Extensible attributes model for business applications

• US 8,185,442 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kiran Vedula, Venkata Naga Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Will
• Assistant Examiner(s): PALAVECINO, KATHLEEN GAGE
• Application Number:
  US12/197,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

In a method for extension of an item attribute in a business application data model, a selection is received of an item of the business application data model to which an item attribute is being added. The item attribute is received, including receipt of relationship information which defines a location of the item attribute within a hierarchy of the business application data model. The item attribute is associated with the business application data model such that the item attribute is contextually included within a searchable ontology of the hierarchy in accordance with the relationship information.

Claims

1. A method for extension of a business application data model stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, said method comprising:

receiving via a user interface, a selection of an item in a hierarchy of said business application data model;

receiving a new attribute of said item;

a computer system associating a new attribute identifier of said new attribute with said item;

at least one processor in the computer system incorporating into said business application data model a user provided name of the new attribute in association with the new attribute identifier such that said new attribute is included within a searchable ontology of said hierarchy, wherein the user provided name is received in response to a prompt to provide said name;

associating a user provided meta attribute with the new attribute identifier, wherein the user provided meta attribute is received in response to another prompt to provide said meta attribute;

determining whether a data value received as input for the new attribute of the item is valid, at least by validating the data value in accordance with an inherited meta attribute and by validating the data value in accordance with the user provided meta attribute;

wherein the inherited meta attribute for the new attribute identifier is determined automatically from a mandatory meta attribute of a progenitor of said item in said hierarchy; and

storing the data value in the business application data model when the data value is determined to be valid.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing said new attribute of said business application data model;

examining said hierarchy with which said new attribute is associated with in said business application data model; and

retrieving said mandatory meta attribute from said progenitor in said business application data model.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a destination location to which the item is to be moved within said hierarchy of said business application data model;

determining that a present item attribute of said item at an initial location in said hierarchy is common with the new attribute to be associated with said item at said destination location;

transferring a common item attribute from said initial location to said destination location; and

transferring an extended item attribute from said initial location to said destination location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the selection of the item is received through a drop down menu.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said item is associated with a sequence of attributes in addition to said new attribute.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said user provided meta attribute comprises, as a maximum for said data value, another value of another attribute of said item.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, said method comprising:

receiving via a user interface, a selection of an item in a hierarchy of a business application data model;

receiving a new attribute of said item;

associating a new attribute identifier of said new attribute with said item;

incorporating into said business application data model a user provided name of the new attribute in association with the new attribute identifier such that said new attribute is included within a searchable ontology of said hierarchy, wherein the user provided name is received in response to a prompt to provide said name;

wherein the user provided name is received in response to a prompt to provide said name;

associating a user provided meta attribute with the new attribute identifier, wherein the user provided meta attribute is received in response to another prompt to provide said meta attribute;

determining whether a data value received as input for the new attribute of the item is valid, at least by validating the data value in accordance with an inherited meta attribute and by validating the data value in accordance with the user provided meta attribute;

wherein the inherited meta attribute for the new attribute identifier is determined automatically from a mandatory meta attribute of a progenitor of said item in said hierarchy;

storing the data value in the business application data model when the value is determined to be valid.

8. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein said method further comprises:

determining that a present attribute of said item at an initial location in said hierarchy is common with said new attribute to be associated with said item at a destination location in said hierarchy; and

refusing to transfer a non-common attribute from said initial location to said destination location.

9. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein said method further comprises:

determining that a present attribute of said item at an initial location in said hierarchy is common with said new attribute to be associated with said item at a destination location in said hierarchy;

moving the present attribute to said destination location; and

adding a non-common destination attribute to said item after said present attribute is moved to said destination location.

10. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein said method further comprises:

determining that a present item attribute of said item at an initial location in said hierarchy is common with said new attribute to be associated with said item at a destination location in said hierarchy;

accessing any present item attributes associated with said item at said initial location;

accessing any new attributes to be associated with said item at said destination location; and

comparing said present item attributes with said new attributes to determine if a commonality exists.

11. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein said accessing any present item attributes comprises:

accessing said hierarchy associated with said item at said initial location to determine inherited present item attributes of said item; and

accessing any extended present item attributes added to said item at said initial location.

12. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein said accessing any new attributes to be associated with said item at said destination location comprises:

accessing a new hierarchy to be associated with said item at said destination location to determine inherited new attributes to be associated with said item at said destination location.

13. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein said method further comprises:

determining that a present attribute of said item at an initial location in said hierarchy is common with said new attribute to be associated with said item at a destination location in said hierarchy; and

transferring a value associated with said present attribute to the destination location.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the method further comprising:

receiving a destination location to which the item is to be moved within said hierarchy of said business application data model;

determining that a present attribute of said item at an initial location in said hierarchy is common with the new attribute to be associated with said item at said destination location;

transferring a common item attribute from said initial location to said destination location; and

transferring an extended item attribute from said initial location to said destination location.

15. A computer system comprising:

means for receiving via a user interface, a selection of an item in a hierarchy in a business application data model stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media;

means for receiving a new attribute of said item;

means for associating a new attribute identifier of said new attribute with said item;

means for incorporating into said business application data model a user provided name of the new attribute in association with the new attribute identifier such that said new attribute is included within a searchable ontology of said hierarchy, wherein the user provided name is received by means for prompting to provide said name;

means for associating a user provided meta attribute with the new attribute identifier, wherein the user provided meta attribute is received in response to another prompt to provide said meta attribute;

means for determining whether a data value received as input for the new attribute of the item is valid, at least by validating the data value in accordance with an inherited meta attribute and by validating the data value in accordance with the user provided meta attribute;

wherein the inherited meta attribute for the new attribute identifier is determined automatically by said means for determining from a mandatory meta attribute of a progenitor of said item in said hierarchy in said business application data model stored in said one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media;

means for storing the data value in the business application data model when the data value is determined to be valid by said means for determining; and

means for searching for the user provided name in said searchable ontology to find the data value.