Determining a navigation path for a constraint language editor

• US 8,566,783 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Ying, Luo, Jing, Mao, Jia Yin, Qiu, Jie
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Tina
• Application Number:
  US12/362,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20090199156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 717104-113
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/427 Parsing

Abstract

A method and navigation helper for generating constraint language codes for navigation in a constraint language editor. The constraint language editor generates model/instance-related constraint expressions according to the loaded model/instance and related constraints. The navigation is a path implementing the constraints. The method includes parsing the loaded model/instance; calculating a possible association related to the element through the type of the navigation-related element in the model/instance; and calculating a possible navigation path according to the association. A method for generating constraint language codes in a constraint language editor and the constraint language editor includes loading the model/instance; loading constraint patterns for storing parameters and a constraint code template; invoking corresponding helpers, according to the types of parameters stored in the constraint patterns; and generating constraint codes according to the generated parameters and the constraint code template.

Claims

1. A method for determining a navigation path for a constraint language editor, the method comprising:

accessing at least one software model of at least one software application;

parsing, with a computer, the software model to determine if there is at least one occurrence of a class inheritance, an association, and an association inheritance is in the software model;

based upon the occurrence of the class inheritance, accessing a data list from a class inheritance database and performing type conversion on the data list which has been accessed;

based upon the occurrence of the association, accessing a data list from an association database; and

based upon the occurrence of the association inheritance, accessing a data list from an association inheritance database;

loading the data list based upon the occurrence of the class inheritance, the association, and the association inheritance in the software model into a navigation path calculator;

receiving user input into the navigation path calculator, the user input including a navigation starting point, a navigation ending point; and

calculating, with the navigation path calculator, a navigation path with model or instance information including attributes of objects, operations of objects, associations between objects, and generations between objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to loading the data list from the class inheritance database and based upon the occurrence of the class inheritance in the software model, performing type conversion on the data list from the class inheritance database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to calculating the navigation path, the method further comprising:

receiving user input into the navigation calculator, the user input including a navigation ending point, and a maximum step of navigation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to calculating the navigation path, the method further comprising:

loading an instance into an instance parser, wherein the instance is modeled from the software model;

parsing, with the instance parser, the instance based on an instance connection map that includes relationships between instances, to obtain a connected instance; and

loading the connect instance into the navigation path calculator.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

calculating, through a type of a navigation-related element in the instance which has been parsed, an association related to the navigation-related element;

calculating a model-level type corresponding to the instance which has been parsed; and

calculating, according to the model-level type, the instance belonging to the type; and

wherein the calculating with the navigator path calculator the navigation path includes calculating with the association related to the navigation-related element and the instance belonging to the model-level type.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based upon the occurrence of a set element in the software model, performing each of

obtaining all corresponding types through the instances of a set;

determining common parent types of the instances;

providing all types comprising the parent types to a user as candidates and selecting one of them by the user; and

calculating a possible association related to the set element through each of the types.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a program for determining a navigation path for a constraint language editor, the program comprising instructions for:

accessing at least one software model of at least one software application;

parsing, with a computer, the software model to determine if there is at least one occurrence of a class inheritance, an association, and an association inheritance is in the software model;

based upon the occurrence of the class inheritance, accessing a data list from a class inheritance database and performing type conversion on the data list which has been accessed;

based upon the occurrence of the association, accessing a data list from an association database; and

based upon the occurrence of the association inheritance, accessing a data list from an association inheritance database;

loading the data list based upon the occurrence of the class inheritance, the association, and the association inheritance in the software model into a navigation path calculator;

receiving user input into the navigation path calculator, the user input including a navigation starting point, a navigation ending point; and

calculating, with the navigation path calculator, a navigation path with model or instance information including attributes of objects, operations of objects, associations between objects, and generations between objects.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein prior to loading the data list from the class inheritance database and based upon the occurrence of the class inheritance in the software model, performing type conversion on the data list from the class inheritance database.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein prior to calculating the navigation path, further comprising:

receiving user input into the navigation calculator, the user input including a navigation ending point, and a maximum step of navigation.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein prior to calculating the navigation path, the method further comprising:

loading an instance into an instance parser, wherein the instance is modeled from the software model;

parsing, with the instance parser, the instance based on an instance connection map that includes relationships between instances, to obtain a connected instance; and

loading the connect instance into the navigation path calculator.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

calculating, through a type of a navigation-related element in the instance which has been parsed, an association related to the navigation-related element;

calculating a model-level type corresponding to the instance which has been parsed; and

calculating, according to the model-level type, the instance belonging to the type; and

wherein the calculating with the navigator path calculator the navigation path includes calculating with the association related to the navigation-related element and the instance belonging to the model-level type.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:

based upon the occurrence of a set element in the software model, performing each of

obtaining all corresponding types through the instances of a set;

determining common parent types of the instances;

providing all types comprising the parent types to a user as candidates and selecting one of them by the user; and

calculating a possible association related to the set element through each of the types.

13. An information processing system for determining a navigation path for a constraint language editor, the information processing system comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a navigation helper coupled to the memory and the processor, the navigation helper being configured for;

accessing at least one software model of at least one software application;

parsing, with a computer, the software model to determine if there is at least one occurrence of a class inheritance, an association, and an association inheritance is in the software model;

based upon the occurrence of the class inheritance, accessing a data list from a class inheritance database and performing type conversion on the data list which has been accessed;

based upon the occurrence of the association, accessing a data list from an association database; and

based upon the occurrence of the association inheritance, accessing a data list from an association inheritance database;

loading the data list based upon the occurrence of the class inheritance, the association, and the association inheritance in the software model into a navigation path calculator;

receiving user input into the navigation path calculator, the user input including a navigation starting point, a navigation ending point; and

calculating, with the navigation path calculator, a navigation path with model or instance information including attributes of objects, operations of objects, associations between objects, and generations between objects.

14. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein prior to loading the data list from the class inheritance database and based upon the occurrence of the class inheritance in the software model, performing type conversion on the data list from the class inheritance database.

15. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein prior to calculating the navigation path, further comprising:

receiving user input into the navigation calculator, the user input including a navigation ending point, and a maximum step of navigation.

16. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein prior to calculating the navigation path, the method further comprising:

loading an instance into an instance parser, wherein the instance is modeled from the software model;

parsing, with the instance parser, the instance based on an instance connection map that includes relationships between instances, to obtain a connected instance; and

loading the connect instance into the navigation path calculator.

17. The information processing system of claim 16, further comprising:

calculating, through a type of a navigation-related element in the instance which has been parsed, an association related to the navigation-related element;

calculating a model-level type corresponding to the instance which has been parsed; and

calculating, according to the model-level type, the instance belonging to the type; and

wherein the calculating with the navigator path calculator the navigation path includes calculating with the association related to the navigation-related element and the instance belonging to the model-level type.

18. The information processing system of claim 13, further comprising:

based upon the occurrence of a set element in the software model, performing each of

obtaining all corresponding types through the instances of a set;

determining common parent types of the instances;

providing all types comprising the parent types to a user as candidates and selecting one of them by the user; and

calculating a possible association related to the set element through each of the types.