IN-MEMORY VARIABLE META DATA SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A system and method are presented that improve transformation processing of program data stored in RAM. For all data structures (objects) with real data stored in RAM, metadata defining the schema (including all data types) for those data structures are also stored in RAM. The metadata provides the information necessary to transform the data in RAM between formats. In one embodiment, data and metadata are held within a recursive and hierarchical set of convenience classes. These convenience classes define the schema, and provide links to appropriate transform algorithms to be used during data transformation.

主权项

1. A computerized method for transforming real-data in RAM of a computer into other formats comprising:
a) using a computer processor to update in the RAM the real-data associated with a first and second data structure according to programming instructions operating on the computer processor, the first and second data structures each having a plurality of attributes of a plurality of attribute types; b) using the computer processor to maintain in the RAM attribute-list metadata that defines a first list of all the attributes in the first data structure and a second list of all the attributes in the second data structure; c) using the computer processor to maintain in the RAM attribute-type metadata that associates each attribute in the first and second data structures with a specific attribute type; d) receiving, at the computer processor, a request to transform real-data in RAM into a first output type; e) using the computer processor to transform the real-data associated with the first data structure by separately selecting and processing attributes in the first list of attributes and to transform the real-data associated with the second data structure by separately selecting and processing attributes in the second list of attributes, wherein each selected attribute is processed by:
i) identifying the specific attribute type for the selected attribute by examining the attribute-type metadata maintained in RAM,ii) identifying a first-output-type transform algorithm for the specific attribute type, andiii) applying the identified first-output-type transform algorithm on the real-data associated with the selected attribute to generate a transformed real-data value for the selected attribute of the first output type; wherein attributes of the first data structure having the same attribute type as attributes of the second data structure are transformed using the same transform algorithm.