Loop Enumerator for Custom Variable-Size Collections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional workflow systems face challenges in efficiently processing and managing collections of variable-sized items, particularly in scenarios where items cannot be easily grouped or enumerated, limiting their ability to support conditional workflows.
Innovation Solution
A loop enumerator with a collection management component and iterator, enabling the generation and manipulation of custom enumerator collections, which can include elements that are themselves collections of variable size, and providing a graphical user interface for collection definition and variable mappings, allowing for iterative processing and conditional workflow execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional workflow systems use standard enumerators for collections, then the system structure remains simple, but the ability to process custom collections of variable-sized items is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal enumerator framework that can handle multiple collection types (files, variables, row sets, server objects, XML nodes) through a single abstract enumerator interface. This allows the system to process custom collections of variable-sized items without requiring separate specialized enumerators for each collection type, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining manageable complexity through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows collections to contain elements that are themselves collections of variable size, creating a nested structure where enumerators can iterate through multiple levels of collections. This nesting capability enables the system to handle complex, variable-sized data structures while maintaining a consistent enumerator interface, resolving the contradiction between versatility and complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system supports conditional workflows with custom collections, then workflow flexibility improves, but the complexity of data handling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the workflow engine and the data collections through the abstract enumerator interface. This intermediary simplifies data handling by providing a standardized interface that masks the complexity of underlying collection structures. Workflow developers can interact with custom collections through the standard enumerator interface without needing to understand the complex internal structures, thereby improving workflow flexibility while maintaining ease of operation.
3Reliability
If the system reduces external dependencies for collection management, then system reliability improves, but the built-in complexity of collection management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service collection management where the enumerator framework provides built-in capabilities for creating, managing, and iterating through collections without requiring external dependencies. The abstract enumerator interface includes methods for adding elements, iterating through collections, and handling variable-sized data structures, all within the standard framework. This self-service approach improves reliability by reducing external dependencies while managing complexity through a standardized, self-contained implementation.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject disclosure pertains to a loop enumerator. The enumerator includes its own collection of items that can be generated manually or loaded from a file. Further, the items themselves can be collections of variable size. These collections of items can be customized to enable enumeration over non-uniform data and/or data that cannot otherwise be logically filtered easily.