Patent ID: 8438534
Filing Date: 2013-05-07
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of creating computer instructions for transforming inbound instances, being instances of an inbound data format, into outbound instances, being instances of an outbound data format, at least one of the inbound and outbound data formats having a number of segments arranged in a hierarchical manner, the method using a computing device having at least a processor, a memory, a display device and an input device, and the method comprising: allowing a developer to use said input device to create a graphical representation of said inbound data format on said display device; allowing the developer to use said input device to create a graphical representation of said outbound data format on said display device; allowing the developer to use said input device to create graphical links between segments of the inbound data format and segments of the outbound data format, said links representing a transformation between the inbound and outbound data formats; allowing the developer to specify an operation mode for each said graphical link, the operation modes including at least insert, update and delete modes; and compiling, at said processor, computer instructions which when executed on a computer cause the computer to: a) create temporary outbound segment instances, being temporary instances of segments of said outbound data format, and b) for each such temporary outbound segment instance, to perform an operation corresponding to said operation mode of the graphical link associated with the temporary outbound segment instance so as to transform said inbound instances into said outbound instances, wherein each inbound instance is transformed into zero, one or more outbound instances, thus allowing: a) structure flattening in which said inbound data format is a hierarchical inbound data format, said outbound data format is a flat outbound data format, and data in said hierarchical inbound data format is transformed into data in said flat outbound data format; and b) structure promoting in which said input data format is a flat input data format, said outbound data format is a hierarchical outbound data format, and data in said flat inbound data format is transformed into data in said hierarchical outbound data format.