Abstract:
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, providing and using composite extension definitions. A composite extension definition has one or more extension definitions, each of which can be either an atomic or a non-atomic extension definition. In one aspect, a program has instructions to create a composite extension definition, to generate composite metadata that represents the composite extension definition, and to store the composite metadata for later use. The program can include instructions to receive input specifying dependency relationships between or among extensions defined by the extension definitions and to include the relationships in the composite metadata. Composite extension definitions can be created by an application developer for use by customers to guide them in implementing and deploying extensions to a computer program application.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. Section 120 of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/347,122, filed on Jan. 17, 2003. The disclosure of the prior application is considered part of and is incorporated by reference in the disclosure of this application. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to data processing by digital computer, and more particularly to extending a standard application.  
         [0003]     Customers of a standard software application may need to extend the standard application to add customer-specific features that are not implemented by the standard application. In addition, customers of the standard application may also need to customize the features of the standard application by providing customer-specific extensions for the features implemented by the standard application. There are many different approaches for providing customer-specific application extensions. For example, SAP R/3, available from SAP AG of Walldorf (Baden) Germany, supports customer-specific extensions by defining Business Transaction Events, User Exit, Business Add-In, and Append methods.  
         [0004]     Customers can enhance a standard application by implementing a number of individual atomic extensions. Each atomic extension generally implements an isolated customer-specific feature. A particular extension scenario may require the implementation of several atomic extensions in order to provide the desired enhancement. Atomic extensions that belong to the same extension scenario may need to be maintained and upgraded at the same time. Also, several different extension scenarios may share one or more atomic extensions.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention provides methods and apparatus, including computer program products, providing and using composite extension definitions. A composite extension definition has one or more extension definitions, each of which can be either an atomic or a non-atomic extension definition.  
         [0006]     In general, in one aspect of the invention, a program has instructions to create a composite extension definition, to generate composite metadata that represents the composite extension definition, and to store the composite metadata for later use.  
         [0007]     In general, in another aspect, a method in accordance with the invention includes the acts of receiving extension composite metadata that represents a composite extension definition; instantiating the composite extension definition to create a composite extension, the composite extension including each of the atomic extensions defined, directly or indirectly, by the composite extension definition; and deploying the composite extension.  
         [0008]     Advantageous implementations of the invention include one or more of the following features. The program includes instructions to receive input specifying dependency relationships defining dependencies between or among extensions defined by the extension definitions and to include the relationships in the composite metadata. The program includes instructions to modify one or more extension definitions and to use the dependencies to indicate to a user any effect of modifying the one or more extension definitions on other extensions defined by the composite extension definition.  
         [0009]     The invention can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. An composite extension definition can specify the atomic extension definitions that belong to the same extension scenario. An extension implementation composite can specify atomic extension implementations that belong to the same extension scenario. An composite extension definition can specify extension dependency relationships between the extensions that make up a composite extension. The extension dependency relationships can be used to implement and maintain the extensions that belong to the same composite extension. Composite extension definitions can be created by an application developer for use by customers to guide them in implementing and deploying extensions to a computer program application. One implementation of the invention provides all of the above advantages.  
         [0010]     The details of one or more implementations of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Further features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating the structure and development of a composite extension.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates the components of an composite extension definition.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates the components of a composite extension.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  illustrates a development workbench that can be used to provide composite extensions.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  illustrates an example of a menu composite extension definition.  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  illustrates an example of a menu composite extension. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating the structure and development of a composite extension  120 . The composite extension  120  is used to provide enhancements for a standard application  105  using an application extension  110 . Application extensions are used by customers of the standard application  105  to enhance existing features or add new features for the standard application  105 . The standard application  105  is developed by an application developer  125 , and the application extension  110  is developed by an extension developer  130 . The extension developer  130  can be a customer of the application developer  125 , or a third party extension developer distinct from the customer or the application developer  125 . The application developer  125  and the extension developer  130  can be the same entity—for example, the application developer  125  may want to provide customer-specific features for a standard application  105  without making them part of the standard application  105 . The standard application  105  can have more than one associated composite extension. Each composite extension  120  can be used to address a different extension scenario or the requirements of a particular customer of the standard application  105 .  
         [0018]     The extension developer  130  generates the composite extension  120  by instantiating the composite extension definition  115 . Instantiating the composite extension definition  115  generates a skeleton implementation of the composite extension. The extension developer  130  uses the skeleton implementation to implement the composite extension. The composite extension definition  115  is part of the standard application  105 . The composite extension  120  is part of the application extension  110 . The composite extension definition  115  is provided by the application developer  120 . The composite extension  120  is developed by the extension developer  130  using the composite extension definition  115 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  illustrates the components of a composite extension definition  200  that can be defined by an application developer. The composite extension definition  200  can include zero or more atomic extension definitions  205 . In addition, the composite extension definition  200  can also include zero or more non-atomic extension definitions  210 . Each non-atomic extension definition  210  corresponds to a composite extension definition that can include atomic extension definitions and non-atomic extension definitions. The composite extension definition  200  can include extension dependency relationships  215  that specify the relationships between the extensions included in the composite extension definition  200 . The extension dependency relationships  215 , if any, are specified by the application developer. In one exemplary implementation, the extension dependency relationships  215  are used to specify that the modification of one extension implementation requires the modification of another extension implementation. In another exemplary implementation, the extension dependency relationships  215  are used to specify multiple extensions that must be implemented together in order to provide a particular enhancement for a standard application. Multiple composite extension definitions  200  of a standard application can include one or more atomic extension definitions  205  and non-atomic extension definitions  210 , that are the same.  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  illustrates the components of a composite extension  300 , which is provided by an extension developer. The composite extension  300  can include any number of extension implementations, which can be atomic extension implementations  305 , non-atomic extension implementations  310 , or both. Each non-atomic extension implementation  310  corresponds to a composite extension that can include its own atomic extension implementations and non atomic extension implementations. The extension dependency relationships  315 , if any, defined by the application developer are also part of the extension implementation composite  300 . The extension dependency relationships can be used to specify and enforce the relationships between the extensions that are part of the composite extension  300 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  and  FIG. 1  illustrate a development workbench  400  that can be used to provide composite extensions  120 . The development workbench  400  includes a composite definition interface  405 , a composite implementation interface  410 , and a persistence layer interface  415  through which is accessed a persistence layer  420 . The composite definition interface  405  can be used by the application developer  125  to provide a composite extension definition  115 . The application developer  125  can use the composite definition interface  405  to generate atomic extension definitions and non-atomic extension definitions, as well as specify the dependency relationships between these extensions. Extension dependency relationships are created by the composite definition interface  405 , based on input from the application developer  125 . The composite extension definition  115  is stored by the development workbench  400  as composite metadata  425  in a persistent store  440  through a persistence layer  420 . In addition, additional information required by the extension developer  130  to develop the extensions can be stored as extension metadata  430  through the persistence layer  420 . In one exemplary implementation, the composite metadata  425  can be stored as an XML file.  
         [0022]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the extension developer  130  implements the extensions using the composite implementation interface  410 . The composite implementation interface  410  retrieves the composite metadata  425  through the persistence layer  420 . The composite metadata  425  is used by the composite implementation interface  410  to indicate the extension dependency relationships to the extension developer. The composite metadata  425  can also be used by the composite implementation interface  410  to enforce the extension dependency relationships  215 . In one implementation of the disclosed technique, the composite definition interface  405  can be implemented using a composite definition wizard and the composite implementation interface  410  can implemented using a composite implementation wizard. The composite definition wizard can prompt the application developer  125  for the information required to generate the composite metadata  425  and the extension metadata  430 . The composite implementation wizard can use the composite metadata  425  and the extension metadata  430  to generate information required by the extension developer  130  to implement the composite extension  120 . In another implementation, the extension dependency relationships are defined in a dependency file having a predefined format and the development workbench  400  uses the dependency file to generate the composite metadata  430 .  
         [0023]     The application developer  125  can modify the composite extension definition  115  using the composite definition interface  405 . Modifications of the composite extension definition  115  can include adding new atomic extension definitions or non-atomic extension definitions to the composite extension definition  115 . Modifications of the composite extension definition  115  can also include removing existing atomic extension definitions or non-atomic extension definitions that are part of the composite extension definition  115 . Modifications of the composite extension definition  115  must be performed through the composite definition interface  405 . The development workbench uses the extension dependency relationships described by the composite metadata  425  to indicate the atomic extensions and non-atomic extension affected by the modification of a composite extension definition  115 . Both the application developer  125  and the extension developer  130  can search for an atomic extension definition or a non-atomic extension definition using the development workbench  400 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  illustrates an example of a menu composite extension definition  500 . The menu composite extension definition  500  is provided by an application developer. The menu composite extension definition  500  allows customers to add customer-specific enhancements to the user interface of the standard application. The menu composite extension definition  500  includes a menu function definition  525 , and the menu attributes definition  505  for the menu extension. The menu attributes definition  505  includes a text label definition  510 , an icon name definition  515 , and an icon text label definition  520 . The menu function definition  525  defines the menu function that is provided by the extension developer  130  to implement the enhancement. The text label definition  510  defines a text label that can be provided for the enhancement. The icon name definition  515  defines an icon image and the icon text label definition defines an icon text label that can be provided for the enhancement.  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  illustrates an example of a menu composite extension  600  that corresponds to the menu composite extension definition  500  illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The menu composite extension  600  is provided by the extension developer. The menu composite extension  600  includes a menu function implementation  625 , and the menu attributes implementation  605  for the menu extension. The menu attributes implementation  605  includes a text label implementation  610 , an icon name implementation  615 , and an icon text label implementation  620 . The menu function implementation  625  implements the menu function that is provided by the extension developer to implement the enhancement. The text label implementation  610  provides a text label for the enhancement. The icon name implementation  615  provides an icon image and the icon text label implementation  620  provides an icon text label for the enhancement. In one exemplary implementation, the menu composite extension definition  500  ( FIG. 5 ) requires that the text label implementation  610  and the menu function implementation  625  be provided by an extension developer in order to implement a menu composite extension. This requirement can be enforced by the extension implementation interface, e.g., the composite implementation interface  410  ( FIG. 4 ), by prompting the extension developer to provide both the text label implementation  610  and the menu function implementation  625 .  
         [0026]     The invention can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them. The invention can be implemented as a computer program product, i.e., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable storage device or in a propagated signal, for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers. A computer program can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.  
         [0027]     Method steps of the invention can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing a computer program to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output. Method steps can also be performed by, and apparatus of the invention can be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).  
         [0028]     Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. Information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in special purpose logic circuitry.  
         [0029]     To provide for interaction with a user, the invention can be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.  
         [0030]     The invention can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component, e.g., as a data server, or that includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or that includes a front-end component, e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the invention, or any combination of such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”), e.g., the Internet.  
         [0031]     The computing system can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.  
         [0032]     The invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, the steps of the invention can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results.