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  System and method for providing access to an application through a common interface for application extensionsUSPTO Application #: 20060095332Title: System and method for providing access to an application through a common interface for application extensions Abstract: A method and system to permit externally created business objects to access a business management application database without using direct database language statements. An add-on framework includes an add-on extension manager to start an add-on application, register a form from the add-on application, and receive and route an event from the business management application to the add-on application through a user interface application programming interface component object model interface. A persistency layer provides a set of programming language classes and interface definitions to develop a persistent business object in the add-on extension, and connect the persistent business object to a database through a data interface application programming interface component object model interface to read and write data from the database associated with the business management application. (end of abstract) Agent: David Klein Kenyon & Kenyon - Washington, DC, US Inventors: Steffen Riemann, Uwe Freising USPTO Applicaton #: 20060095332 - Class: 705022000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Financial, Business Practice, Management, Or Cost/price Determination, Automated Electrical Financial Or Business Practice Or Management Arrangement, Including Point Of Sale Terminal Or Electronic Cash Register, Inventory Monitoring The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060095332. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to software applications for and, in particular, to methods and systems to permit business objects to read data from and write data to a business management application database without using direct database language statements. BACKGROUND [0002] It is common that organizations using commercial off-the-shelf business management software applications (accounting, logistics, and customer relationship management software) need to extend the software to meet their specific requirements. For example, the organizations may need to permit add-on applications (i.e., extensions) to read data from and write data to a database associated with the business management software. Unfortunately, this usually requires creating individual programs using database language statements, for example, structured query language ("SQL") statements, for each add-on business application. In addition to each add-on application needing code specific to the particular add-on, the code must also be tailored for the specific type database that it is trying to access. Typically, current business management software applications do not directly provide a simple and uniform access mechanism for add-on business applications to access the databases associated with the business management software applications. [0003] There is a need for a method and system to permit business objects to read data from and write data to the business management application database without using database language statements and to have a business object layer communicate with a persistence layer via a well-defined interface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0004] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer system incorporating a functional data interface ("DI") application programming interface ("API") and a functional user interface ("UI") API, both of which may communicate with component object model ("COM") objects to interface an add-on application to a business management software application database through an add-on framework, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0005] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computer system incorporating a software development kit including a functional DI API and a functional UI API, both of which may communicate with COM objects to interface an add-on application to a business management software application database through an add-on framework, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. [0006] FIG. 3, is a class diagram illustrating a COM object structure for a business management add-on framework and an associated add-on extension, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0007] FIG. 4 is a block diagram start-up activity diagram showing the relationship between a business management application UI server, an add-on extension manager and one or more add-on extensions, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0008] FIG. 5 is a block diagram start-up activity diagram showing the relationship between the event sink COM objects and one or more add-on form COM objects in the one or more add-on extensions of FIG. 4, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0009] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method showing the activities that may be involved in starting up an add-on extension application in an add-on extension manager, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0010] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a method for starting application extensions for use with a business management application, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0011] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a method for unloading a business management application from use in UI API server, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0012] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a client computer system for providing data exchange between applications having incompatible user interfaces and a database implemented to operate with a different user interface, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0013] As described herein, exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a business management software application add-on framework that provides a generalized method/mechanism to permit add-on business applications, for example, user and/or third-party add-on applications, to read data from and write data to a database associated with the business management software without requiring the add-on business application to use structured query language ("SQL") statements. The add-on framework may be connected to, and permit an add-on business application to communicate with, the business management software application through a user interface ("UI") application programming interface ("API") and a data interface ("DI") API. The add-on business application may have a persistent business object to communicate with a persistency layer via a well-defined interface. [0014] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the persistency layer may provide a single, unified interface for all application(s) designed as an add-on to the business management software application to access the main data base management system without having to use SQL statements. The persistency layer may simplify the implementation of persistent business objects, since the persistency layer may not only generate SQL statements, it may also handle the conversion of data according to the corresponding data type. For example, a date can be treated in different ways depending on which database management system ("DBMS") is used. The persistency layer may also ensure the security of the add-on application by preventing backward contamination of the add-on application's data, since there may exist situations in which a SQL injection could contaminate the data in the add-on application. SQL injection is a technique in which an attacker passes a SQL string input to an application in an attempt to manipulate the SQL statement to change or damage the data in the business management software application's database. The backward contamination of the add-on application may occur when data returned from the main database in response to the user's SQL query is already contaminated by a SQL injection and likewise contaminates the add-on application. [0015] In addition, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the persistency layer may permit add-on applications to use different DBMS transparently. As a result, a user may switch between the different DBMS, such as, for example, Microsoft SQL and DB/2, without having to change the source code in the add-on application, since requests from the add-on application are all formatted the same to communicate with the persistency layer, which automatically translates each request into the proper format to access the desire DBMS. The functionality of the persistency layer may be specifically designed to be used with the add-on framework. This means that the persistency layer may cover special requirements that are typical for the business management software, for example, the management of business object collections and data browsing through such a collection. [0016] The following definitions are provided for selected acronyms and phrases that are used herein. [0017] "Add-on framework" refers to an infrastructure (for example, a set of C++ class templates and utility functions) to develop and run add-on applications with functional extensions for a software application, such as a business management software application. [0018] "Add-on" refers to a software component started by the software application, which enables functional extensions. [0019] "UI server" refers to a user interface component object model ("COM") server for a software application. [0020] "GUID" refers to a globally unique identifier that is used to identifying COM entities, for example, interfaces, libraries, objects, etc. Continue reading... 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