JPH1196092A - Method and device for generating transfer data - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically generate a document of a hyper text markup language(HTML) format to be an expression format of a world wide web(WWW) server on the Internet by using enormous information resources in various data bases existing in conventional ways as they are. SOLUTION: Combined data are prepared by synthesizing variable output data outputted from a memory 8 in a data base system and template data such as a layout to be the expression part of information previously prepared in a memory 9, stored in a combined data memory 10 in a server and transmitted through a communication line network 1. Since the template data and the variable output data can be separated and independently edited, operation can be dividedly executed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating transfer data which can be advantageously implemented, for example, on the Internet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the Internet, a memory of a computer which provides information on a WWW (World Wide Web) server, which is operated in various parts of the world, is stored in a memory.
Documents created in TML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language) format are stored. Using a computer at hand, software called a browser can be executed to display and read information on the documents. . 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an apparatus that automatically creates an individual HTML format document interactively. In another prior art, there is an apparatus that supports the editing work of the contents of an HTML format document by plotting the existence relationship of the entity file of the document.

[0003] In such prior art, HTML is individually described.
It is necessary to develop an application for automatic generation of documents in the format, and the development man-hour required for that is enormous, and it is necessary to secure engineers with development skills, so the development cost increases, Inevitably, the situation where the automatic generation is performed must be limited. Conversely, there are many existing information assets to be used in many cases, and thus a dilemma arises, and as a result, the usage culture of the HTML format document is reduced. As described above, conventionally, in order to automatically generate a document in the HTML format, there is a problem that application programs must be individually developed.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for automatically generating transfer data such as a document in an HTML format in a desired expression format by using existing information assets as they are. To provide.

[0005]

According to the present invention, data to be transferred is stored in a transfer memory, and second data is transmitted in response to a transfer command signal from the first processing means via a communication line.
The processing means reads the data stored in the transfer memory and transfers the data to the first processing means via the communication line. In the method for generating transfer data, the expression form in the first processing means is determined by using the variable output data as a variable. Creating template data to be set, selectively reading data from a database memory storing data constituting the database, creating the variable output data, synthesizing the template data and the variable output data, and transferring the data. A transfer data generation method characterized by storing data to be transferred in a transfer memory.

According to the present invention, the data to be transferred to be stored in the transfer memory is generated by synthesizing the template data and the variable output data.
For example, in a first processing means such as an Internet server, the variable output data is set in a predetermined expression format using variables as variables, and data stored in a database memory is selectively read as the variable output data. In this way, the variable output data output from the database system and the template data, which is an expression part of the information created in advance, are synthesized, and a target document in, for example, an HTML format can be automatically generated.

The present invention also provides a database memory for storing data constituting a database, a template memory for storing template data, a combination data memory for storing combination data, and reading of template data from the template memory. First, data is read from the database memory and replaced at the place where the template data is to be replaced with the variable output data to create combination data, stored in the combination data memory, and read from the combination data memory.
Processing means, connected to the first processing means via a communication line, causing the first processing means to read the combination data stored in the combination data memory, and reading the read combination data from the first processing means And a second processing means for receiving and outputting the transfer data.

According to the present invention, for example, the first processing means in an Internet server or the like reads out data from the database memory at a place to be replaced with variable output data in the template memory, and creates combination data. It is stored in the combination data memory. The second processing means connected via the communication line reads and receives the combination data from the combination data memory, and outputs the combined data using an output means such as a cathode ray tube or a visual display means such as a liquid crystal. For example, the generated document in the HTML format, which is a predetermined language as an example, can be automatically replaced with the old document existing at the designated position of the WWW server.

Therefore, as components for generating a target HTML format document, variable output data from a database, template data, and location information data for specifying their existing locations and a location for outputting the generated HTML format document. In addition to generating a target document based on the position information data, an old document already existing at the generated position can be automatically replaced.

According to the present invention, the combination data memory stores the combination data created in accordance with HTML, and the first processing means and the combination data memory are WW
It is provided in the W server.

According to the present invention, based on an existing database, information existing in the database is converted to an HTM.
It can be converted to an information representation format on the Internet expressed in L format.

Further, according to the present invention, the template data includes a replacement target mark to be replaced with variable output data,
The first processing means replaces the variable data from the database memory with a storage area of the replacement target mark according to the replacement target mark of the template data.

According to the present invention, in the above-mentioned conversion process, template data of a generation destination, for example, a template of an HTML format document is used, and in accordance with a replacement target mark in the template, a target portion of the variable output data is generated. I will replace it.

Further, according to the present invention, the first processing means generates template data and stores the template data in the template memory, and reads variable output data to be replaced with template data from the database memory and stores it in the combination data memory. It is characterized by storing means and individually operable to perform editing and processing for template data and variable output data.

According to the present invention, the template data and the variable output data are separated, and can be independently edited and processed. In other words, the template data and the variable output data can be edited independently of each other. This makes it possible to output the variable output data from the database and the HTM for creating the template.
It is not necessary for one technician to acquire both of the L-form creation techniques, and the division of work can be performed.

[0016]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. The Internet is
A terminal S0 at hand including a computer and a server S1
To S4, other terminal devices, and routers R1 to R5
Are mutually connected by the communication network 1 and information is mutually
It is transmitted and received via a number of communication networks 1 constituting the Internet. At this time, the route through which the information passes is automatically selected by the servers S1 to S4 including the computers connecting the communication network 1 and the routers R1 to R5, and if a failure occurs in one communication network 1, In addition, transmission and reception can be performed by searching for a route that can transmit information normally. In order for computers such as the terminal device S0 and the servers S1 to S4 to mutually transmit and receive information, WWW
Communication is performed in accordance with a protocol that is a rule for transmitting and receiving information according to, for example. The servers S1 to S4
Includes computers that provide information. For example, in the server S1, a LAN (Local Area Network) is configured as illustrated in a block diagram. The terminal device S0 includes a computer CPU1, an input unit 2 such as a keyboard or a mouse, and a display unit 3 realized by a cathode ray tube or a liquid crystal, etc., for displaying a WWW page on the display unit 3. The computer CPU1, which is a processing circuit, executes a software program called a browser.

In the server S1, input means 4 and display means 5 are connected to the computer CPU 2 connected to the communication network 1 in the same manner as in the terminal device S1, and image data and document data are transmitted for transmission. And the material to be transmitted, such as audio data, is stored in the memory 6.
Is stored in each file corresponding to the location information which is the address of the file. In order to form a LAN with the server S1, a computer CPU3 is connected by a communication network 7, and a memory 8 for storing a database is read / written.

Further, a computer CPU 4 is connected to the communication network 7 for processing the contents of the database according to the present invention. A template memory 9 and a combination data memory 10 are connected to the computer CPU 4. The computer CPU 4 constitutes a first processing unit. The computer CPU 4 reads one of the rewritable template data or the plurality of template data from the template memory 9 and reads the data from the database memory 8 at a place where the template data is to be replaced with variable output data. The combination data is created by replacement, the created combination data is stored in the combination data memory 10, and the combination data memory 1 is stored.
0, the combination data stored therein is read out, and the computer CP is transmitted for transmission over the Internet.
The data is stored in the memory 6 by U2.

Computer CPU in terminal device S0
1 constitutes a second processing means. This computer CP
U1 is a communication network, which is a communication line, and routers R1 to R1.
It is connected to the computer CPU4 as the second processing means via the R4 and the server 2, and further via the computer CPU2 of the server S1 and the communication network 7. The computer CPU 1 causes the computer CPU 4 to read the combination data stored in the combination data memory 10, receives the combination data read from the computer CPU 4, displays and outputs the combination data on the display unit 3, and further performs voice synthesis. A speaker may be driven by a circuit to output sound.

The server S4 also has a computer CPU
5, input means 11 and display means 12 are provided in the same manner as in the above-described configuration.

Thus, in the configuration shown in FIG.
Computers CPU1 to CPU5 and memories 2, 6,
Documents 8, 9, 10 and the like are created according to the HTML format and transmitted and received. The HTML format is a description format for browsing information using software called a browser, and a document created in the HTML format has the following features (1) to (3). (1) Multimedia information such as images and sounds can be posted. (2)
You can move to other information places with a simple operation. (3) Expression can be made independent of the operating system of the computer used.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the display state of the screen of the display means 3 provided in the terminal device S0. On this screen, for example, image data 13 is displayed, document data 14 is displayed, and an icon 15 is displayed for operation of the input means 2 with a mouse. The image data 13 and the document data 14 are respectively displayed in a display format in which data in the database of the memory 8 is replaced as variable output data at predetermined positions in the template. Along with these data 13 and 14, audio data may be further displayed.

In the computer CPU 4, as shown in FIG. 3, the data in the memory 8 constituting the database is
By executing the program 16 for creating variable output data,
It is selectively read to obtain variable output data 17. Similarly, for example, the memory 18 provided in the server S4 stores data constituting a database in the same manner as the memory 8, and selectively executes the variable output data 17 by executing a program 19 for creating variable data. And create it. The memories 8 and 18 constituting the database are different from each other in various programming languages, expression forms, styles, and the like. By executing the programs 16 and 19 from the database as the existing information resources, the common variable output data is changed. 17 can be obtained. The program 16 is executed by the computer CPU 3 connected to the memory 8 in FIG. The program 19 is executed by the computer CPU5 or another computer connected to the memory 18 provided in the server S4.

Referring to FIG. 4, the operation of the computer CPU4 connected to the server S1 will be described. A document 21 composed of combination data, which is a document to be stored in the combination data memory 10, is generated by the computer CPU 4 by the generated software program 2.
2 is generated. The target document 21 is in the HTML format, and the variable output data 17 obtained from the databases of the memories 8 and 18 as shown in FIG. Template data 23 and position information data 24. The position information data 24 is data that is an address for specifying a position where the variable output data 17 and the template data 23 exist and a position of the memories 6 and 10 for outputting the generated HTML document 21. In addition, computer CPU4
Not only generates the target document 21 from the position information data 24 as described above, but also automatically updates and replaces the old document in the memory 10 already existing at the generation position.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the template data 23. The template data 23 includes marks 25 and 26 representing replacement target locations. The mark 26 is determined so that it can be expressed in a table format. In the template data 23, <table> is
Here are the conventions for creating tables that are tables.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a specific example of the variable output data 17. Specific variable output data 27 is set corresponding to the mark 25 of the above-mentioned table data 23, and this variable output data 27 is a case where expression in a table format is not performed. On the other hand, in order to enable expression in a table format corresponding to the mark 26 of the template data 23, each data 30 to 32 is set via the separators 28 and 29 corresponding to each mark 26.

As is apparent from FIGS. 5 and 6, the template data 23 which is the template of the HTML document 21 to be generated in the conversion process is used, and the replacement target marks 25, 26, the data 2 which is the target part of the variable output data 17
By replacing them with 7, 30 to 32, combination data can be generated.

In relation to the computer CPU 4, the template data 23 and the variable output data 17 are separated, and both can be independently edited. As a result, the variable output data 17 is stored in the database of the memory 8 as shown in FIG.
It is not necessary for one technician to acquire both the technology of outputting and editing by the software programs 16 and 19 shown in (1) and the HTML creation technology for creating the template data 23, and the division of work is possible. Becomes
There is an advantage that implementation of the present invention is easy.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the computer CPU4. The function of the generation software program in the present system can be summarized as follows.
, And when a location to be replaced with the variable output data 17 is found in the data 23, the data to be replaced is read from the memory 8 before the database and replaced. After processing all of the template data 23, at the output position described in the position information data,
A document, which is target combination data, is output and stored in the combination data memory 10. This behavior is
This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. The process proceeds from step a1 to step a2, and from the template memory 9,
The data of the template data 23 is read. Step a
In step 3, it is determined whether or not the marks 25 and 26 indicating the replacement target position exist in the template data 23. If there is, the process proceeds to the next step a4, as shown in FIG. Variable output data 17
The variable output data corresponding to the marks 25 and 26 is read from the inside. Thus, in step a5, the data 27, 30 to 32 of the variable output data 17 are replaced with the marks 25, 26 in the template data. In step a6, it is determined whether or not all the template data has been processed. If all of the data has been processed, the created target document 21 is output and stored in the combination data memory 10, and thus a series of operations is performed. The process ends at a8.

The combination data stored in the combination data memory 10 is input to the terminal device S0 by operating the input means 2 and clicking, for example, an icon 15 on the screen of the display means 3 shown in FIG. 2 with a mouse. It can be transferred and read. In general, in the Internet, a template which is an expression form is frequently changed in many cases. Even in such a case, according to the present invention, the template stored in the memory 8 is simply changed by changing the template stored in the template memory 9. HTML documents 21 that are easily targeted using existing databases
Can be obtained. That is, by preparing only the variable output data 17 in advance and recreating the template data 23, it is possible to easily obtain combination data having different expression formats. This is particularly important in the Internet where an unspecified number of people obtain and output information. The display of the screen by the display unit 3 can be performed by executing the above-described browser.

The computer CPU1 of the terminal device S0 designates the position of the file and the contents as its contents in the server S1, reads out the combination data stored in the combination data memory 10, and sends it to the communication network 1. . In this way, a memory 8 constituting a database is provided separately from the Internet, and data constituting the database is stored in the terminal device S.
In order to embed in the display means 3 by the computer CPU 1 of the No. 0, database cooperation between the intranet and the business system is performed. The operation shown in FIG. 6 in the computer CPU 4 is executed offline by batch processing, and the combination data is stored in the memory 10 in advance. In this way, without specifying the database, the versatility is given, and a vast amount of existing information assets are used.
The usage culture of the TML format can be confirmed. The terminal device S0 and the server S
The contents in the standardized HTML format that may be required from S2 to S4 or the like are created as combination data and stored in the memory 10. In this way, the component expressing the layout based on the template is combined with the variable output data that is the actual data, and the combination data 1
0 is generated and stored in the memory 10 in advance, and the combination data is stored in a file at the position of the predetermined designated address in the memory 6 via the communication network 7 by the operation of the computers CPU4 and CPU2. . Therefore, the computer CPU1 of the terminal device S0 can communicate with the computer CPU2 of the server S1, read the desired combination data from the memory 6, and output it to the display means 3.

[0032]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the variable output data output from the database system and the template data, which is the expression part of the information created in advance, are synthesized, and the desired data is expressed in, for example, an HTML expression format. Documentation can be generated automatically. This makes it possible to automatically generate a document in the HTML format or the like by using the variable output data in the database system as it is, thereby realizing document management at low cost. In addition, the cost for developing an automatically generated application can be reduced, and existing information assets can be used.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a target document is generated from the existing positions of the variable output data and the template data and the generated position information data for specifying the output position of, for example, an HTML document. In addition, old documents that already exist at the generation position can be automatically replaced. The variable output data from the database memory is read and replaced at the place where the template data is to be replaced with the variable output data, and combination data is created. The combination data thus obtained is transmitted from the first processing unit to the communication line. The data is transmitted to the second processing unit via the external device, and output by, for example, a visual display unit.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a document in, for example, an HTML format, which is a representation format of a WWW server on the Internet, can be automatically generated from a database as an existing information asset.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the target portion of the variable output data can be replaced according to the replacement target mark in the template, and the generation of the combination data is easy.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the template data and the variable output data are separated, and both can be independently edited and edited. This eliminates the need for a single technician to acquire both a technique for outputting variable output data from a database and a technique for creating, for example, an HTML format for creating a template, thereby enabling division of work.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a display state of a screen of a display means 3 provided in the terminal device S0.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration for creating variable output data 17 based on data constituting a database stored in memories 8 and 18;

FIG. 4 shows variable output data 17 and template data 2
FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration for creating a target document 21 based on the position information data 24 and the position information data 24.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of template data 23.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a specific example of variable output data 17;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the computer CPU4.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,7 Communication network 2,4,11 Input means 3,5,12 Display means 6,8,18 Memory 9 Memory for template 10 Memory for combination data 13 Image data 14 Document data 15 Icon 16,19 Program 17,27 Variable Output data 21 Combination data 22 Generation software program 23 Template data 24 Position information data S0 Terminal device S1-S4 Server R1-R5 Router CPU1-CPU5 Computer

Claims (5)

[Claims] The data to be transferred is stored in a transfer memory, and in response to a transfer command signal from the first processing means via a communication line, the second processing means stores the data in the transfer memory. A method of generating transfer data for reading out existing data and transferring the data to the first processing means via the communication line, creating template data for setting an expression format in the first processing means using variable output data as a variable, and forming a database Selectively reading data from a database memory for storing data to be created, creating the variable output data, combining template data and variable output data, and storing the combined data in the transfer memory as the data to be transferred. A method for generating transfer data, characterized in that: 2. A database memory for storing data constituting a database, a template memory for storing template data, a combination data memory for storing combination data, and template data read from the template memory. First processing means for reading out the data from the database memory and replacing it at a place to be replaced with the variable output data of the data to create combination data, storing the data in the combination data memory, and reading from the combination data memory; The combination data connected to the first processing means via the communication line and stored in the combination data memory,
And a second processing means for causing the processing data to be read out and receiving and outputting the read combination data from the first processing means. 3. The combination data memory according to claim 2, wherein the combination data created according to HTML is stored in the combination data memory, and the first processing means and the combination data memory are provided in a WWW server. A device for generating transfer data. 4. The template data includes a replacement target mark to be replaced with variable output data, and the first processing means stores the variable data from the database memory in accordance with the replacement target mark of the template data in a storage area of the replacement target mark. 4. The transfer data generation device according to claim 2, wherein 5. A first processing means for generating template data and storing it in a template memory, and reading variable output data to be replaced with template data from a database memory and storing it in a combination data memory. 5. The transfer data generation device according to claim 2, wherein the transfer data generation device is individually operable to edit and process the template data and the variable output data.