Methods, systems, and computer program products for automatic parsing of markup language documents

• US 8,589,788 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bostian, Joseph A., Larsson, Christopher B.
• Primary Examiner(s): STORK, KYLE R
• Application Number:
  US11/959,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,162 Days
• Field of Search: 715/209, 715/234, 715/239, 715/243, 715/254, 715/255
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for automatic parsing of a markup language (ML) document are provided. The method includes receiving a request from an ML producer to write an ML document including ML data in a text format. The method also includes passing the ML data in the text format to an ML parser, where the ML parser translates the ML data in the text format into a parsed binary format. The method additionally includes writing the ML data in the text format as a text format ML document to a data storage device, and writing the ML data in the parsed binary format as a parsed binary format ML document to the data storage device.

Claims

1. A method for automatic parsing of a markup language (ML) document, comprising:

receiving a request from an ML producer to write an ML document including ML data in a text format at an ML file manager;

passing the ML data in the text format from the ML file manager to an ML parser, wherein the ML parser translates the ML data in the text format into a parsed binary format;

writing the ML data in the text format as a text format ML document to a data storage device by the ML file manager;

receiving the ML data in the parsed binary format at the ML file manager from the ML parser; and

writing the ML data in the parsed binary format as a parsed binary format ML document to the data storage device by the ML file manager;

wherein the ML data in the text format and the ML data in the parsed binary format are stored in a single multi-format data object on the data storage device comprising a one-to-one relationship between the ML data of the ML document in the text format and the ML data of the ML document in the parsed binary format, read and write operations are performed on both the text format and the parsed binary format by accessing the single multi-format data object, and additional ML documents are managed by the ML file manager as separate multi-format data objects each comprising text format and parsed binary format ML data in the one-to-one relationship per object.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the request to write the ML document is received via a file system as an option passed with a file open command.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the request to write the ML document is interpreted by a file system as a function of a file extension of the ML document.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request from an ML consumer to read the ML document;

reading the ML data in the parsed binary format from the parsed binary format ML document; and

returning the ML data in the parsed binary format to the ML consumer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the request to read the ML document is received via a file system as an option passed with a file open command.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is accessible as an application program interface (API) service, relieving an ML consumer from directly initiating the ML parser on each ML document read request.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving statistics of the ML document at the ML file manager generated by the ML parser, the statistics summarizing information in the ML document help within the single multi-format data object and describing characteristics of parsing operations performed by the ML parser; and

storing the statistics as metadata in the single multi-format data object, wherein an access request for information held in the ML document returns the information from the ML data in the parsed binary format and the metadata is returned based on a request for the metadata.

8. A system for automatic parsing of a markup language (ML) document, comprising:

a host system in communication with a data storage device; and

an ML file manager executing upon the host system, the ML file manager performing;

receiving a request from an ML producer to write an ML document including ML data in a text format at the ML file manager;

passing the ML data in the text format from the ML file manager to an ML parser, wherein the ML parser translates the ML data in the text format into a parsed binary format;

writing the ML data in the text format as a text format ML document to the data storage device by the ML file manager;

receiving the ML data in the parsed binary format at the ML file manager from the ML parser; and

writing the ML data in the parsed binary format as a parsed binary format ML document to the data storage device by the ML file manager;

wherein the ML data in the text format and the ML data in the parsed binary format are stored in a single multi-format data object on the data storage device comprising a one-to-one relationship between the ML data of the ML document in the text format and the ML data of the ML document in the parsed binary format, read and write operations are performed on both the text format and the parsed binary format by accessing the single multi-format data object, and additional ML documents are managed by the ML file manager as separate multi-format data objects each comprising text format and parsed binary format ML data in the one-to-one relationship per object.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the request to write the ML document is received via the ML file manager as an option passed with a file open command.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the request to write the ML document is interpreted by the ML file manager as a function of a file extension of the ML document.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the ML file manager further performs:

receiving a request from an ML consumer to read the ML document;

reading the ML data in the parsed binary format from the parsed binary format ML document; and

returning the ML data in the parsed binary format to the ML consumer.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the request to read the ML document is received via the ML file manager as an option passed with a file open command.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the ML file manager is integrated in a file system as an application program interface (API) service, relieving higher-level applications from directly initiating the ML parser on each ML document read request.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the ML file manager further performs:

receiving statistics of the ML document at the ML file manager generated by the ML parser, the statistics summarizing information in the ML document held within the single multi-format data object and describing characteristics of parsing operations performed by the ML parser; and

storing the statistics as metadata in the single multi-format data object, wherein an access request for information held in the ML document returns the information from the ML data in the parsed binary format add the metadata is returned based on a request for the metadata.

15. A computer program product for automatic parsing of a markup language (ML) document, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for implementing a method, the method comprising;

receiving a request from an ML producer to write an ML document including ML data in a text format at an ML manager;

passing the ML data in the text format from the ML file manager to an ML parser, wherein the ML parser translates the ML data in the text format into a parsed binary format;

writing the ML data in the text format as a text format ML document to a data storage device by the ML file manager;

receiving the ML data in the parsed binary format at the ML file manager from the ML parser; and

writing the ML data in the parsed binary format as a parsed binary format ML document to the data storage device by the ML file manager;

wherein the ML data in the text format and the ML data in the parsed binary format are stored in a single multi-format data object on the data storage device comprising a one-to-one relationship between the ML data of the ML document in the text format and the ML data of the ML document in the parsed binary format, read and write operations are performed on both the text format and the parsed binary format by accessing the single multi-format data object, and additional ML documents are managed by the ML file manager as separate multi-format data objects each comprising text format and parsed binary format ML data in the one-to-one relationship per object.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the request to write the ML document is received via a file system as an option passed with a file open command.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the request to write the ML document is interpreted by a file system as a function of a file extension of the ML document.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a request from an ML consumer to read the ML document;

reading the ML data in the parsed binary format from the parsed binary format ML document; and

returning the ML data in the parsed binary format to the ML consumer.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the request to read the ML document is received via a file system as an option passed with a file open command.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving statistics of the ML document at the ML file manager generated by the ML parser, the statistics summarizing information in the ML document held within the single multi-format data object and describing characteristics of parsing operations performed by the ML parser; and

storing the statistics as metadata in the single multi-format data object, wherein and access request for information held in the ML document returns the information form the ML data in the parsed binary format and the metadata is returned based on a request for the metadata.