Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-30
2001-04-24
Ho, Ruay Lian (Department: 2172)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223180
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the field of computer systems for developing business applications; and, in particular, it relates to a system and computer-implemented method for building and transforming legacy screens on a host application being executed on a host mainframe into software components useful in developing business-centric applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The software industry has seen great advances in distributed computing from both a client/server and software modeling perspective. The move towards network-centric computing, using the client/server architecture of the Internet, coupled with new software tools and component-based models, equip today's software developer with a distributed, object-oriented, infrastructure that affords ease of access and manipulation of business data.
In the early nineties, as client-server computing emerged; more advanced software solutions introduced more intelligent links among clients and servers. Although it represents an improvement over earlier models, client-server computing still suffers from a number of drawbacks. For example, since information carried between clients and servers is usually transmitted over a proprietary protocol, each user tends to implement a closed solution, i.e., a solution that works only for the product of that user.
In the current scenario, distributed component-based development and enabling solutions are changing the way information is discovered, built, managed and delivered. Organizations are investing in component-based technologies because they cannot afford to ignore the reductions in costs that the new technology offers. As a method for delivering information to large numbers of end-users, the iterative process of building and deploying components are appealing when compared with the alternative of configuring every end-user system with application-specific client applications.
A reduction in the overall costs is just one benefit. Other benefits include access to larger amounts of enterprise information for connecting the organization, delivering solutions and keeping pace with end-user demands, and being able to take advantage of ever changing technology more effectively. Effective business processes require information, and the objective for the Information System (IS) organizations is to ensure that the required information is available when it is needed.
An example of a prior art method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,149, entitled METHOD FOR GENERATING CODE FOR MODIFYING EXISTING EVENT ROUTINES FOR CONTROLS ON A FORM, by Eugene Mutschler, et al, and assigned to the assignee hereof. This patent teaches a method for converting existing forms of legacy programs into a more modern and widely-used format. The present invention on the other hand, discloses and claims an improvement over what is taught in this patent by rendering those legacy forms into object oriented data format for use in any distributed object oriented business process development framework.
The present invention re-uses existing business assets in new component-based paradigms. It employs a method that enhances the efficiency of the current technology and reduces its drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The method and system of the present invention solves the problems of the prior art by creating several components that are useful for transforming and re-using the assets of an enterprise application (specifically, 3GL screen based applications). The method of the present invention increases the efficiency of a computer system and development process by allowing the resulting component to be modeled in various modeling tools for the purpose of further analysis of the business and business-centric application development process.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for supporting component-based development.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for supporting the transformation of enterprise assets into components that can be accessed with the use of the new component model technologies.
Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a method that supports business-centric development by permitting inclusion of transformed components into modeling tools for further analysis and design.
A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of procedures that permit the selective transformation of enterprise assets.
Another feature of the present invention is the capability of allowing developers to control the automated component development process, thereby creating a component-based technology that caters to system needs while being open in nature, i.e. being adaptable to any distributed component based system.
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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Moore Jeffrey Allen
Seid Shelby Kiyee
Stefaniak Joseph Peter
Adornato Rocco L.
Ho Ruay Lian
Kozak Alfred W.
Starr Mark T.
Unisys Corp.
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