Patent ID: 8407235

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for exposing metadata and meta-metadata, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations on metadata in a parseable format for: parsing the metadata to extract, based upon meta-metadata defining structure and constraints associated with the metadata, one or more elements of the metadata; populating one or more tables with detailed information of the one or more elements; exposing the tables; comparing a baseline version of the metadata to a modified version of the metadata; and storing a modification comprising data indicating one or more differences between the baseline version of the metadata and the modified version of the metadata, the modification being stored as one or more new rows in the tables, wherein the modification comprises an application object comprising properties describing one or more changes to the baseline version of the metadata, wherein a format of the modification is defined by meta-metadata describing a notion of the modification, and wherein the application object is generated based, at least partially, upon the meta-metadata describing the notion of the modification.