Extensibility of metaobjects

• US 8,694,557 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2010
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Thimmel, Bernhard, Polly, Adam, Schlarb, Uwe, Baeuerle, Stefan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, CAM Y T
• Application Number:
  US12/829,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 707/803, 707/809
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system may include acquisition of metadata defining a first object model including extensible entities, the first object model comprising an instance of a metaobject, acquisition of metadata defining an extension object model, the extension object model to extend at least one of the extensible entities of the first object model, and merging of the object model and the extension object to create metadata defining an extended object model, the extended object model comprising an instance of the metaobject.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computer in response to execution of program code by a processor of said computer, comprising:

acquiring metadata defining a first object model including extensible entities, the first object model comprising an instance of a metaobject;

acquiring metadata defining an extension object model, the extension object model to extend at least one of the extensible entities of the first object model;

merging the first object model and the extension object model to create metadata defining an extended object model, the extended object model comprising an instance of the metaobject, the merging including identifying a node of the extension object model pointing to a node of the first object, adding the node to the first object model when the node of the extension object model is not an addressing node, and not adding the node to the first object model when the node of the extension object model is an addressing node;

receiving a request for data associated with an instance of the first object model; and

retrieving data associated with the instance of the first object model based on the metadata defining the extension object model, wherein the extension object model comprises an instance of the metaobject.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a namespace of the added node is different from a namespace of the node of the first object model.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code stored thereon, the program code comprising:

code to acquire metadata defining a first object model including extensible entities, the first object model comprising an instance of a metaobject;

code to acquire metadata defining an extension object model, the extension object model to extend at least one of the extensible entities of the first object;

code to merge the first object model and the extension object to create metadata defining an extended object model, the extended object model comprising an instance of the metaobject, the merge code including code to identify a node of the extension object model pointing to a node of the first object, code to add the node to the first object model when the node of the extension object model is not an addressing node, and not add the node to the first object model when the node of the extension object model is an addressing node;

code to receive a request for data associated with an instance of the first obiect model; and

code to retrieve data associated with the instance of the first object model based on the metadata defining the extension object model, wherein the extension object model comprises an instance of the metaobject.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 3, wherein a namespace of the added node is different from a namespace of the node of the first object model.

5. A computer-implemented metadata repository comprising:

at least one storage device storing;

first metadata defining a first object model including extensible entities, the first object model comprising an instance of a metaobject;

second metadata defining an extension object model, the extension object model to extend at least one of the extensible entities of the first object model; and

executable program code of a service to merge the first object model and the extension object model to create metadata defining an extended object model, the extended object model comprising an instance of the metaobject, the merge including identification of a node of the extension object model pointing to a node of the first object, addition of the node to the first object model when the node of the extension object model is not an addressing node, and not add the node to the first object model when the node of the extension object model is an addressing node;

the executable program code of the service further to receive a request for data associated with an instance of the first object model, and to retrieve data associated with the instance of the first object model based on the metadata defining the extension object model, wherein the extension object model comprises an instance of the metaobject; and

a processor to execute the executable program code.

6. The computer-implemented metadata repository according to claim 5, wherein a namespace of the added node is different from a namespace of the node of the first object model.