Patent Application
20050273441
Computer systems are important tools used by various people in many different ways. Computer applications are executed on the computer systems. These computer applications are software programs, typically written by application developers, compiled into object code, and then stored on the various computer systems for operation. The creation and use of computer applications is a well-known aspect of computer technology in general.
When creating a computer application, the developer typically chooses a particular environment or platform on which the application will ultimately be executed. For example, when writing an application, the developer will choose the Microsoft Windows® platform, the Linux platform, or some other platform. As a result of this choice, the program developer may have different options available for writing the application.
Accordingly, various applications running on various systems manipulate information in response to user input and save the resulting data as files. The data that is saved in the files is often saved in such a way that the data can only be used by the application that produced file and such a way that the data is only usable on the type of platform in which the data was created. However, the data may also be useful in the context of application that are different from the application that was used to author the data, and the data might likewise be useful in other platforms that are different from the platform that was used to author the data.
In accordance with the present invention, data can be saved in files such that other programs can use and display the data, even when the other programs are run on platforms other than platform that was used to author the data.
The present invention is directed towards xParts, which are schematized data wrappers. xParts provides a means by which a suite of office applications can share data amongst themselves and other application as well. Data from an arbitrary resource is selected and is associated with a schema. A schema is used to define the data type of the data, which facilitates representing the data. A unique identifier is associated with the data from the arbitrary resource, which allows a user to provide a context in which the data is to be displayed. The data is displayed in accordance with definitions provided by the schema.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method for wrapping data comprises determining a data signal from an arbitrary data source. A primary schema is provided for determining parameters that are associated with the data signal. A unique identifier is provided that is associated with the data signal from an arbitrary resource. The data signal is dynamically represented in accordance with the determined parameters within a view that is used to convey the data signal to a user.
According to another aspect of the invention, a computer readable medium for wrapping data comprises instructions for determining a data signal from an arbitrary data source. A primary schema is provided for determining parameters that are associated with the data signal. A unique identifier is provided that is associated with the data signal from an arbitrary resource. The data signal is dynamically represented in accordance with the determined parameters within a view that is used to convey the data signal to a user.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a system for wrapping data comprises means for determining a data signal from an arbitrary data source. A primary schema is provided for determining parameters that are associated with the data signal. A unique identifier is provided that is associated with the data signal from an arbitrary resource. The data signal is dynamically represented in accordance with the determined parameters within a view that is used to convey the data signal to a user.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a data structure comprises an xPart that is associated with a schema and that is configured to determine a data source for supplying data into an application edit surface, and an xPart reference element that is configured to identify entry points into the strongly typed document for representing views on data from the data source that is determined by the xPart.
Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terminology and interface specifications used herein are not intended to represent a particular language in which a particular object or method should be written. Rather, the terminology and interface specifications are used to describe the functionality and contents of an interface or object, such as function names, inputs, outputs, return values, and what operations are to be performed using the interface (or what operations are to be performed by the object).
Illustrative Operating Environment
With reference to
Computing device 100 may have additional features or functionality. For example, computing device 100 may also include additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in
Computing device 100 may also contain communication connections 116 that allow the device to communicate with other computing devices 118, such as over a network. Communication connection 116 is one example of communication media. Communication media may typically be embodied by computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. The term computer readable media as used herein includes both storage media and communication media.
Information Integration (xParts)
The present invention is directed towards xParts, which facilitate information exchange from complex data sources. xParts provide a platform-and document type-independent way of sharing information between documents with a minimum of manual intervention by a user. For example, a developer can insert and retrieve strongly typed data (such as XML data for which a schema is known) for any type of document with a single set of code.
Conventional methods of sharing data between documents often requires manual intervention to bring information from a first document of a first type (such as Excel) to a second document of a second type (such as PowerPoint). This method is error prone, and typically requires manual intervention (such as a cut-and-paste) each time the information is to be repurposed, stored, or published in the second document.
In accordance with the present invention, a view of the complex data source can be instantiated in the second document as a live query against the complex data source. For example, a rich business information view can be pasted into a PowerPoint deck such that whenever the PowerPoint deck is viewed, a chart or pivot created inside Excel as a business information engine is produced by contemporaneously evaluating the data from the complex data source.
Screen 200 further comprises visualizations 230 and 240 of xparts. The xParts can be selected and “dragged” from a complex data source (such as xPart data source 250) to view 210, thereby inserting xParts into the view. xPart Data Source 250 comprises, for example, a library of contract clauses for which xParts have been provided. The visualizations of contract clauses (e.g., clause 260) are shown in the view of xPart Data Source 250. Selecting and dragging the visualization of a contract clause causes the xPart that produces the visualization to be inserted, for example, into the file containing the electronic information being edited.
xParts are typically pure data entities that are associated with a predefined schema. A portion of the predefined schema is designed to allow housing of arbitrary data content, as well as xPart-related information. An xPart represents a fragment or another data source for supplying data into an application edit surface. xPartReference elements are used to identify entry points into a document for views on the xPart data.
Schema library 430 provides schema to which all xParts conform. The provided schema defines a namespace for defining the xParts. However, any xPart can be extended with additional schema information to form uniquely identifiable entities, which can be purposed for a specific data representation task. Additionally, fragment library 440 may be provided for the convenience for grouping related xPart data in a library for convenient use. Accordingly, fragment library 440 is optional, and may be combined in part, or in whole, with schema library 440.
Document 500 also comprises application data, which further comprises xPart references. XPart references contain references to a valid xPart that supplies data into the reference (and ultimately into the user view of the strongly typed document being edited). Document 500 further comprises user data, which encapsulates the xParts themselves. The xParts are typically pure data entities that have been defined by the predefined schema.
Listing 600 further comprises user data section 640. User data section 640 comprises xParts, such as xPart 650. xPart 650 comprises a unique identifier for identifying the xPart reference to which it is associated. For example, xPart 650 comprises the unique identifier “707” for referring to the associated xPart reference within application data section 620. XPart 650 also comprises a link to information that is to be visualized and ultimately represented in the user view. (The representation can involve video and/or audio data.)
In block 720 a schema is provided for determining data signal parameters. The schema can be selected from a schema library (and/or a fragment library), such that the selected schema defines the data type of the data signal. The schema may also define “visualization” routines for displaying (or otherwise conveying, including in audio format) data from the data signal.
In block 730 a unique identifier is associated with the data signal. The unique identifier allows a user to provide user-supplied context information for the data signal. The user-supplied data can be entered, for example, a keyboard, mouse activities, voice-recognition, and the like.
In block 740 the data signal is dynamically represented in accordance with the defined parameters. Associated visualization routines can be used to display (or otherwise convey) the data signal in concert with the user-supplied context information.
Strongly Typed Document Schema
The following is a listing illustrating an example of a schema for practicing the present invention.
xPart references contains a reference to a valid xPart that supplies data into the reference and therefore into the application edit surface
The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.
