Metadata container-based user interface flexibility

• US 8,707,398 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rauh, Alexander, Erbe, Lars, Gieselmann, Thomas, Mueller, Franz, Paul, Nina Tabitha, Haffner, Stefan, Tomar, Vibhor, Schmidt, Holger, Vidhya, Sri A N
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cribbs, Malcolm
• Application Number:
  US12/976,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20120167178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/80 of semi-structured data, e.g. markup language structured data such as SGML, XML or HTML content-based retrieval of web data G06F16/95

Abstract

All metadata relevant to user interface functionality needed to provide a specific unit of business functionality can be stored in one of a plurality of autonomous metadata containers retained on at least one data storage device. After a subset of available business functionality to be provided to a user is determined, a set of the plurality of autonomous metadata containers required to provide the subset of available business functions can be identified. A user interface view can be generated to present a view associated with each of the set of the plurality of autonomous metadata containers, and the generated user interface view can be provided for display to the user. Related systems, articles of manufacture, and computer-implemented methods are described.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory, machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

storing, in each of a plurality of autonomous metadata containers retained on at least one data storage device, all metadata relevant to user interface functionality needed to provide a specific unit of business functionality;

determining a subset of available business functionality to be provided to a user;

identifying a subset of autonomous metadata containers from the plurality of autonomous metadata containers, the subset of autonomous metadata containers being required to provide the subset of available business functionality;

generating a user interface view to present a view associated with each of the subset of the plurality of autonomous metadata containers; and

providing the generated user interface view for display to the user.

2. A computer program product as in claim 1, wherein the set of autonomous metadata containers comprises an application view container and a generic view container, the application view container comprising at least one of data and metadata supporting a business function of a business application, the generic view container comprising a user interface structure that incorporates at least one of data and metadata associated with at least one of the application view and another generic view.

3. A computer program product as in claim 1, wherein the determining of the subset of available business functionality to be provided to a user comprises accessing a previously stored identity business object comprising authorization checks for view assignments for the user and related work center view assignments for the user.

4. A computer program product as in claim 1, wherein the subset of autonomous metadata containers is selected such that the user interface view is consistent with permissions or authorizations held by or assigned to the user, a business scope assigned to the user, a current application context within which the user is working, and adaptations of one or more applications available to the user.

5. A computer program product as in claim 1, wherein the providing of the generated user interface view occurs via a client tenant of a multi-tenant system comprising an application server providing access for each of a plurality of organizations to one of a plurality of client tenants, each of the plurality of client tenants comprising a customizable, organization-specific version of a core software platform that also integrates business functionality provided by at least one external software provider, the plurality of tenants accessing a data repository comprising core software platform content relating to the operation of the core software platform and that is common to all of the plurality of client tenants, system content having a system content format defined by the core software platform and containing system content data that are unique to specific client tenants of the plurality of client tenants, and client tenant-specific content whose tenant-specific content formats and tenant-specific content data are defined by and available to only one of the plurality of client tenants.

6. A computer program product as in claim 5, wherein the subset of autonomous metadata containers comprises a first autonomous metadata container comprising a first view relating to at least one of the core platform content and the system content, a second autonomous metadata container comprising a second view relating to the client tenant-specific content, and a third autonomous metadata container comprising a third view relating to external content relating to external service provider content from the at least one external service provider.

7. A system comprising:

at least one programmable processor; and

a machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising;

storing, in each of a plurality of autonomous metadata containers retained on at least one data storage device, all metadata relevant to user interface functionality needed to provide a specific unit of business functionality;

determining a subset of available business functionality to be provided to a user;

identifying a subset of autonomous metadata containers from the plurality of autonomous metadata containers, the set of autonomous metadata containers being required to provide the subset of available business functionality;

generating a user interface view to present a view associated with each of the subset of the plurality of autonomous metadata containers; and

providing the generated user interface view for display to the user.

8. A system as in claim 7, wherein the set of autonomous metadata containers comprises an application view container and a generic view container, the application view container comprising at least one of data and metadata supporting a business function of a business application, the generic view container comprising a user interface structure that incorporates at least one of data and metadata associated with at least one of the application view and another generic view.

9. A system as in claim 7, wherein the determining of the subset of available business functionality to be provided to a user comprises accessing a previously stored identity business object comprising authorization checks for view assignments for the user and related work center view assignments for the user.

10. A system as in claim 7, wherein the subset of autonomous metadata containers is selected such that the user interface view is consistent with permissions or authorizations held by or assigned to the user, a business scope assigned to the user, a current application context within which the user is working, and adaptations of one or more applications available to the user.

11. A system as in claim 7, wherein the providing of the generated user interface view occurs via a client tenant of a multi-tenant system comprising an application server providing access for each of a plurality of organizations to one of a plurality of client tenants, each of the plurality of client tenants comprising a customizable, organization-specific version of a core software platform that also integrates business functionality provided by at least one external software provider, the plurality of tenants accessing a data repository comprising core software platform content relating to the operation of the core software platform and that is common to all of the plurality of client tenants, system content having a system content format defined by the core software platform and containing system content data that are unique to specific client tenants of the plurality of client tenants, and tenant-specific content items whose tenant-specific content formats and tenant-specific content data are defined by and available to only one of the plurality of client tenants.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein the subset of autonomous metadata containers comprises a first autonomous metadata container comprising a first view relating to at least one of the core platform content and the system content, a second autonomous metadata container comprising a second view relating to the client tenant-specific content, and a third autonomous metadata container comprising a third view relating to external content relating to external service provider content from the at least one external service provider.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

storing, in each of a plurality of autonomous metadata containers retained on at least one data storage device, all metadata relevant to user interface functionality needed to provide a specific unit of business functionality;

determining a subset of available business functionality to be provided to a user;

identifying a subset of autonomous metadata containers from the plurality of autonomous metadata containers, the set of autonomous metadata containers being required to provide the subset of available business functionality;

generating a user interface view to present a view associated with each of the subset of the plurality of autonomous metadata containers; and

providing the generated user interface view for display to the user.

14. A computer-implemented method as in claim 13, wherein the set of autonomous metadata containers comprises an application view container and a generic view container, the application view container comprising at least one of data and metadata supporting a business function of a business application, the generic view container comprising a user interface structure that incorporates at least one of data and metadata associated with at least one of the application view and another generic view.

15. A computer-implemented method as in claim 13, wherein the determining of the subset of available business functionality to be provided to a user comprises accessing a previously stored identity business object comprising authorization checks for view assignments for the user and related work center view assignments for the user.

16. A computer-implemented method as in claim 13, wherein the subset of autonomous metadata containers is selected such that the user interface view is consistent with permissions or authorizations held by or assigned to the user, a business scope assigned to the user, a current application context within which the user is working, and adaptations of one or more applications available to the user.

17. A computer-implemented method as in claim 13, wherein the providing of the generated user interface view occurs via a client tenant of a multi-tenant system comprising an application server providing access for each of a plurality of organizations to one of a plurality of client tenants, each of the plurality of client tenants comprising a customizable, organization-specific version of a core software platform that also integrates business functionality provided by at least one external software provider, the plurality of tenants accessing a data repository comprising core software platform content relating to the operation of the core software platform and that is common to all of the plurality of client tenants, system content having a system content format defined by the core software platform and containing system content data that are unique to specific client tenants of the plurality of client tenants, and tenant-specific content items whose tenant-specific content formats and tenant-specific content data are defined by and available to only one of the plurality of client tenants.

18. A computer-implemented method as in claim 17, wherein the subset of autonomous metadata containers comprises a first autonomous metadata container comprising a first view relating to at least one of the core platform content and the system content, a second autonomous metadata container comprising a second view relating to the client tenant-specific content, and a third autonomous metadata container comprising a third view relating to external content relating to external service provider content from the at least one external service provider.

19. A computer-implemented method as in claim 13, wherein at least one of the storing, the determining, the identifying, the generating, and the providing is performed by at least one programmable processor.