Claims
- 1. A method for creating an electronic communication, comprising executing the following operations in at least one data processing device:
first retrieving data from at least one type of data source into a first electronic format using at least one first annotated schema; second retrieving data from the first electronic format into a second electronic format using at least one second annotated schema.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic format comprises at least one XML document.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic format comprises at least one value pair.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second retrieving are done using a same type of software engine applied first to the at least one type of data source and then to the first electronic format.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second electronic format belongs to the category of XML/EDI electronic document specification languages.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first annotated schema comprises at least one first annotated DTD and the second annotated schema comprises at least one second annotated DTD.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one second annotated schema comprises
a single DTD for all possible document types within a single industrial electronic document specification language; and annotations for retrieving specifications for a desired document type from the first electronic format.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second retrieving are done using a same type of software engine applied first to the at least one type of data source and then to the first electronic format.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one type of data source comprises heterogeneous data bases.
- 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a GUI tool to create internal representations relating the second format to the at least one type of data source.
- 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the GUI tool can systematically organize a template from combining and merging multiple tables.
- 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the GUI tool can accept single annotations for certain repeatable constructs in the template, and can also replicate the repeatable constructs a fixed number of times for customized annotation.
- 13. At least one data processing device comprising:
at least one memory for storing code and data; at least one processor for performing the following operations using the least one memory
first retrieving data from at least one type of data source into a first electronic format using at least one first annotated schema; second retrieving data from the first electronic format into a second electronic format using at least one second annotated schema; and creating an electronic communication based on the at least one second annotated schema.
- 14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first electronic format comprises at least one XML document.
- 15. The device of claim 13, wherein the first electronic format comprises at least one value pair.
- 16. The device of claim 13, wherein the first and second retrieving are done using a same type of software engine applied first to the at least one type of data source and then to the first electronic format.
- 17. The device of claim 13, wherein the second electronic format belongs to the category of XML/EDI electronic document specification languages.
- 18. The device of claim 13, wherein the first annotated schema comprises at least one first annotated DTD and the second annotated schema comprises at least one second annotated DTD.
- 19. The device of claim 18, wherein the at least one second annotated schema comprises
a single DTD for all possible document types within a single industrial electronic document specification language; and annotations for retrieving specifications for a desired document type from the first electronic format.
- 20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first and second retrieving are done using a same type of software engine applied first to the data sources and then to the first electronic format.
- 21. The device of claim 13, wherein the at least one type of data source comprises heterogenous relational databases.
- 22. The device of claim 13, further comprising using a GUI tool to create internal representations relating the second format to the at least one type of data source.
- 23. The device of claim 22, wherein the GUI tool can systematically organize a template from combining and merging multiple tables.
- 24. The device of claim 22, wherein the GUI tool can accept single annotations for certain repeatable constructs in the template, and can also replicate the repeatable constructs a fixed number of times for customized annotation.
- 25. A medium readable by a data processing device and embodying code for performing the following operations:
first retrieving data from at least one type of data source into a first electronic format using at least one first annotated schema; second retrieving data from the first electronic format into a second electronic format using at least one second annotated schema; and creating an electronic communication based on the at least one second annotated schema.
- 26. The medium of claim 25, wherein the first electronic format comprises at least one XML document.
- 27. The medium of claim 25, wherein the first electronic format comprises at least one value pair.
- 28. The medium of claim 25, wherein the first and second retrieving are done using a same type of software engine applied first to the at least one type of data source and then to the first electronic format.
- 29. The medium of claim 25, wherein the second electronic format belongs to the category of XML/EDI electronic document specification languages.
- 30. The medium of claim 25, wherein the first annotated schema comprises at least one first annotated DTD and the second annotated schema comprises at least one second annotated DTD.
- 31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the at least one second annotated schema comprises
a single DTD for all possible document types within a single industrial electronic document specification language; and annotations for retrieving specifications for a desired document type from the first electronic format.
- 32. The medium of claim 31, wherein the first and second retrieving are done using a same type of software engine applied first to the at least one type of data source and then to the first electronic format.
- 33. The medium of claim 25, wherein the at least one type of data source comprises heterogenous relational databases.
- 34. The medium of claim 25, further comprising using a GUI tool to create internal representations relating the second format to the at least one type of data source.
- 35. The medium of claim 34, wherein the GUI tool can systematically organize a template from combining and merging multiple tables.
- 36. The medium of claim 34, wherein the GUI tool can accept single annotations for certain repeatable constructs in the template, and can also replicate the repeatable constructs a fixed number of times for customized annotation.
- 37. At least one medium embodying code readable by at least one data processing device, the code comprising
a universal schema adapted to create all possible document types suitable for use with a single electronic document specification language; annotations adapted to guide retrieval of data from at least one type of data source to specify a particular output document in accordance with the universal schema.
- 38. The medium of claim 37, wherein the single electronic document specification language is of the XML/EDI family.
- 39. The medium of claim 37, wherein the universal schema is a DTD.
- 40. The medium of claim 37, wherein the universal DTD is annotated with recursive constructs.
- 41. The medium of claim 37, wherein the universal DTD attaches unique labels to corresponding intermediate XML document or value pairs.
- 42. A method for depositing data into at least one type of data source, the method comprising executing the following operations in a digital data processing device:
receiving a specification for deposit; processing the specification in accordance with an annotated schema; and responsive to the processing, depositing data in at least one type of data source in accordance with a local format of that source.
- 43. The method of claim 42, wherein the annotated schema comprises an annotated DTD.
- 44. The method of claim 42, wherein the specification for deposit comprises an XML document.
- 45. The method of claim 42, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the annotated schema is reversible in view of the specification for deposit.
- 46. The method of claim 45, wherein the operations further comprise, responsive to a determination that the annotated schema is not so reversible, creating a revised annotated schema that is reversible, so that the data is depositable in accordance with the revised annotated schema.
- 47. The method of claim 46, wherein
the annotated schema and the revised annotated schema each comprise a respective DTD; the operations further comprise developing a revised XML document for display to the user responsive to the revised annotated schema; and depositing the data in accordance with annotations of the revised annotated schema.
- 48. The method of claim 42, wherein the operations further comprise propagating the deposit to a join union of the specification.
- 49. The method of claim 42, wherein the processing comprises
first processing the specification in accordance with a universal annotated schema adapted to all document types supported by a given industrial electronic document specification language, in order to convert the specification in to a first local format; and second processing the first local format in accordance with a local annotated schema to convert the first local format to a second local format.
- 50. The method of claim 49, wherein
the universal annotated schema comprises a universal annotated DTD; the first local format comprises an XML document or at least one value pair; the local annotated schema comprises a local annotated DTD or local annotated table; and the second local format comprises multiple relational databases.
- 51. The method of claim 42, wherein
the operations further comprise
determining whether the annotated schema is reversible in view of the specification for deposit; responsive to a determination that the annotated schema is not so reversible, creating a revised annotated schema according to which the specification for deposit is reversible; the processing includes
first processing the specification in accordance with a universal annotated schema adapted to all document types supported by a given industrial electronic document specification language, in order to convert the specification into a first local format; and second processing the first local format in accordance with the revised annotated schema to convert the first local format to a second local format; depositing includes propagating the deposit to a join union of the specification.
- 52. The method of claim 51, wherein
the universal annotated schema comprises a universal annotated DTD; the first local format comprises an XML document or at least one value pair; the local annotated schema comprises a local annotated DTD or local annotated table; and the second local format comprises multiple relational databases.
- 53. At least one data processing device comprising:
at least one memory for storing data and code; at least one processor adapted to perform the following operations in conjunction with the at least one memory:
receiving a specification for deposit; processing the specification in accordance with an annotated schema; and responsive to the processing, depositing data in at least one type of data source in accordance with a local format of that source.
- 54. The device of claim 53, wherein the annotated schema comprises an annotated DTD.
- 55. The device of claim 53, wherein the specification for deposit comprises an XML document.
- 56. The device of claim 53, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the annotated schema is reversible in view of the specification for deposit.
- 57. The device of claim 56, wherein the operations further comprise, responsive to a determination that the annotated schema is not so reversible, creating a revised annotated schema that is reversible, so that the data is depositable in accordance with the revised annotated schema.
- 58. The device of claim 57, wherein
the annotated schema and the revised annotated schema each comprise a respective DTD; the operations further comprise
developing a revised XML document for display to the user responsive to the revised annotated schema; and depositing the data in accordance with annotations of the revised annotated schema.
- 59. The device of claim 53, wherein the operations further comprise propagating the deposit to a join union of the specification.
- 60. The device of claim 53, wherein the processing comprises
first processing the specification in accordance with a universal annotated schema adapted to all document types supported by a given industrial electronic document specification language, in order to convert the specification in to a first local format; and second processing the first local format in accordance with a local annotated schema to convert the first local format to a second local format.
- 61. The device of claim 60, wherein
the universal annotated schema comprises a universal annotated DTD; the first local format comprises an XML document or at least one value pair; the local annotated schema comprises a local annotated DTD or local annotated table; and the second local format comprises multiple relational databases.
- 62. The device of claim 53, wherein
the operations further comprise
determining whether the annotated schema is reversible in view of the specification for deposit; responsive to a determination that the annotated schema is not so reversible, creating a revised annotated schema according to which the specification for deposit is reversible; the processing includes
first processing the specification in accordance with a universal annotated schema adapted to all document types supported by a given industrial electronic document specification language, in order to convert the specification into a first local format; and second processing the first local format in accordance with the revised annotated schema to convert the first local format to a second local format; depositing includes propagating the deposit to a join union of the specification.
- 63. The device of claim 62, wherein
the universal annotated schema comprises a universal annotated DTD; the first local format comprises an XML document or at least one value pair; the local annotated schema comprises a local annotated DTD or local annotated table; and the second local format comprises multiple relational databases.
- 64. A medium, readable by at least one data processing device embodying code for performing the following operations:
receiving a specification for deposit; processing the specification in accordance with an annotated schema; and responsive to the processing, depositing data in heterogeneous data sources in accordance with a local format of that source.
- 65. The medium of claim 64, wherein the annotated schema comprises an annotated DTD.
- 66. The medium of claim 64, wherein the specification for deposit comprises an XML document.
- 67. The medium of claim 64, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the annotated schema is reversible in view of the specification for deposit.
- 68. The medium of claim 64, wherein the operations further comprise, responsive to a determination that the annotated schema is not so reversible, creating a revised annotated schema that is reversible, so that the data is depositable in accordance with the revised annotated schema.
- 69. The medium of claim 68, wherein
the annotated schema and the revised annotated schema each comprise a respective DTD; the operations further comprise
developing a revised XML document for display to the user responsive to the revised annotated schema; and depositing the data in accordance with annotations of the revised annotated schema.
- 70. The medium of claim 64, wherein the operations further comprise propagating the deposit to a join union of the specification.
- 71. The medium of claim 64, wherein the processing comprises
first processing the specification in accordance with a universal annotated schema adapted to all document types supported by a given industrial electronic document specification language, in order to convert the specification in to a first local format; and second processing the first local format in accordance with a local annotated schema to convert the first local format to a second local format.
- 72. The medium of claim 71, wherein
the universal annotated schema comprises a universal annotated DTD; the first local format comprises an XML document or at least one value pair; the local annotated schema comprises a local annotated DTD or local annotated table; and the second local format comprises multiple relational databases.
- 73. The device of claim 64, wherein
the operations further comprise
determining whether the annotated schema is reversible in view of the specification for deposit; responsive to a determination that the annotated schema is not so reversible, creating a revised annotated schema according to which the specification for deposit is reversible; the processing includes
first processing the specification in accordance with a universal annotated schema adapted to all document types supported by a given industrial electronic document specification language, in order to convert the specification into a first local format; and second processing the first local format in accordance with the revised annotated schema to convert the first local format to a second local format; depositing includes propagating the deposit to a join union of the specification.
- 74. The device of claim 73, wherein
the universal annotated schema comprises a universal annotated DTD; the first local format comprises an XML document or at least one value pair; the local annotated schema comprises a local annotated DTD or local annotated table; and the second local format comprises multiple relational databases.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is related to the following other applications, both of which are incorporated herein by reference:
[0002] U.S. application Ser. No. 09/466,627 filed Dec. 17, 1999 (YOR9-1999-0429); and
[0003] U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/689,377 filed Oct. 12, 2000 (YOR9-2000-0449).