Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Utility Patent
1998-09-17
2001-01-02
Hafiz, Tariq R. (Department: 2762)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C717S152000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C709S213000, C709S246000, C709S241000
Utility Patent
active
06170081
ABSTRACT:
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
A microfiche Appendix illustrating the code for one embodiment of the present invention (comprising fourteen frames) is included in the U.S. Patent Office files relating to this invention.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This patent document relates to the following co-pending applications, assigned to the same assignee hereof, which are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Ser. No. 09/154,613, entitled A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MONITORING AND CAPTURING ALL FILE USAGE OF A SOFTWARE TOOL;
U.S. Ser. No. 09/156,028, entitled A SOFTWARE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK;
U.S. Ser. No. 09/156,027, entitled A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AND TRACKING CLIENT ACCESS TO SERVER SOFTWARE; and,
U.S. Ser. No. 09/156,026, entitled A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR BUILDING COMPONENTS IN A FRAMEWORK USEFUL IN DEVELOPING INTEGRATED BUSINESS-CENTRIC APPLICATIONS.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a method and system for integrating various software tools for a development framework, and more particularly to a method and system for surrounding and adapting a software development tool in order to generate different interfaces for such tool.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Current technology does not adequately address the needs for adapting various software development tools for use in a single development process or the needs for rendering a software development tool in usable form in heterogeneous development processes. Although a tool can be used for a particular software development activity it is generally not adaptable for use in another software development activity in a heterogeneous development environment. Similarly, this lack of adaptability prevents the use of a multiplicity of tools for the same software development activity.
A further shortcoming of the current technology is that tools are usually inextricably linked to specific middleware, requiring a pairing of a specific tool with a specific middleware, when creating business applications. As an example of this shortcoming, if one tool is used to develop the business process model, one might be bound in the selection of the same tool to create the application source code for the model. The lack of tool independence is mainly due to the inability to exchange information between tools and interface the tool to that particular application.
The term “tool” as used herein shall mean anything that helps accomplish a process, such as a component development that assists in the development of software applications. The term “wrapper” as used herein shall mean software code that surrounds and adapts a component or asset and provides it with different interfaces. Hence, the term “tool wrapper” as used herein shall mean software code that surrounds and adapts a tool and assists in the development of software applications, which code provides a different interface than the tool had originally.
Another shortcoming of the prior art is the inability to add a tool to a framework (e.g., a program or a Web page) such that its usage pattern is transparent to the native system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method and system that facilitates use of a software tool in heterogeneous environments and application categories in a software development framework, which has a storage device. First, a context object is created for storing all intermediate information generated while the tool is being used. Next, the specific environment in which the tool is going to be used is identified information about the environment is stored in the context object. The specific tasks the tool typically performs are identified and searched for any previously accomplished tasks in the framework. The results of the search are stored in the context object. Information needed for the tool to operate is retrieved from the repository and the information is supplied as input files to the tool. The tool is run with the input files and the output derived is stored as a result of running the tool. The context object is updated by analyzing the output derived from the tool. Then, the analyzed output of the operation performed by the tool is stored in the repository for the environment.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and system that allows a user to develop business process applications with the use of heterogeneous tools.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system that allows use of a software development tool in heterogeneous applications and environments.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system that overcomes the prior art limitations of integrating only those tools from the same vendor, or the lack of functional scope for integrating newly developed tools, or the lack of tool interoperability.
Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a method and system that allows one to take existing software tools from a variety of vendors and to integrate them into a coherent development framework in lieu of developing new tools.
An advantage of interfacing tools using the method and system of the present invention is that a standard interface for a tool can be invoked by other components of the framework without their knowledge of which tool is actually being invoked.
A feature of the method and system of the present invention is that all tools under a particular category of application development or maintenance appear exactly the same to the framework.
Another feature of the method and system of the present invention is that a new tool may be added transparently to the framework.
Still other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein is shown and described only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive, and what is intended to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims. The present invention will become apparent when taken in conjunction with the following description and attached drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts, and which drawings form a part of this application.
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M2 Presswire, “IBM: New standard will make Web-based programming more consistent”, Jun. 12, 1998, 3 pages.*
Fontana James Albert
Pitchford Anthony Reginald
Smith Christopher Eyre
Tadman Mark Jeffrey
Adornato Rocco L.
Dam Tuan Q.
Hafiz Tariq R.
Richebourg J. Ronald
Starr Mark T.
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