Sap Ag

Wenphing Lo

Paul N Weinberg

Rich Endo

Richard T Endo

Ariel Hazi

Zheng Liu

Methods for enforcing group oriented workflow requirements for multi-layered documents. Embodiments allow results of multi-layered operations to dictate the flow of tasks that occur on a multi-layered document. Flow is directed to roles and may be directed by the data values operated on in addition to multi-layered operation results. The system enables the workflow enabled creation and maintenance of multi-layered documents that minimize repeated data to ensure the highest possible data integrity when targeting a publication at multiple audiences. When a publication is changed and requires maintenance, use of a defined workflow for updating the publication ensures consistency in each publication. Embodiments may comprise performance metrics for monitoring and benchmarking publication processes.

Method for enforcing group oriented workflow requirements for multi-layered documents

Conditionally branching a validation allows branch-specific child validations to execute based on the values of data in a specific record. This allows for example a conditional branch to call another validation to validate records having particular category field values, family values and/or audience level/name/values. Embodiments comprise an interface that assists users through the use of automatic tokenizing and/or pick lists of field names and fields values, including a measurement builder for entering legal tokenized measurement values with applicable units of measure. Embodiments of the invention allow knowledgeable users to rapidly create expressions to ensure that the legal syntax and semantics of an expression are not violated while providing the user with pick lists and measurement values within legal ranges and with applicable units of measure. Validations rules are generated and performed on desired records in a computer system database without requiring programs, scripts or queries to be written.

Method for conditionally branching a validation

A method for generating properly formed expressions used as validation expressions and search filters for computer system database applications. One or more embodiments of the invention for example comprise an interface that assists users through the use of automatic tokenizing and/or pick lists of field names and fields values, including a measurement builder for entering legal tokenized measurement values with applicable units of measure. Embodiments of the invention allow knowledgeable users to rapidly create expressions to ensure that the legal syntax and semantics of an expression are not violated while providing the user with pick lists and measurement values within legal ranges and with applicable units of measure. Validations rules are generated and performed on desired records in a computer system database without requiring programs, scripts or queries to be written. A validation expression returns a Boolean result that signifies a success or failure result and may be performed manually or automatically.

Method for generating properly formed expressions

A method for performing expression-based validation with records in a computer system database, eliminating the need to write programs or scripts. A validation expression can define complex intra-record tests and inter-record tests and may be performed manually against one or more records and have a success or failure indicated for each record in an interface. A validation expression may be placed into one or more groups and performed as a group with the success or failure indicated for each record. A validation expression may be initiated from workflows to implement a business process with system-enforced data integrity. A validation expression may be manually executed or automatically executed when attempting record update to prevent the entry of invalid data and ensure data integrity. A validation expression may also be used to search using the Boolean result of validation expressions.

Method for performing expression-based validation

Embodiments of the invention comprise a method and apparatus for transforming data. Systems implementing the invention allow for loading the data from one or more source tables into one or more destination tables. The system allows for parsing source data fields, defining new source data fields, combining source fields to create source field combinations, and combining destination fields to create destination field combinations. The system allows for mapping source fields and values to destination fields and values, where either the source fields and values or destination fields and values may be field and value combinations, and allows for transforming field values based on destination field type. The tools provided in a system implementing the invention provide a user the ability to intervene at each step during the data transform task. A user may manually input a hierarchy definition, a specific mapping, define rules for combining data fields, or define rules for converting data values.

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Alhambra, CA, United States of America

Wenphing Lo