Unisys Corporation

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Donald Edward Baisley

Jonathan Virgil Ziebell

Ravi Anthony Joseph Dirckze

Russel Elliot Cole

Peter Johnson

C Suresh Kumar

Ronald Jay Neubauer

Sridhar Srinivasa Iyengar

Ted Franklin Gladieux

Ashit Sawhney

An embodiment of the present invention is a method for generating software components from one or more business rule statements expressed in a language. Symbols of a vocabulary of a language and business rule statements expressed using the symbols of the vocabulary of the language are received as input. The language has grammatical rules. Each of the business rule statements is parsed in accordance with the grammatical rules to generate a language-based structure. The language-based structure is processed to generate an expression model. The expression model is processed to generate a logical model. The logical model is processed to generate platform-independent implementation model in response to a user request for such generation. A target platform description is received. The platform-independent implementation model is processed to generate a platform-specific implementation model using the target platform description. Software components are generated from the platform-specific implementation model for deployment.

Generating software components from business rules expressed in a natural language

Managing inverse references across binary relationships. This functionality may be accomplished by using a base class with functionality for linking objects from both sides of a binary relationship. In particular, some embodiments implement a generalized inverse management capability. In some embodiments, by using a common base class for objects involved in one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many relationships, and by defining a field of one generic type when referring to at most one object, and by defining a field of another generic type when referring to many objects, automatic inverse management is obtained. Further, a specialization of the generic type of field used to refer to at most one object is used in cases of dependent relationships such that deletion of the reference without replacing it results in automatic disconnection of an object across all relationships.

Managing inverse references between objects in object-oriented software

An embodiment of the present invention is a technique for translating a business rule. An operation for a rule to authorize a provision of information is created. A current container is established. A propositional expression in the rule describing the provision of the information is processed. If the current container is null, a context for the propositional expression is recorded as null, else an object type in the current container is recorded as a resulting context from the propositional expression.

Generating programmatic interfaces from natural language expressions of authorizations for provision of information

An embodiment of the present invention is a technique for processing an authorization rule. An object type is created for a return type of an operation in the rule authorizing a request for information. A current container is established. A propositional expression in the rule is processed to record the object type as a resulting context from the propositional expression in the current container.

Generating programmatic interfaces from natural language expressions of authorizations for request of information

An embodiment of the present invention is a method for generating an object-oriented model from a vocabulary, the vocabulary comprising terms and sentential forms, each of the terms representing a concept, each of the sentential forms representing a fact type and including at least one placeholder, the placeholder being specified by a term. For each of the terms in the vocabulary, a class is created. Each instance of the created class represents a fact that a thing is classified to be an instance of the concept represented by the corresponding term. For each sentential form in the vocabulary, a class is created. Each instance of the created class represents a fact that is an instance of the fact type represented by the corresponding sentential form.

Generating a class model from a business vocabulary to represent facts expressible in the business vocabulary

One embodiment of the invention is a method for generating a database model from a set of business rules. For a business rule given as input, an empty list of fact types is created. A determination of whether the business rule is a definitional rule defining that one or more propositions become true upon occurrence of an event is made. If the business rule is a definitional rule, the fact type of each of the propositions is added to the list of fact types. Otherwise, a determination of whether the business rule is an authorization rule for provision of information that comprises one or more authorized provisions of information corresponding to one or more fact types is made. If the business rule is an authorization rule for provision of information, the corresponding fact types are added to the list of fact types. For each fact type in the list of fact types, the fact type having at least one role, the role having a type, if the type of the role is not a lexical type, the type is added to a list of types. The types in the list of types are processed and the fact types in the list of fact types are processed.

Generating a database model from natural language expressions of business rules

An embodiment of the present invention is a method for generating a logical model of objects from a representation of linguistic concepts. Packages of elements representing rule specifications expressed with linguistic concepts are received as input. The packages comprise at least one of the following: terms, names, sentence forms, mathematical function forms, nominal restrictive forms, identity criteria, and expressions. The packages are processed to generate a logical model of objects.

Generating a logical model of objects from a representation of linguistic concepts for use in software model generation

An embodiment of the invention is a method for modeling a reflexive inverse relationship in a computer system. A general association representing the reflexive inverse relationship is created. The general association has a named end and an unnamed end. A specific association having the general association as a generalization is created. The specific association has a first specific end and a second specific end. The first specific end is used to redefine the named end of the general association. The second specific end is also used to redefine the named end of the general association.

Modeling reflexive inverse associations using unified modeling language

A computer-implemented object-oriented method for controlling access to a multiplicity of objects is disclosed. The method includes creating specific access control object types, each including a pre-check method for implementing a pre-defined access control policy. Each one of the multiplicity of objects to be controlled is then associated with one of the access control objects. Next, upon an attempt to invoke a feature of any one of the multiplicity of objects, a determination is made if one of the multiplicity of objects is linked to an access control object, and if yes; the pre-check method for the access control object associated with the one of the multiplicity of objects is performed to determine whether to grant access.

Method for controlling access to a multiplicity of objects using a customizable object-oriented access control hook

A computer-implemented method for translating a MOF metamodel into a UML Model. The method comprises the steps of reading each element of the MOF metamodel and determining the type of each MOF element read in the preceding step. After this, a translation process is selected for the type determined in the preceding step; and, the process selected in the preceding step is executed.

Method for translating MOF metamodels to UML models

A computer-implemented method for converting a UML rendering of an RSM-based metamodel to a UML rendering of a MOF-based metamodel. The method includes the steps of removing inheritance from classes defined within a Repository Services Model (&ldquo;RSM&rdquo;) and removing each explicit &ldquo;construct&rdquo; operation from each class in the RSM-based metamodel Next, each use in the RSM-based metamodel of an RSM type is changed to use a non-RSM type. After this, each element of the RSM-based metamodel is converted to a corresponding MOF-based element and a determination is made as to whether or not the RSM naming service is used in the RSM-based metamodel, and if so &ldquo;name&rdquo; attributes are added that would have been inherited from the RSM classes. A <<metamodel>> stereotype is added to the UML rendering of the MOF-based metamodel; and the MOF properties are set on the UML rendering.

Method for converting a UML rendering of an RSM-based metamodel to a UML rendering of MOF-based metamodel

A computer-implemented method for streaming object models with a plurality of versioned states. The method comprises the steps of streaming out each versioned state for each nonderived classifier-level feature; streaming out each versioned state of each unowned object within the model; streaming out versioned state of each owned object not yet streamed out; streaming out the versioned state of each link not represented by a reference; and streaming out a version graph using normal XMI.

Method for streaming object models that have a plurality of versioned states

A method is provided by a computer system processing XMI-based XML documents. The method compares two such XMI-based XML documents for identical content. The method begins with the step of parsing each of the documents to create for each a semantic graph of the document's objects. Next, a list of names of properties for each of the objects having significant order is read. For each of the objects, and then for each object's property not listed as having significant order, values of said properties are sorted. Finally, the objects of the semantic graphs are compared.

Method in a computing system for comparing XMI-based XML documents for identical contents

An improved computer-implemented method is disclosed, which maintains a version history of objects in a repository. Modifications to property values and links are tracked with respect to versions of a model. The method includes the steps of maintaining a start version and a list of end versions for each object in the model and maintaining a start version and a list of end versions for each attribute value in the model. Moreover, in response to a request for objects in a class with respect to a current version, only those objects whose start version is in the history of the current version and whose end versions are not in the history of the current version are retrieved. Also, in response to a request for attribute values of an object with respect to a current version, only those values whose start version is in the history of the current version and whose end versions are not in the history of the current version are retrieved.

Method for maintaining a version history of objects in a repository

A computer-implemented method is provided for merging a source version into a target version of a model in an object oriented repository. The method comprises the steps of building a first list as a collection of versions that occur only in a history of the source version; and, building a second list as a collection of versions that occur only in a history of the target version. Next, a dual history is created as a union of the first and second lists. After this, either the first or the second list is identified as the non-preferred history wherein either the source or the target version is preferred. The first list is then added to the history of the target version. Any conflicts occurring in the dual history are next reported; and, such conflicts are resolved by adding the target version to a list of end versions on each conflicting attribute value and link occurring in the non-preferred history.

Growing community of inventors

Laguna Hills, CA, United States of America

Donald Edward Baisley