XML scripting of soap commands

• US 7,178,149 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Original Assignee: Axeda (PTC Inc.)
• Inventors: Hansen, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong; LeChi
• Application Number:
  US10/123,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20030200349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/81 Indexing, e.g. XML tags; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45508 Runtime interpretation or emulation, e g. emulator loops, bytecode interpretation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A computer-implemented method processes a simple object access protocol (SOAP) command. The method includes interpreting an XML script to perform a function contained in the XML script, the XML script containing the SOAP command, parsing the SOAP command from the XML script, and passing the SOAP command to a SOAP interpreter for execution.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a device, for processing plural simple object access protocol (SOAP) commands, comprising:

outputting a single device-initiated query to a server;

receiving eXtensible Markup Language (XML) script from the server in response to the single device-initiated query, the XML script containing the plural SOAP commands, the XML script defining a process for executing a first SOAP command, receiving a first value in response to execution of the first SOAP command, executing a second SOAP command, and receiving a second value in response to the second SOAP command; and

executing the process on the device without communicating with the server during execution of the process, wherein executing the process comprises;

interpreting the XML the script to perform a function contained in the XML script;

parsing the first SOAP command from the XML script;

passing the first SOAP command to a SOAP interpreter for execution;

receiving the first value in response to execution of the first SOAP command;

parsing the second SOAP command from the XML script;

passing the second SOAP command to the SOAP interpreter for execution; and

receiving the second value in response to execution of the first SOAP command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing at least one of the first and second values as a variable in the XML script.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the XML script declares a variable; and

a value of the variable is passed as an argument to at least one of the first and second SOAP commands prior to execution thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the function comprises a conditional statement.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the conditional statement comprises an If-Then statement or an If-Then-Else statement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the function comprises a control statement that affects a sequence of execution of the XML script, the first SOAP command, and/or the second SOAP command.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control statement comprises a loop.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the function comprises an exception handler that affects a sequence of execution of the XML script, the first SOAP command, and/or the second SOAP command when an error condition exists.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the function comprises a statement that controls relative or absolute time to execute the first and/or second SOAP commands.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein parsing is performed by an XML interpreter, the XML interpreter passing the first and second SOAP commands to the SOAP interpreter and the SOAP interpreter passing the first and second values, respectively, back to the XML interpreter.

11. An article comprising one or more machine-readable media that store executable instructions for processing plural simple object access protocol (SOAP) commands, the instructions for causing one or more machines comprising at least one device to:

output a single device-initiated query to a server;

receive eXtensible Markup Language (XML) script from the server in response to the single device-initiated query, the XML script containing the plural SOAP commands, the XML script defining a process for executing a first SOAP command, receiving a first value in response to execution of the first SOAP command, executing a second SOAP command, and receiving a second value in response to the second SOAP command; and

execute the process on the device without communicating with the server during execution of the process, wherein executing the process comprises;

interpreting the XML script to perform a function contained in the XML script;

parsing the first SOAP command from the XML script;

passing the first SOAP command to a SOAP interpreter for execution;

receiving the first value in response to execution of the first SOAP command;

parsing the second SOAP command from the XML script;

passing the second SOAP command to the SOAP interpreter for execution; and

receiving the second value in response to execution of the first SOAP command.

12. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that cause the one or more machines to:

store at least one of the first and second values as a variable in the XML script.

13. The article of claim 11, wherein:

the XML script declares a variable; and

a value of the variable is passed as an argument to at least one of the first and second SOAP commands prior to execution thereof.

14. The article of claim 11, wherein the function comprises a conditional statement.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the conditional statement comprises an If-Then statement or an If-Then-Else statement.

16. The article of claim 11, wherein the function comprises a control statement that affects a sequence of execution of the XML script, the first SOAP command, and/or the second SOAP command.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the control statement comprises a loop.

18. The article of claim 11, wherein the function comprises an exception handler that affects a sequence of execution of the XML script, the first SOAP command, and/or the second SOAP command when an error condition exists.

19. The article of claim 11, wherein the function comprises a statement that controls relative or absolute time to execute the first and/or second SOAP commands.

20. The article of claim 11, wherein parsing is performed by an XML interpreter, the XML interpreter passing the first and second SOAP commands to the SOAP interpreter and the SOAP interpreter passing the first and second values, respectively, back to the XML interpreter.

21. A device for processing plural simple, object access protocol (SOAP) commands the apparatus comprising circuitry to:

output a single device-initiated query to a server;

receive eXtensible Markup Language (XML) script from the server in response to the single device-initiated query, the XML script containing the plural SOAP commands, the XML script defining a process for executing a first SOAP command, receiving a first value in response to execution of the first SOAP command, executing a second SOAP command, and receiving a second value in response to the second SOAP command; and

execute the process on the device without communicating with the server during execution of the process, wherein executing the process comprises;

interpreting the XML script to perform a function contained in the XML script;

parsing the first SOAP command from the XML script;

passing the first SOAP command to a SOAP interpreter for execution;

receiving the first value in response to execution of the first SOAP command;

parsing the second SOAP command from the XML script;

passing the second SOAP command to the SOAP interpreter for execution; and

receiving the second value in response to execution of the first SOAP command.

22. The device of claim 21, further comprising circuitry to:

store at least one of the first and second values as a variable in the XML script.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein:

the XML script declares a variable; and

a value of the variable is passed as an argument to at least one of the first and second SOAP commands prior to execution thereof.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the function comprises a conditional statement.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the conditional statement comprises an If-Then statement or an If-Then-Else statement.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein the function comprises a control statement that affects a sequence of execution of the XML script, the first SOAP command, and/or the second SOAP command.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the control statement comprises a loop.

28. The device of claim 21, wherein the function comprises an exception handler that affects a sequence of execution of the XML script, the first SOAP command, and/or the second SOAP command when an error condition exists.

29. The device of claim 21, wherein the function comprises a statement that controls relative or absolute time to execute the first and/or second SOAP commands.

30. The device of claim 21, wherein parsing is performed by an XML interpreter, the XML interpreter passing the first and second SOAP commands to the SOAP interpreter and the SOAP interpreter passing the first and second values, respectively, back to the XML interpreter.

31. The device of claim 21, wherein the circuitry comprises at least one of programmable logic, logic gates, a processor, and a memory.