Dynamic data binding for MBOs for container based application

• US 8,434,097 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Brandow, David, Alberti, Johannes, Mukkamala, Himagiri
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Andy
• Application Number:
  US12/650,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 719/316, 719/332
• US Class Current: 719/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for dynamically binding data from a remote data source in a container-based mobile application are described herein. The method includes the steps of: 1) defining a metadata source that references both a mobile business object (MBO) and the mobile application, the MBO being connected to the remote data store; 2) binding an attribute from the MBO to the mobile application using the metadata source; and 3) changing, dynamically, the binding of the attribute while the mobile application is executing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of dynamically binding data in a data store to a mobile application executed on a mobile device, comprising:

defining a metadata source that references both a first mobile business object (MBO) attribute of an MBO and an attribute of the mobile application, wherein the MBO is connected to the data store and the first MBO attribute is linked to a first attribute stored in the data store;

binding the first MBO attribute to the attribute of the mobile application using the metadata source; and

changing, dynamically, the binding of the attribute of the mobile application to a second MBO attribute of the MBO while the mobile application is executing, wherein the second MBO attribute is linked to a second attribute stored in the data store.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the mobile application is a container-based mobile application.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the metadata source stores binding information in extensible markup language (XML).

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the mobile application is an XML business object executed within an XML business object container.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

limiting data received by the mobile application from the MBO based on subscription criteria stored in the metadata source.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein binding an attribute comprises:

linking, in the metadata source, data referenced by the MBO to a user interface control of the mobile application.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the mobile application comprises both a client side and server-side component, and wherein the metadata source is referenced by the server-side component to set bindings to the MBO.

8. A system of binding data from a data store to a mobile application comprising:

a first component of the mobile application, the first component configured to be executed on a computer server, wherein the first component is configured to be operatively connected to a second component of the mobile application, the second component being operated on a mobile device, wherein the first and second components reference a mobile application attribute;

an abstraction layer configured to access data in the data store, the abstraction layer and the first component being operatively connected; and

a metadata source configured to map data referenced in the abstraction layer to the mobile application, wherein the abstraction layer is further configured to;

based on the metadata source, map the mobile application attribute to a first attribute stored in the data store, and

based on a change to the metadata source, change the mapping of the mobile application attribute from the first attribute to a second attribute stored in the data store,

wherein the changing of the mapping occurs while the mobile application is executing.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the abstraction layer is a mobile business object.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method of dynamically binding data in a data store to a mobile application executed on a mobile device, the instructions comprising:

an instruction to define a metadata source that references both a first mobile business object (MBO) attribute of an MBO and an attribute of the mobile application, wherein the MBO is connected to the data store and the first MBO attribute is linked to a first attribute stored in the data store;

an instruction to bind the first MBO attribute to the attribute of the mobile application using the metadata source; and

changing, dynamically, the binding of the attribute of the mobile application to a second MBO attribute of the MBO while the mobile application is executing, Wherein the second MBO attribute is linked to a second attribute stored in the data store.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instruction to bind an attribute comprises:

an instruction to link, in the metadata source, data referenced by the MBO to a user interface control of the mobile application.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the mobile application comprises both a client side and server-side component, and wherein the metadata source is referenced by the server-side component to set bindings to the MBO.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions stored thereon further comprise:

an instruction to limit data received by the mobile application from the MBO based on subscription criteria stored in the metadata source.