System and method for schema evolution in an E-commerce network
First Claim
1. A computer network system for processing electronic documents encoded in XML markup language, the computer network system comprising:
- a communications channel;
a first server, the first server being in communication with the communications channel, wherein the first server stores a first schema that defines a first tag which includes a plurality of elements from the XML markup language;
a second server, the second server being in communication with the communications channel, wherein the second server stores a second schema that defines a second tag includinga reference to the first tag defined in the first schema, wherein the reference identifies the first tag as being extended; and
an additional element from the XML markup language that is not included in the first schema as part of the definition of the first tag;
wherein the second tag is polymorphically defined to be used to encode data within an electronic document, such that the first and second schemas respectively allow use of the first or second tag in the electronic document;
whereby applications and document types that use the first or second tag can evolve separately.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and computer system are described for conducting commercial transactions. An enhanced type of XML schema may be used which supports integrity constraints and polymorphism. Schemas are identified by the use of Uniform Resource Names. XML processors residing on transaction servers or trading partner servers parse document instances by retrieving the URNs corresponding to the schemas used to interpret the document. The URNs are converted to location-dependent URIs in order to locate the schemas. URNs are resolved to location-dependent URIs by use of the LDAP protocol. URNs may be converted to LDAP URLs which are used to search LDAP compliant directories. The directories serve as registries for the URI values corresponding to the URNs.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer network system for processing electronic documents encoded in XML markup language, the computer network system comprising:
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a communications channel; a first server, the first server being in communication with the communications channel, wherein the first server stores a first schema that defines a first tag which includes a plurality of elements from the XML markup language; a second server, the second server being in communication with the communications channel, wherein the second server stores a second schema that defines a second tag including a reference to the first tag defined in the first schema, wherein the reference identifies the first tag as being extended; and an additional element from the XML markup language that is not included in the first schema as part of the definition of the first tag; wherein the second tag is polymorphically defined to be used to encode data within an electronic document, such that the first and second schemas respectively allow use of the first or second tag in the electronic document; whereby applications and document types that use the first or second tag can evolve separately. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of using a second tag in place of a first tag in an XML document, the method including:
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receiving the XML document that includes the second tag defined in a second schema and a reference to the second schema stored on a second server; processing the second schema, which defines the second tag including a reference to the first tag defined in a first schema stored on a first server, wherein the reference identifies the first tag as being extended; and an additional element from markup language that is not included in the first schema as part of the definition of the first tag; and processing the second tag as a polymorphic encoding of data in the XML document, such that the first and second schemas respectively allow use of the first or second tag in the electronic document; whereby applications and document types that use the first or second tag can evolve separately. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of an online service processing an XML document that extends a first XML document, the method including:
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receiving the XML document that includes a second tag, wherein the XML document references a second schema on a second server that defines the second tag, including a reference to a first tag in a first schema on a first server, wherein the reference identifies the first tag as being extended; and an additional element from XML markup language, not included in the first tag; and wherein the first tag is defined in the first schema to include a plurality of elements from the XML markup language; further including processing the XML document containing the second tag, in case the online service is configured to process data according to the second schema, by processing the additional element of the second tag and, in case the online service is adapted to process data according to the first schema but not the second schema, by not processing the additional element of the second tag but still processing the plurality of elements of the first tag; wherein the second tag polymorphically encodes data within the XML document; whereby the first and second schemas respectively allow use of the first or second tag and whereby applications and document types that use the first or second tag can evolve separately. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification