System and method for runtime rendering of web-based user interfaces for master data management

• US 8,200,710 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sagi, Shachar, Kahn, Walter L., Awad, Isam
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Merilyn
• Application Number:
  US12/510,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 707/790, 707/791, 707/792, 707/793, 707/796, 707/802, 707/903, 707/804, 707/805, 707/807, 707/808, 707/809
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application

Abstract

One or more embodiments enable a system and method for creation and runtime rendering of web-based user interface applications for a master data management applications. The system and method comprise acquiring metadata of a schema of a master data management database at initialization, the metadata identifying a plurality of schema elements; selecting a schema element of the plurality of schema elements in the schema metadata; identifying a set of all appropriate Web UI element options for the schema element; presenting to a UI designer a graphic user interface populated with the schema element and the set of all appropriate Web UI element options for the schema element; accepting from the UI designer a selected Web UI element from the set of all appropriate Web UI element options; generating a Web UI component definition comprising a link between the schema element and the selected Web UI element; storing the Web UI component definition related to the link in the master data management database.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer program code stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, causes said machine to perform operations of:

acquiring metadata of a schema of a master data management database at initialization, said master data management database supporting unified data storage across company branches in a heterogeneous information technology landscape and said metadata identifying a plurality of schema elements;

selecting a schema element from said plurality of schema elements in said metadata;

identifying a set of all appropriate Web UI element options for said schema element;

presenting to a UI designer a graphic user interface populated with said schema element and said set of all appropriate Web UI element options for said schema element;

accepting from said UI designer a selected Web UI element from said set of all appropriate Web UI element options;

generating a Web UI component definition comprising a link between said schema element and said selected Web UI element;

presenting said UI designer with a plurality of layout options for said Web UI component definition;

receiving from said UI designer a selected layout option;

storing said Web UI component definition related to said link in said master data management database along with information associated with said selected layout option.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising presenting said UI designer with a default layout option for said Web UI component definition.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising when invoked by a user at runtime, causing said Web UI component definition to load and be processed so as to render a Web UI.

4. A computer-implemented method comprising:

acquiring metadata of a schema of a master data management database at initialization, said master data management database supporting unified data storage across company branches in a heterogeneous information technology landscape and said metadata identifying a plurality of schema elements;

selecting a schema element from said plurality of schema elements in said metadata;

identifying a set of all appropriate Web UI element options for said schema element;

presenting to a UI designer a graphic user interface populated with said schema element and said set of all appropriate Web UI element options for said schema element;

accepting from said UI designer a selected Web UI element from said set of all appropriate Web UI element options;

generating a Web UI component definition comprising a link between said schema element and said selected Web UI element;

presenting said UI designer with a plurality of layout options for said Web UI component definition;

receiving from said UI designer a selected layout option;

storing said Web UI component definition related to said link in said master data management database along with information associated with said selected layout option.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising presenting said UI designer with a default layout option for said Web UI component definition.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising when invoked by a user at runtime, causing said Web UI component definition to load and be processed so as to render a Web UI.

7. A system comprising a computer memory for storing program code and a processor for processing said program code to perform operations of:

acquiring metadata of a schema of a master data management database at initialization, said master data management database supporting unified data storage across company branches in a heterogeneous information technology landscape and said metadata identifying a plurality of schema elements;

selecting a schema element from said plurality of schema elements in said metadata;

identifying a set of all appropriate Web UI element options for said schema element;

presenting to a UI designer a graphic user interface populated with said schema element and said set of all appropriate Web UI element options for said schema element;

accepting from said UI designer a selected Web UI element from said set of all appropriate Web UI element options;

generating a Web UI component definition comprising a link between said schema element and said selected Web UI element;

presenting said UI designer with a plurality of layout options for said Web UI component definition;

receiving from said UI designer a selected layout option;

storing said Web UI component definition related to said link in said master data management database along with information associated with said selected layout option.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising presenting said UI designer with a default layout option for said Web UI component definition.

9. The system of claim 7 further comprising when invoked by a user at runtime, causing said Web UI component definition to load and be processed so as to render a Web UI.