An improved method for access to data from a remote computer and an improved method for accessing remote heterogeneous data bases. The method includes a personal computer having an application program for processing data by keyboard input that operates on a local applications data base having files with a first file structure. A remote host computer accesses data in remote files having a second file structure. A preselected keystroke of the first computer modifies the data accession program of the remote computer to reformat retrieved data in the format of the personal computer applications program before transmission back to the personal computer, so that the personal computer resident portions of the program require no information as to where the requested data is located or what the host computer file structure is.
An object oriented data format mapping mechanism provides a framework for mapping data from one or more stored formats to a desired format without custom-generating the conversion code from scratch. The extensible portions of the framework allow a programmer to extend the framework to define a particular data format mapping environment. The framework maps all data to rows, with individual data being accessed by specifying an index within the row. One or more mapped rows define entries in the desired format, but instead of containing data, they contain method calls to classes that perform the desired retrieval and/or manipulation of the data.
Methods and apparatuses for processing a request to program a device in a data processing system having an operating system (OS) executed therein are described herein. In one aspect of the invention, an exemplary method includes indexing the request to a data structure containing information cross-referencing a list of actions dedicated to the request, the data structure linking with at least one table having data information related to the list of actions, the at least one table being independent of the OS and the device, looking up the at least one table to retrieve the data information related to the list of actions, and instructing a function to program the device based on the data information retrieved from the at least one table, operation of the function being independent of the device. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
Method for improving the process of uploading data from a terminal computer to a host computer with interactive, data receiving screens. The method features use of spreadsheet software to format data to be uploaded in a data source file. The data to be uploaded is laid out in single-row, multi-column form within the spreadsheet so that vivid, hard copy journals of the data may be created that facilitate examination of the data and memorializes its existence. Additionally, the data layout may be transformed and provided with additional information using the spreadsheet to create the data source file having a single-column, multi-row format suitable to facilitate entry of the data to the interactive screens for uploading. Additionally, the method features use of a management program that includes instruction for directing and coordinating the feeding of the data contained the source file to an interface program that enters the data in the predetermined fields of the interactive screens.
A data conversion apparatus and method for translating information stored in a first relational database to that stored in a second relational database, and for translating information in a relational database used by a first selected version of a computer program into information stored in a second relational database for use by a second selected version of a computer program. The apparatus and method thus allow the sharing of data by computer systems running different versions of a given software package. The data conversion apparatus includes a first file storage element for storing a first relational database having a plurality of digital records representing information used by a first selected version of a computer program, and a second file storage element capable of storing a second relational database representing at least a portion of the information from the first database for use by a second selected version of the computer program. The apparatus further includes a file management element that converts information from the first database for storage in the second. That conversion is performed as a function of the identities of the first and second selected versions of the computer program. The file management element includes table entry elements that identify, in table-like form, the procedures for translating individual records or fields of information stored in the first relational database into a form compatible with the second software subroutines, each of which executes steps necessary for converting data between computer program version. Each file management table entry stores the names of the respective formats.
A data processing system has access to a memory storing a data or other information base. The data processing system evaluates objects from the data base against search criteria generated from parameters entered into the data processing system by a user. As objects are located by execution of a search program meeting the search criteria, those objects are identified to the user while the search continues. The user can access the object for substantive evaluation for conformance to the desired target data. The user may enter modified parameters based upon his evaluation of such results as obtained. The data processing system then continues the search over each part of the database as the user designates.
