Report Export to Excel Using On-the-Fly XML Serialization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Exporting reports to alternate formats, such as Microsoft Excel, requires significant memory allocation and time due to the need for intermediary objects, which is burdensome for small businesses with limited resources.
Innovation Solution
A method that converts report documents into Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema definition objects and serializes them directly to XML documents, reducing memory requirements and conversion time by processing rows on-the-fly without intermediate storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If reports are converted to alternate formats using traditional methods, then the report can be exported to formats like Excel, but significant memory allocation is required and conversion time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the report conversion process by processing rows one at a time rather than loading the entire report into memory. Each row is converted individually from report format to XML format and written directly to the output file, eliminating the need to hold the complete converted report in memory at once.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary data from each report row and converts it to XML format immediately, rather than creating intermediary objects to hold the complete report data. This extraction approach removes the burden of maintaining large intermediary data structures in memory.
2Adaptability or versatility
If reports are converted to alternate formats using traditional methods, then the report can be exported to formats like Excel, but conversion time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous processing where rows are converted to XML and written to the output file immediately as they are processed, rather than batch processing. This continuous action eliminates idle waiting time and intermediary processing steps, significantly reducing total conversion time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent skips the creation of intermediary objects that would normally be required for format conversion. By converting report rows directly to XML format and writing them immediately, the process rushes through the conversion steps without stopping for intermediate storage or processing, thereby reducing conversion time.
3Productivity
If large amounts of memory are allocated for report conversion, then conversion can be performed, but small businesses with limited resources cannot afford high-performance computers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the conversion process into individual row processing operations, which allows the system to use minimal memory at any given time. Instead of requiring large memory allocations to hold complete reports, the system processes and writes rows sequentially, making the solution accessible to small businesses with limited hardware resources.
4Adaptability or versatility
If intermediary objects are created to hold data during conversion, then format transformation can be achieved, but the process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the intermediary objects from the conversion process. Instead of creating intermediary objects to hold report data before conversion, the system directly transforms report rows into XML format and writes them to the output file, simplifying the overall conversion process while maintaining format transformation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
The method may include generating a plurality of reports where the plurality of reports comprise data from a database, generating at least one report document from the plurality of reports, the at least one report document comprising a plurality of rows, the at least one report document further comprising at least one report document object. The method may also include providing a row pointer to at least one row of the at least one report document, converting the at least one report document object of the at least one row to an extensible markup language schema definition object, serializing the extensible markup language schema definition object to an extensible markup language document. Additionally, if the at least one report document comprises additional rows, the method may include moving the row pointer to the additional row of the at least one report document and repeating serializing the extensible markup language schema definition object of the at least one row to an extensible markup language document.