Method and system for automatically generating a communication interface

• US 8,433,729 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Eigemann, Sven-Eric, Geiger, Matthias, Zimmer, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Linh
• Application Number:
  US11/540,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/796, 707/803
• US Class Current: 707/796
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method includes determining, by a conversion tool, at least one specific data associated with an interface of a service of a first application, the determining comprising retrieving metadata associated with the service of the first application, the metadata describing the specific data; and automatically generating, by the conversion tool, a data context for use in requesting the service from the first application, the data context comprising at least one data field for storing the at least one specific data associated with the interface of the service.

Claims

1. A method of generating an updated graphical user interface, comprising:

retrieving, from a database table that logs a previous execution of a predetermined database query by a first application, metadata including values of a plurality of data variables previously entered into a graphical user interface of the first application to request the execution of the database query by the first application;

determining, from the previously entered data variable values of the retrieved metadata, identity and data type of the plurality of data variables required by the graphical user interface of the first application to request the execution of the database query by the first application;

automatically generating program instructions of a second application in response to the determined plurality of data variables, the second application having a second graphical user interface for requesting the execution of the database query by a user, the automatically generated instructions defining elements of the second graphical user interface configured to receive the determined plurality of data variables;

executing the generated instructions of the second application and receiving values of the plurality of data variables from the user at the second graphical user interface as part of a request for execution of the database query; and

communicating the received values of the plurality of data variables from the second application to the first application, to request the database query from the first application without the user directly using the graphical user interface of the first application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data variables represent parameters of the predetermined database query and the previously-entered values of the plurality of variables at least partially define a data set output as a result of the database query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving further includes retrieving the metadata from within computer program instructions of a software component.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the metadata further includes searching the database for an identifier identifying the predetermined database query, the identifier including at least one of:

a name of the database query, or a command included in the database query.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving the metadata further includes searching program instructions of the first application and reading the metadata from the program instructions of the first application.

4. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer instructions, which when executed by a processor perform a method of generating an updated graphical user interface, the method comprising:

retrieving, from a database table that logs a previous execution of a predetermined database query by a first application, metadata including values of a plurality of data variables-previously entered into a graphical user interface of the first application to request the execution of the database query by the first application;

determining, from the previously entered data variable values of the retrieved metadata, identity and data type of the plurality of data variables required by the graphical user interface of the first application to request the execution of the database query by the first application;

automatically generating program instructions of a second application in response to the determined plurality of data variables, the second application having a second graphical user interface for requesting the execution of the database query by a user, the automatically generated instructions defining elements of the second graphical user interface configured to receive the determined plurality of data variables;

executing the generated instructions of the second application and receiving values of the plurality of data variables from the user at the second graphical user interface as part of a request for execution of the database query; and

communicating the received values of the plurality of data variables from the second application to the first application, to request the database query from the first application without the user directly using the graphical user interface of the first application.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the plurality of data variables represent parameters of the predetermined database query and the previously-entered values of the plurality of variables at least partially define a data set output as a result of the database query.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the retrieving further includes retrieving the metadata from within computer program instructions of a software component.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the retrieving of the metadata further includes searching the database for an identifier identifying the predetermined database query, the identifier including at least one of:

a name of the database query, or a command included in the database query.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the retrieving the metadata further includes searching program instructions of the first application and reading the metadata from the program instructions of the first application.

11. A method of generating an updated graphical user interface, comprising:

retrieving metadata describing a plurality of data variables entered into a graphical user interface of a first application to request a service, wherein the retrieving includes automatically parsing text of and searching executable program instructions of the first application to locate the metadata in the program instructions of the first application;

determining, from the metadata, the plurality of data variables required by the graphical user interface of the first application to request the service; and

automatically generating program instructions of a second application having a second graphical user interface for requesting the service by a user, the automatically generated instructions defining the determined data variables for the second application, which is configured to receive the data variables from the user and request the service from the first application without the user directly using the graphical user interface of the first application;

executing the generated instructions of the second application and receiving values of the plurality of data variables from the user at the second graphical user interface as part of a request for the service; and

communicating the received values of the plurality of data variables from the second application to the first application, through an execution controller, to request the service from the first application.

12. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions, which when executed perform a method of generating an updated graphical user interface, the method comprising:

retrieving metadata describing a plurality of data variables entered into a graphical user interface of a first application to request a service, wherein the retrieving includes automatically parsing text of and searching executable program instructions of the first application to locate the metadata in the program instructions of the first application;

determining, from the metadata, the plurality of data variables required by the graphical user interface of the first application to request the service; and

automatically generating program instructions of a second application having a second graphical user interface for requesting the service by a user, the automatically generated instructions defining the determined data variables for the second application, which is configured to receive the data variables from the user and request the service from the first application without the user directly using the graphical user interface of the first application;

executing the generated instructions of the second application and receiving values of the plurality of data variables from the user at the second graphical user interface as part of a request for the service; and

communicating the received values of the plurality of data variables from the second application to the first application, through an execution controller, to request the service from the first application.

13. A method of generating an updated graphical user interface, comprising:

retrieving, from a database table that logs a previous execution of a predetermined database query by a first application, metadata including values of a plurality of data variables previously entered into a graphical user interface of the first application to request the execution of the database query by the first application;

determining, from the previously entered data variable values of the retrieved metadata, identity and data type of the plurality of data variables required by the graphical user interface of the first application to request the execution of the database query by the first application; and

automatically generating program instructions of a second application in response to the determined plurality of data variables, the second application having a second graphical user interface for requesting the execution of the database query by a user, the automatically generated instructions defining elements of the second graphical user interface configured to receive the determined plurality of data variables;

wherein the plurality of data variables represent parameters of the database query and the previously-entered specific values of the plurality of variables at least partially define a data set output as a result of the predetermined database query.

14. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions, which when executed perform a method of generating an updated graphical user interface, the method comprising:

retrieving, from a database table that logs a previous execution of a predetermined database query by a first application, metadata including values of a plurality of data variables previously entered into a graphical user interface of the first application to request the execution of the database query by the first application;

determining, from the previously entered data variable values of the retrieved metadata, identity and data type of the plurality of data variables required by the graphical user interface of the first application to request the execution of the database query by the first application; and

automatically generating program instructions of a second application in response to the determined plurality of data variables, the second application having a second graphical user interface for requesting the execution of the database query by a user, the automatically generated instructions defining elements of the second graphical user interface configured to receive the determined plurality of data variables;

wherein the plurality of data variables represent parameters of the database query and the previously-entered specific values of the plurality of variables at least partially define a data set output as a result of the predetermined database query.