Methods and apparatus for creating markup language documents

• US 8,255,794 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2010
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Dasari, Srinivas, Sockrider, Cathy, Harvey, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): ULRICH, NICHOLAS S
• Application Number:
  US12/692,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 715/235
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/16 Automatic learning of transformation rules, e.g. from examples

Abstract

A method for generating markup language documents, e.g., XML documents, uses a code generator that creates programs configured to create dynamic XML documents at run time, avoiding many of the complexities arising from the use of conventional “XML GENERATE” statements. In one embodiment, this process involves (1) creating a template document using a markup language, wherein the template document includes a set of tags associated with the markup language documents; (2) parsing the template document to determine a working storage structure corresponding to the tags in the template document; and (3) generating an application program in the programming language (e.g., COBOL), wherein the application program includes a definition of the working storage structure, and is configured to generate, during run-time, a markup language document corresponding to the original template document.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining computer-generated markup language documents using a programming language, the method including:

parsing, by a computer-based system for obtaining computer-generated markup language documents, a template document to determine a working storage structure corresponding to a plurality of tags, wherein the template document includes the plurality of tags; and

generating, by the computer-based system and in the programming language, an application protocol interlace (API),

wherein the API generates a markup language document during run-time, wherein the API generates a corresponding set of data elements corresponding to the working storage structure, and wherein the API includes a definition of the working storage structure including a plurality of API variables, code for each tag that participates in an array, and code configured to compress the data elements by truncating leading spaces in each data element, and wherein a dimension of the array can be adjusted in response to receiving input from a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including populating, by the computer-based system, each of the plurality of tags with a value.

3. The method of claim 1, further including populating, by the computer-based system, one of the plurality of tags with a maximum tag length value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the programming language is COBOL.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the markup language is XML.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

extracting input data from a input message markup language document to create extracted input data;

using the extracted input data in an application program, wherein the application program is written in the programming language; and

generating markup language documents by use of the API.

7. The method of claim 6, further including receiving the input message markup language document.

8. The method of claim 1, further including creating, using a markup language, the template document including the plurality of tags.

9. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, when executed by a computer-based system for obtaining computer-generated markup language documents using a programming language, perform operations comprising:

parsing, by the computer based system, a template document to determine a working storage structure corresponding to a plurality of tags, wherein the template document includes the plurality of tags; and

generating, by the computer based system, an API in the programming language,

wherein the API generates a markup language document during run-time, wherein the API generates a corresponding set of data elements corresponding to the working storage structure, and wherein the API includes a definition of the working storage structure including a plurality of API variables, code for each tag that participates in an array, and code configured to compress the data elements by truncating leading spaces in each data element, and wherein a dimension of the array can be adjusted in response to receiving input from a user interface.

10. A computer-based system comprising:

a network interface communicating with a memory;

the memory communicating with a processor for obtaining computer-generated markup language documents using a programming language; and

the processor, when executing a computer program, is configured to;

parse, by the processor, a template document to determine a working storage structure corresponding to a plurality of tags, wherein the template document includes the plurality of tags; and

generate, by the processor, an API in the programming language,

wherein the API generates a markup language document during run-time, wherein the API generates a corresponding set of data elements corresponding to the working storage structure, and wherein the API includes a definition of the working storage structure including a plurality of API variables, code for each tag that participates in an array, and code configured to compress the data elements by truncating leading spaces in each data element, and wherein a dimension of the array can be adjusted in response to receiving input from a user interface.

11. The system of claim 10, further configured to populate each of the plurality of tags with a value.

12. The system of claim 10, further configured to populate one of the plurality of tags with a maximum tag length value.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the programming language is COBOL.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the markup language is XML.

15. The system of claim 10, further configured to:

extract input data from a input message markup language document to create extracted input data;

use the extracted input data in an application program, wherein the application program is written in the programming language; and

generate markup language documents by use of the API.

16. The system of claim 15, further configured to receive the input message markup language document.

17. The system of claim 10, further configured to create, using a markup language, the template document including the plurality of tags.