Projecting software and data onto client

摘要

A software application written for a server environment is transformed into one which runs in a rich client environment. An entity model defines data sources as they are accessed from the server and as they are accessed from the clients. An application programming interface defines stereotyped interfaces which provide the same functionality on the server and the clients. A metadata model describes the components which make up the application and defines the differences in structure between the server and clients. The metadata model also defines mappings between components used on the server and clients. Settings and context information which tailor the activation and functionality of the components is also captured in the metadata model. Automated transformation is performed by using the mappings to identify the component set to use for the clients, selecting the client version of the application programming interfaces, and selecting the appropriate settings and context information.

主权项

1. A method of transforming a software application from a server environment to a client environment, the method comprising:
providing an entity model which defines a plurality of data sources; providing an application programming interface comprising stereotyped interfaces to the plurality of data sources defined by the entity model; creating a server instance of the software application comprising a plurality of components, at least one of which accesses data stored in the plurality of data sources by utilizing a server instantiation of the stereotyped interfaces; creating a server metadata model of the server instance of the software application, the server metadata model comprising settings and context data to which the at least one component of the server instance of the software application is responsive; creating a plurality of client metadata models for a plurality of client instances of the software application, each of the plurality of the client metadata models comprising:
mapping the plurality of components in the server metadata model to a plurality of components in each of the client metadata models;providing settings and context data to which at least one component of a client application will be responsive; andmapping the settings and context data in the server metadata model to the settings and context data in each of the plurality of client metadata models; transforming the server instance of the software application into each of the plurality of client instances of the software application, wherein a first one of the plurality of client instances is specific to a first client environment, wherein a second one of the plurality of client instances is specific to a second, different, client environment, and wherein each of the plurality of client instances provides corresponding functionality in each environment, and wherein transforming the server instance of the software application into each of the plurality of client instance of the software comprises:
replacing the server instantiation of the stereotyped interfaces with a client instantiation of the stereotyped interfaces;replacing the plurality of components specified in the server metadata model with the plurality of components specified in the plurality of client metadata models to which they are mapped; andreplacing the settings and context data specified in the server metadata model with the settings and context data specified in the plurality of client metadata models to which they are mapped.