JP2002041293A - Program control method and program control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dispense with the preparation of a data conversion method for every application program in preparing a system linked via data to a plurality of application programs. SOLUTION: If the same data conversion method is required in different places within a system, a data conversion method prepared once can be utilized by storing the information on the data before conversion and those after conversion together with the data conversion method.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to data conversion in a system that executes a plurality of application programs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-81637 discloses a method for realizing a workflow system having a plurality of data storage areas. Here, a method is disclosed in which a different data storage area is prepared for each work in the workflow definition, thereby facilitating the componentization of each work and reducing the file I / O waiting time.

[0003]

In the case of a workflow system in which data is exchanged and data is exchanged between connected applications, in the above-described prior art, a data conversion method needs to be created for each application to be connected. was there.

[0004] In the above-mentioned prior art, the data conversion method is determined at the time of system construction, and the conversion method cannot be changed according to the processing result during system operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for performing data conversion in which the execution result of an application program can be executed by another application program.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems As one means for solving the above-mentioned problem, a first and a second application defined in advance so that the second application uses the execution result of the first application. Data is converted based on the data conversion method between the two, and the second application is executed using the converted execution result.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings.

The present invention relates to a system in which a plurality of application programs (hereinafter, referred to as “applications”) are executed, and a system in which another application is executed by utilizing a result executed by one application. Applicable. Hereinafter, a case will be described in which the present invention is applied to a workflow system which includes a plurality of computers as an example of a system in which a plurality of application programs are executed, and executes processing in accordance with a predefined data transfer order between the computers. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the entire system to which the present invention is applied. Via the network 105,
Computer 101 with workflow control program 102
Is the application and workflow control program 10
2 are connected to a computer 106 having a component (hereinafter, referred to as an adapter) 107, a computer 112 having an adapter 113, and a data management server 118. The computer 10
6 is a computer 110 having an application 111 associated with the adapter 107, and a computer 112 is an adapter 1
13 is connected to a computer 116 having an application 117 associated therewith. In FIG. 1, the workflow control program 102 and the adapters 107 and 11
3, each of the components 111, 120, 121, 122 of the applications 111, 117, and the data management server 118;
Although 123 and 124 are all arranged on different computers, it is also possible to arrange them all on one computer.

[0010] The workflow control program 102, based on the workflow definition 103, the adapter 107, 11
Start 3 The workflow definition 103 is created by the workflow definition creation program 104 when the system is constructed.

The adapter 107 has a data transmitting / receiving unit 108 and an application starting unit 109, and is connected to an application 111. The data transmitting / receiving unit 108
The data acquired from the network 105 is passed to the application activation unit 109, and the data received from the application activation unit is transmitted to the network 105. The application activating unit 109 includes a data transmitting / receiving unit 108
Passing the data received from the application 111
Is started, and the output result of the application 111 is passed to the data transmitting / receiving unit 108. One adapter 107 exists for each application 111, and in a system using a plurality of applications, a plurality of adapters are connected to one network 105 as shown in FIG.

The data management server 118 includes a data transmission / reception unit 119, a data conversion unit 120, a data format information acquisition unit 121, an adapter information acquisition unit 122, and a data input / output unit 1.
23, a disk having a mapping component information acquisition unit 124 and including data format information 125, adapter information 127, and mapping information 129, and a disk having a data storage area 131. Data storage area 131
Is the data format information 125 or the data management server 11
8 may be in the same disk.

The data transmission / reception unit 119 is connected to the network 10
5 and sends a message of the output result of the data management server to the network 105. The format of the message will be described later. Data converter 120
Converts data based on the data format information 125 and the mapping component information 129. Data format information acquisition unit 12
1 is a data format 20 with reference to the data format information 125.
Acquire 3. The data input / output unit 123 stores data at a designated location in the data storage area 131, and acquires data from the designated location. The mapping component information acquisition unit 124 searches the mapping component information 129 and acquires information on a necessary data conversion method.

The data format information creation program 126
The data format information 125 is created and stored on the disk.
The adapter information creation program 128 stores the adapter information 1
27 and save it to disk. Adapter information 12
7 will be described later. The mapping part information creation program 130 creates the mapping part information 129 and stores it on the disk. Mapping part information 12
The method of creating 9 will be described later.

The table shown in FIG.
Is the format information. Each row in the table corresponds to one piece of data. The identifier 201 needs to be defined so as not to be duplicated in the system. When one data has a plurality of data items, the order of the data item name 202 and the data format 203 needs to correspond. For example, in the data 204, the data format of the data item name “estimated part name” is “byte” type, and the data format of the data item names “lot number” and “unit price (＄)” is “int” type.

The table of FIG. 3 shows format information of the adapter information 127. Each row in the table corresponds to one adapter. The work name 302 is the name of a work node (hereinafter, work), which is a program execution unit of the workflow control program, in the workflow definition 103 that associates the adapter. Input data identifier 30
3. The output data identifier 305 has the data format information 125
Of the identifier 201 is stored. The input data storage area name 304 and the output data storage area name 306 are the names of the areas of the data storage area 131.

The table shown in FIG.
29 shows 29 format information. The rows of the table correspond to one data conversion method unit (hereinafter, mapping component). The identifier 401 needs to be defined so as not to be duplicated in the system. Conversion source data identifier 40
2. The conversion destination data identifier 403 has the data format information 12
5, the value of the identifier 201 is stored. Correspondence 404
Is the data item name 202 of the mapping destination data
Is represented by the data item name 202 of the conversion source data.

The table shown in FIG.
1 shows the format information. Each row in the table corresponds to one area on the disk. When the system is constructed, only the data storage area name 501 is stored, and the area of the data identifier name 201 and the data value 502 is empty. When the system is executed, a value is stored in the area of the data identifier name 201 and the data value 502.

FIG. 6 shows an adapter 1 in this system.
07 and the data transfer method when the adapter 113 operates in this order.

(Step 601) The workflow control program 102 activates the adapter 107 based on the workflow definition 103. The application starting unit 109 in the adapter 107 causes the application 11
1 is activated.

(Step 602) Application 11
When 1 is completed, the data of the output result is sent to the application starting unit 109. The data transmission / reception unit 108 receives the value of the data from the application activation unit 109, and creates a message in which information (hereinafter, input / output type) indicating the name of the adapter 107 and output data of the adapter is added to the data. This message is transmitted to the data management server 118 via 105. FIG. 7 shows an example of the message. Here, the message 703 is transmitted.

(Step 603) Data management server 11
8 acquires the name of the data storage area in which the value of the data in the message is to be stored from the information on the adapter in the received message 603 and stores the data value in the acquired area of the data storage area 131. When the information is stored normally, an end notification is sent to the workflow control program 102.

The acquisition of the data storage area and the storage of the data are performed as follows. Upon receiving the message 703 from the adapter 107, the data transmitting / receiving unit 119 of the data management server 118 sets the adapter name 301 and the input / output type 70
2 to the adapter information acquisition unit 122 and the data value 502 to the data input / output unit 123. Adapter information acquisition unit 12
2 retrieves the adapter information 127, acquires a data identifier and a data storage area name from the transmitted adapter name 301 and input / output type 702, and sends the data identifier and data storage area name to the data input / output unit 123. Here, the output data identifier 3 of the adapter 107
05 and the value P of the output data storage area name 306 are sent. The data input / output unit 123 includes the data value 502 received from the data transmission / reception unit 119 and the adapter information acquisition unit 1
The identifier 305 received from the storage 22 is stored in the data storage area 131 corresponding to the output data storage area name 306 sent.

(Step 604) Upon receiving the end notification, the workflow control program 102 activates the next adapter 113 based on the workflow definition 103.

(Step 605) The adapter 113 sends the message 70 to obtain the output result of the adapter 107.
4 to the data management server 118.

(Step 606) Data management server 11
8 acquires the name of the data storage area in which the output data of the adapter 107 is stored from the information on the adapter in the received message 704, and acquires the value of the data. Next, a mapping component corresponding to this data is acquired, the data is converted, the converted value is stored in the message 705, and transmitted to the adapter 107. Data transmission / reception unit 1
Reference numeral 14 denotes the application starting unit 11
5 and the application activation unit 115 activates the application 117 by passing the value of the received data.

The acquisition of the data storage area name, the acquisition of the mapping component, and the conversion of the data are performed as follows. Upon receiving the message 704, the data transmitting / receiving unit 119 of the data management server 118 sets the adapter name 301 and the input / output type 7
02 to the adapter information acquisition unit 122. Further, the adapter name 301 and the input / output type 702 are stored in a temporary area in order to transmit a message later. The adapter information acquisition unit 122 searches the adapter information 127 based on the adapter name 301 and the input / output type 702, and
3 and the input data storage area name 304, the former being the data format information obtaining unit 121 and the mapping information obtaining unit 12
4, the latter is sent to the data input / output unit 123. At this time,
The data identifier 303 is sent to the mapping information acquisition unit 124 as a conversion destination data identifier 403. The data format information acquisition unit 121 searches the data format information 125 for the data item name 202 corresponding to the identifier 201 sent.
And the data format 203, and sends it to the data converter 120. The data input / output unit 123 acquires the data identifier name 201 and the data value 502 stored in the area corresponding to the input data storage area name 304 that has been sent. Each is sent to the data conversion unit 120. At this time, the identifier is sent as the conversion source data identifier 402. The mapping component information acquisition unit 124 searches the mapping component information 129, acquires a mapping component 405 that matches the transmitted conversion source data identifier 402 and conversion destination data identifier 403, and sends the mapping component 405 to the data conversion unit 120. The data conversion unit 120 calculates the value 502 of the data transmitted from the data input / output unit 123.
Of the data item name 202, the data format 203 sent from the data format information acquisition unit 121, and the mapping component 405 sent from the mapping component information acquisition unit 124.
Is converted in accordance with the correspondence 404, and the value of the converted data is sent to the data transmitting / receiving unit 119. Data transmission / reception unit 119
Is the adapter name 3 saved in the temporary area for this data
01 and the message 7 with the information of the input / output type 702 added
05, and the data transmission / reception unit 114 of the adapter 113
Send to

FIG. 8 shows an outline of a user's operation when constructing the system.

(Step 801) The workflow definition 103 is created using the workflow definition creation program 104. Here, the name of the work used in the workflow is specified, and the execution order is specified.

(Step 802) An application and an adapter are created. Adapters are created for each application. Existing applications and adapters can also be used. Here the adapter name 3
01 is assigned.

(Step 803) The data format information 125 is created by using the data format information creation program 126. Here, the data identifier 201 and the data item name 2
02, data format 203 is specified.

(Step 804) The adapter information 127 is created using the adapter information creation program 128. The creation method will be described later.

(Step 805) The mapping part information 12 is created by using the mapping part information creation program 130.
9 is created. The creation method will be described later.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the workflow definition 103 created in step 801. In the figure, an estimate 901, a section manager examination 903, a section manager examination 904, and an order 906 represent work. Reference numerals 902 and 905 denote special nodes (entities representing specific functions on the workflow definition 103) called branch nodes and first-arrival nodes, respectively. The branch node 902 is
It is a node that can change whether to transition to the next section manager examination 903 or to the section manager examination work 904 depending on the condition judgment result at the time of execution. In the condition 902 specified here, “output data 2 of the adapter 107 of the estimation work 901
The value of the unit price ($) of the data item name 202 of 04 is 1000
In this case, the item name of the data format information 125 and the adapter information 127 can be used. The first node 905 starts the next task 906 when one of a plurality of tasks immediately before is completed.

FIG. 10 shows an adapter information creation program 12.
8 shows an outline of a process when the adapter information 127 is created by using the G.8. At this point, it is assumed that the application, adapter, workflow definition 103, and data format information 125 have already been created.

(Step 1001) An adapter name is specified. The adapter name specified here must be that of the created adapter.

(Step 1002) A work name to be associated with the adapter is specified. The work name specified here must exist in the workflow definition 103.

(Step 1003) The output data identifier 305 of the adapter is specified. The identifier name specified here must exist in the data format information 125.

(Step 1004) If the operation for associating the adapter is located before the first-arrival node, Step 100
If no, go to step 1005.

(Step 1005) The output data storage area name 306 is specified. It must be specified so that it does not overlap with other output data storage area names.

(Step 1006) The adapter associated with the other work before the first-arrival node is the adapter information 12
7, the output data storage area name 306 is defined in the adapter and the output data storage area name 306 is defined.
Otherwise, go to step 1005.

(Step 1007) The output data storage area name 306 of the adapter associated with the other work before the first-arrival node is used as the output data storage area name 306 of the adapter currently being defined.

(Step 1008) Adapter information 127
If there is an adapter for which the output data storage area name 306 is not defined, the process returns to step 1001; otherwise, the process proceeds to step 1009.

(Step 1009) An adapter name is specified. The adapter name specified here must be that of the created adapter.

(Step 1010) The input data identifier 305 of the adapter is specified. The identifier name specified here must exist in the data format information 125.

(Step 1011) The output data storage area name 306 of the adapter associated with the work before the work associated with the adapter is used as the input data storage area name 303 of the adapter that is being defined.

(Step 1012) Adapter information 127
If there is an adapter for which the input data storage area name 306 is not defined, the process returns to step 1009; otherwise, the process ends.

FIG. 11 shows a mapping part creation program 1
30 shows an outline of a user's operation when creating the mapping component information 129 by using the H.30.

(Step 1101) The source data and the destination data for which mapping is to be defined are specified. At this time, the conversion source data is output data of a certain adapter, the conversion destination data is input data of a certain adapter, and the work associated with these two adapters needs to be adjacent.

(Step 1102) It is checked whether or not the mapping component information 129 includes a mapping component 405 having the same conversion source data identifier 402 and conversion destination data identifier 403 as those specified in 1101. If found, the process ends. If not found, the process proceeds to step 1103.

(Step 1103) Mapping component 40
5 is newly created. The mapping component 405 created here is added to the mapping component information 129, and the process ends.

FIG. 12 shows the workflow definition 103 of FIG.
FIG. 2 shows a state in which an adapter and a mapping component are assigned to the. Using FIG. 12, the mapping component 405
Here is how to create it.

In FIG. 12, the workflow definition 103, the adapters 107, 113, 307, 308, the applications 111, 117, 1201, 1202 and the input / output data 205, 206, 207, 208, 209 of the adapter have already been created or defined. Suppose you have First, a mapping component 405 is created in which the output data 205 of the estimation adapter 107 is the conversion source data and the input data 206 of the section manager examination adapter 113 is the conversion destination data. Here, the correspondence 404 is created. Next, section manager examination adapter 113
Output data 205 is converted source data, order adapter 30
Then, a mapping component 406 with the input data 208 of No. 8 as the conversion destination data is created. Next, the output data 205 of the estimation adapter 107 is converted to the conversion source data,
07 is created using the input data 206 of “07” as the conversion destination data.
Since there is already a mapping component 405 in which the conversion destination data identifier 403 matches 2, there is no need to newly create the correspondence 404. Finally, the output data 209 of the manager review adapter 307 is converted into the conversion source data and the order adapter 308.
A mapping component 407 is newly created using the input data 208 as the conversion destination data. Thus, the creation of the mapping component having the same conversion source data and conversion destination data need only be performed once.

Further, in FIG. 12, the mapping components used are different between the case where the section manager examination work 903 is activated at the time of executing the system and the case where the section manager examination work 904 is activated. Hereinafter, a method of selecting a mapping component to be used is described.

As output data 204 of the quote adapter,
"Estimated part name = part A, lot number = 200, unit price (＄) = 500"
Is output. At this time, the data input / output unit 123 of the data management server 118 stores “parts A, 20” as data values in the area of the data storage area name P.
0, 500 "is stored. Assuming that the condition in the branch node 902 is the one mentioned earlier, the section manager examination work 903 is started by the condition determination of the branch node 902. The output result of the section manager examination adapter 113 is output to the data input / output unit 123 of the data management server 118.
Is stored in the data storage area Q as 504, for example. Next, the ordering work 906 is started, and the identifier E is sent to the mapping component information acquisition unit 124 of the data management server 118 as the conversion destination data identifier 403. Since the data identifier C obtained by the data input / output unit 123 from the data storage area 131 is sent to the conversion source data identifier, the mapping component information obtaining unit 124 obtains the mapping component 406 as a search result of the mapping component information and performs data conversion. Send to section 120.

Next, as output data 204 of the quote adapter, “quote part name = part B, lot number = 50, unit price (＄) =
It is assumed that data "1100" is output. FIG. 13 shows a state in which values are stored in all items of the data storage area 131 in this case. Here, a value such as 1301 is stored in the data storage area name P of the data storage area 131. By the condition determination of the branch node 902, the manager examination work 904 is started this time. The output result of the manager review adapter 307 is stored in the data storage area Q by the data input / output unit 123 of the data management server 118, for example, as 1302. At this time, the mapping component information acquisition unit 124 has the identifier D as the conversion source data identifier 402 and the identifier E as the conversion destination data identifier 403.
Is sent, the mapping component 407 is selected and sent to the data conversion unit 120. Thus, by applying the present invention, it is possible to realize a system in which the mapping used changes at the time of execution.

As described above, by accumulating mappings created in the development stage of a system in which a plurality of applications are executed as components, it is possible to save the trouble of creating the same mappings many times. The period can be shortened. Further, in a system in which data is exchanged with an application and data is converted, a complicated system in which a data conversion method changes depending on an execution result of the application can be realized.

[0058]

As described above, the execution result of an application program can be used by another application program.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of data format information.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of adapter information.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of mapping component information.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of contents stored in a data storage area.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of transmitting and receiving a message in a network.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the message transmitted and received in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a flow of a user operation when creating a workflow definition.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a workflow definition.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a flow of a user operation when creating adapter information.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a flow of a user operation when creating mapping component information.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a workflow definition and a mapping component in which an application to be started changes according to a condition at the time of execution.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the content stored in the data storage area.

[Explanation of symbols]

101, 106, 112: Computer, 102 Workflow control program, 103: Workflow definition, 104:
Workflow definition creation program, 105: network, 107, 113: adapter, 118: data management server

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A program control method for controlling execution of a second application using an execution result of a first application, wherein the execution result of the first application is used by the second application. A program control method for converting data based on a predefined data conversion method between the first and second applications and executing the second application using the converted execution result. 2. A program control system for controlling execution of a second application using an execution result of a first application, wherein the execution result of the first application is used by the second application. A table defining a method for converting data between the first and second applications, a conversion unit for converting data based on the table, and executing the second application using the converted execution result A program control system having a program execution unit. 3. A program control system according to claim 2, wherein said data conversion method can be made into parts and reused when said conversion table is created. 4. The program control system according to claim 2, wherein a conversion method of the data to be used can be changed according to a processing result at the time of executing the system. 5. A storage medium storing a program for controlling execution of a second application by using an execution result of a first application, wherein the execution result of the first application is stored in a storage medium. For use, a program for converting data based on a predefined data conversion method between the first and second applications and executing the second application using the converted execution result is stored. Storage media.