OData Feed Visualization Tool for XML Parsing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interacting with OData feeds can be complex due to the difficulty in parsing and understanding the structure of XML documents, which requires significant effort and can be error-prone, especially when manually binding resource elements to user interfaces.
Innovation Solution
A user interface tool that translates OData feeds from a first data structure to a second, more editable and visual structure, allowing developers to browse, filter, and perform operations on resources in a user-friendly manner, including displaying resources and operations in a tabular format and providing notifications for mandatory parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If OData feeds are displayed in their original XML data structure, then the complete data structure and metadata are preserved, but parsing and understanding the structure becomes difficult and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the XML data structure and the user interface. This intermediary automatically parses the OData feed XML, extracts resources, properties, and metadata, and transforms them into a structured format that can be easily bound to UI elements. The intermediary handles the complexity of XML parsing while preserving the complete data structure through systematic extraction and organization of data elements.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual binding of resource elements to user interface is performed, then precise control over UI representation is achieved, but significant effort and time are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by automatically parsing the OData feed and pre-organizing resources, properties, and metadata into a structured format before UI binding is needed. This preliminary processing extracts all necessary data elements and relationships, making them readily available for UI binding without requiring manual intervention. The system prepares the data structure in advance, reducing both effort and time for UI representation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically binding parsed OData resources to user interface elements without requiring manual programming. The framework autonomously maps resources to UI components, generates appropriate bindings, and handles data relationships automatically. This self-service capability maintains precise UI representation while eliminating the significant manual effort previously required.
3Ease of operation
If OData feeds are translated to a different data structure, then ease of visualization and editing is improved, but the translation process adds system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the translation process into distinct, manageable components: XML parsing, resource extraction, property mapping, and UI binding generation. Each component handles a specific aspect of the translation, making the overall complex process modular and maintainable. The segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by breaking down the translation task into independent, well-defined stages that can be processed sequentially.
4Ease of operation
If resources are displayed in tabular format with operations, then user-friendly interaction is enabled, but the display structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal tabular display structure that can represent multiple types of OData resources and their operations in a consistent format. The same table structure adapts to different resource types by dynamically populating columns based on the specific resource properties and available operations. This universal approach enables user-friendly interaction across diverse resources while managing display complexity through a single, adaptable template rather than multiple specialized structures.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to computer-implemented methods and computer systems for providing user-friendly and understandable presentations of Open Data (OData) Protocol resources through an automatic translation and modification process. The present disclosure provides a user interface tool for presenting and browsing OData fees that can provide a visualization of an OData feed structure to users in an otherwise unavailable format. In particular, developers can view and modify resources outside of the underlying format in which such OData feeds are traditionally presented. The user interface tool can provide an out-of-box user interface with which a developer can view and modify resources associated with a feed, browse related entity sets, set filters, and perform other operations. In essence, the user interface tool can decrease user's efforts and difficult in understanding particular OData feeds and the entities associated therewith.