from the dynamic list, displaying a next level of the submenu with a list of data objects of the selected linkable data object type associated with the matching data object;

responsive to a selection of a data object from the list of data objects of the selected linkable data object type, displaying another level of the submenu with another list of actions associated with the selected data object; and

responsive to a selection of one of the listed actions in the application program on the front-end computer, sending a request to a back-end server to perform the selected action on a data object that is related to the selected context link.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises prior to the parsing, receiving a list of data object types at the front-end computer from the back-end server, wherein the list contains the data object types that are supported by the back-end server.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the menu structure is populated with information from documents stored on the front-end computer based on a parameter conversion, wherein the parameter conversion converts tokens to different-text for data object functions.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the searching comprises:

searching a buffer in the front-end computer for the token; and

if the token was not found in the buffer, requesting that the back-end server search for the token, wherein the search identifies a match between the token and a data object in the back-end server if the token was found in the buffer or in the back-end server.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein a phrase on the list is considered to be related to a single data object on the back-end server if that phrase was found only once for a data object type.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein a previous token is on this waiting list if that previous token was found more than once for that data object type and any tokens between that previous token and the token just added to the list were found more than once for that data object type.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein a token is removed from the waiting list for that data object type if the token it is not part of a phase that is found more than once for that data object type.