Unified interface for meta model checking, modifying, and reporting

• US 9,052,845 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Brandt, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutten, James D
• Application Number:
  US13/017,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20120198415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/43 Checking; Contextual analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/73 Program documentation

Abstract

This disclosure provides various embodiments for performing operations on entities of a meta model modeling one or more software components. A request is received to perform a particular operation of a particular type on each of a plurality of model entities, each model entity modeling at least one attribute of a software component. The request includes an identification of the particular type of operation in a plurality of operation types. The model entities are retrieved in response to the request. A handler object is instantiated of the particular type adapted to perform the particular operation by calling a set of reusable software modules, each software module providing functionality used to perform at least a portion of the particular operation on at least one entity in the plurality of entities. Result data is generated based on the performance of the particular operation using the instantiated handler and reusable software modules.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to perform a particular operation of a particular type on each of a plurality of model entities included in at least one digital meta model, each model entity modeling at least one attribute of a respective software component, wherein the request includes an identification of the particular type of operation and a configuration for the particular type of operation, the particular type one of a plurality of operation types and the configuration including metadata for use in identifying handler objects needed to perform the particular type of operation;

retrieving the plurality of model entities from at least one memory device in response to the request;

instantiating, using at least one processing device, a handler object of the particular type adapted to perform the particular operation by calling a set of reusable software modules from a plurality of reusable software modules stored in at least one memory device, each software module providing functionality used to perform at least a portion of the particular operation on at least one entity in the plurality of entities; and

generating result data, using at least one processing device, based on the performance of the particular operation using the instantiated handler object and the set of reusable software modules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operation types is a set comprising check type operations, reporting type operations, and modification type operations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the handler object is instantiated from a particular object class, wherein any one of a check handler object adapted for use in performing check type operations, a reporting handler object adapted for use in performing report type operations, and a modification handler object adapted for use in performing modification type operations can be instantiated from the particular object class.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the particular type is the check type operation, and performance of the particular operation includes parsing each entity in the plurality of entities to determine whether the entity satisfies a particular rule in a plurality of rules.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the check type handler object is one of a plurality of check type handlers and corresponds to the particular rule, each check type handler object in the plurality of check type handlers corresponding to at least one rule in the plurality of rules.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the particular type is the modification type operation, and performance of the particular operation includes modifying each entity in the plurality of entities to bring each entity in the plurality of entities into conformance with a particular rule in a plurality of rules.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein modification of an entity modifies the respective software component modeled, at least in part, by the entity.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the particular type is the reporting type operation and performance of the particular operation includes parsing each entity in the plurality of entities to generate a report relating to compliance of the plurality of entities with at least one particular rule in a plurality of rules.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to perform a particular operation of a particular type is a first request to perform a first operation of a first type on a first plurality of entities and the set of reusable software module is a first set of reusable modules, the method comprising:

receiving a second request to perform a second operation of a second type on each of a second plurality of entities;

retrieving the second plurality of entities in response to the second request;

instantiating a second handler object of a second type in the plurality of operation types, the second handler object adapted to perform the second operation of the second type by calling a second set of reusable software modules providing functionality to perform at least a portion of the second operation on the second plurality of entities; and

receiving second result data based on the performance of the second operation using the second handler object and the second set of reusable software modules.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first operation type is different from the second operation type and the first set of reusable software modules includes at least one software module included in the second set of reusable software modules.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first operation type and second operation type are each from a set of available operation types comprising check type operations, reporting type operations, and modification type operations.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one software entity in the first plurality of entities is included in the second plurality of entities.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of model entities are included in a plurality of meta models, and retrieving the plurality of entities includes:

retrieving each of the plurality of meta models from at least one memory device; and

parsing each of the plurality of meta models to identify and retrieve those model entities, in the plurality of model entities, included in the respective meta model.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the meta model is at least one of a UI model or business object.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular operation is performed on the plurality of entities as a batch.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the meta model is a digital, parsable XML file.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the handler object includes scope data used to identify the plurality of entities.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the scope data identifies a plurality of meta models to which the particular operation applies, each meta model in the plurality of meta models including at least one of the plurality of entities.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising dynamically selecting the plurality of entities from a set of entities including at least the plurality of entities, based at least in part on the scope data of the handler object.

20. An article comprising a non-transitory, machine-readable storage device storing instructions operable to cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to perform a particular operation of a particular type on each of a plurality of model entities included in at least one digital meta model, each model entity modeling at least one attribute of a respective software component, wherein the request includes an identification of the particular type of operation and a configuration for the particular type of operation, the particular type is one of a plurality of operation types and the configuration including metadata for use in identifying handler objects needed to perform the particular type of operation;

retrieving the plurality of model entities from at least one memory device in response to the request;

instantiating a handler object of the particular type adapted to perform the particular operation by calling a set of reusable software modules from a plurality of reusable software modules stored in at least one memory device, each software module providing functionality used to perform at least a portion of the particular operation on at least one entity in the plurality of entities; and

generating result data based on the performance of the particular operation using the instantiated handler object and the set of reusable software modules.

21. A system comprising:

at least one hardware processor interoperably coupled to a memory and configured to;

access;

a digital library of digital meta models, the library of digital meta models including a plurality of meta models, each meta model in the plurality of meta models including a respective plurality of model entities, each model entity modeling at least one attribute of a software component in a plurality of software components;

a digital library of reusable functionality modules; and

a digital library of handler objects, the digital library of handler objects including a plurality of handler objects, each handler object adapted to perform a corresponding operation of a type included in a set of operation types including check type operations, reporting type operations, and modification type operations by calling functionality modules from the plurality of reusable functionality modules; and

use at least one execution engine executing on the hardware processor and configured to;

retrieve a set of model entities included in the plurality of meta models in response to a request for a particular operation of a particular type to perform on each model entity of the set of model entities, the request identifying the particular operation and a configuration for the particular operation, the particular operation a type of operation from the set of operation types and the configuration including metadata for use in identifying handler objects needed to perform the particular operation;

call a particular handler object from the plurality of handler objects to perform the particular operation on the set of model entities, wherein the particular handler object performs the operation by calling at least two software modules from the plurality of reusable functionality modules, each of the at least two software modules performing at least a portion of the particular operation on at least one model entity in the set of entities; and

collect result data from the performance of the particular operation.

22. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a first request to generate a first handler object for inclusion in a plurality of handler objects and adapted for use in performing a first operation of a first operation type on a first plurality of model entities modeling attributes of at least one software component and included in at least one digital meta model, the first request including an identification of at least two functionality modules and a configuration for the first handler object, the at least two functionality modules comprising a first set of modules, from a plurality of reusable functionality modules, each functionality module in the at least two functionality modules adapted to perform at least a portion of the first operation on at least one of the first plurality of model entities and the configuration including metadata for use in identifying handler objects needed to perform the first operation; and

instantiating, by a computer, the first handler object from an object class adapted to serve as the basis of instantiating handler objects adapted to perform operations of the first operation type and handler objects adapted to perform operations of a second operation type, wherein the first operation type is different from the second operation type and the first handler object is adapted to call each functionality module in the first set of modules in connection with the performance of the first operation.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first operation type and second operation type are each from a set of available operation types comprising check type operations, reporting type operations, and modification type operations.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the request further includes an identification of the first operation type.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a second request to generate a second handler object for inclusion in the plurality of handler objects and adapted for use in performing a second operation, of the second operation type, on a second plurality of model entities, the second request including an identification of at least two functionality modules, comprising a second set of modules, from the plurality of reusable functionality modules, each functionality module in the second set of modules adapted to perform at least a portion of the second operation on at least one of the second plurality of model entities; and

instantiating the second handler object from the object class, the second handler object adapted to call each of the second set of modules in connection with the performance of the second operation.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one functionality module in the first set of modules is included in the second set of modules.