text:
|Computer apparatus and method for logical modelling
|Addesso et al.
|Entity-attribute value database system with inverse attribute for selectively relating two different entities
|Data base management system extending structure
|Kunii et al.
|In-line dynamic editor for mixed object documents
|Barker et al.
|Partnership data base management system and method
A. one or more modeler subsystems including modeler means for creating, analyzing, and modifying one or more models corresponding to each of said modeler subsystems, each of said models having design data associated therewith;
B. partnership set subsystem coupled to one or more of said modeler subsystems, said partnership set subsystem including means for establishing in said computer system one or more partnership sets within at least one of said design data, each of said partnership sets being representative of zero, one or more partnership;
C. partnership subsystem coupled to said partnership set subsystem, said partnership subsystem including means for establishing one or more of said partnerships, wherein each of said partnerships is characterized by one partnership set associated with itself or associated with one other partnership set;
D. access subsystem coupled to said modeler subsystems, said partnership subsystem and said partnership set subsystem, said access subsystem including means for accessing in said computer system one or more of said design data by reference to a partnership set which is in partnership with partnership sets of said one or more of said design data;
E. operator means coupled to said modeler subsystems for applying external signals to each of said modeler subsystems, said signals being effective to evoke a creating, analyzing, or modifying response from at least one of said modeler means; and
F. modeler linking means coupled to said modeler subsystems for dynamically correlating said design data, whereby a change to any of said design data of one of said modeler subsystems affects a substantially immediate corresponding change to said design data of others of said modeler subsystems.
attribute; attribute method; entity and attribute; entity and relationship; entity and entity method; entity, relationship and partnership set; process; view; process local store; information store; information flow; message; event; source; and, destination.
said information model having IM design data representative of elements including any one or more of: attribute; entity method; attribute method; partnership set; and, partnership set method, said attribute being independent of an entity.
said information flow model having IFM design data representative of elements including at least one from the group consisting of: processes; information stores; information flows; messages; views; process local stores; events; sources; and, destinations,
said IFM design data relating to at least one of said elements of said IM design data;.
wherein said process modeler further comprises means coupled thereto for establishing a IFM display having IFM display objects representative of said IFM design data, including means coupled to said IFM display selectively operative for externally applying signals to said IFM display objects, whereby an externally applied signal associated with at least one of said IFM display objects affects said IFM design data.
The subject matter of this application is related to the subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 516,822 entitled "Dynamic Information Management Computer System" filed concurrently herewith. That application, including Appendices, is herein incorporated by reference.
This invention is directed to a computer system for dynamically modeling information systems of organizations.
Early computer information processing systems stored, retrieved, and modified data contained in files specifically created for each information processing application. Knowledge relating to the structure and content of each data file was coded directly into each application program. When a need later developed to use the data within the data file for additional purposes, the user often created other primarily redundant data files, writing a specific application program to interact with each of these files. Subsequent changes in the content of any data file frequently mandated modification of related data files. If the user wished to avoid creating redundant data files, those modifications necessitated by additional demands were made to the original data file. Again, application programs were written to perform new tasks on the modified file.
However, the data file modifications sometimes hampered operation of earlier application programs, thus requiring their modification. As a consequence, computer installations involved in data processing faced the recurrent task of choosing between data file redundancy and repeated software modifications.
With the advent of so-called data base management systems, many of the problems encountered in the early information processing systems were alleviated. In addition to removing the need for the application program to address the intricacies of data file manipulation, data base management systems promoted efficient design, enhanced file maintenance and modification, eliminated data file redundancy, and provided substantial documentation regarding data file structure.
With the shift to data base management systems, the concept of dual data representation fully emerged. The first level of data representation, the physical representation, relates to the manner in which individual data records are stored and how their inter-relationships are depicted. The second level of data representation, the logical representation, describes the data base users' view of the data. The physical representation of the data is generally of no concern to the data base user. Rather, the task of manipulating individual data storage areas is left to the data base management system. Of concern to the data base user, however, is the logical representation of the data, since the users' ability to store, retrieve, and modify aggregations of data items, data records, and data relationships is dependent upon the form in which the data base management system presents data to the user.
Information management systems handle complex environments often consisting of hundreds of elements and relationships, permitting users to manipulate and employ data in ways not always anticipated by systems designers. Representation of such elements and relationships to a user presents a unique set of problems not encountered, and certainly not resolved by present data base management systems. Instead of being organized into application-oriented files, which are always addressed in the same way, as in data base systems, the information is organized so that it can be addressed in a variety of different ways, and can be used to answer a diversity of queries. All the interesting facts about entities are stored together rather than merely those facts needed for one application. As pointed out by J. Martin, "Computer Data-Base Organization", 2d ed., chapter 3, pp. 24-25 (1977), this "reservoir" concept of information systems is much easier to conceive than to implement. It is a complex and lengthy operation to build up such data bases, and it is expensive to search sufficiently quickly to give real-time answers to unanticipated queries.
The management of information has evolved into the field of Computer Aided Systems Engineering (CASE). As described by C. Gane, "Computer-Aided Software Engineering: The Methodologies, the Products, the Future" (1988), some of the common characteristics among CASE products are that they internally build a design database "at a higher level than code statements or physical data element definitions," and that they "typically hold[s] information about the data to be stored in the system, the business logic of the processes to be implemented, their physical layout of screens and reports, and other requirements/design information."
There are several such CASE products presently available. Two such products are EXCELERATOR, from Index Technology, Cambridge, Mass., and IEW, from Knowledgeware, Inc., Atlanta, Ga. EXCELERATOR enables an operator to work with data flow diagrams and data model diagrams, structure diagrams. An operator may also modify, delete, copy, rename, list or add a diagram. Diagram objects may be user defined, and are stored in a dictionary.
In a similar manner, IEW enables a user to work with, and create or change objects on diagrams, which affects an encyclopedia but not existing displays or screens. In addition, IEW can model relationships, entities and attributes together, or entities alone, but does not model attributes alone. It is often useful to manipulate attributes independent of entities to which they may later be tied.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved information management system.
Other objects, features and advantages of te invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof, and from the claims.
Briefly, the present invention is a computer system for dynamically modeling information systems of organizations by employing partnership sets. The system includes one or more editors, or modelers, which enable a user to interact with the system. The present system includes a programmed data computer adapted to establish one or more partnership sets within at least one design data, where each partnership set is representative of zero, one or more partnerhips. The computer is further adapted to establish one or more partnerships, wherein each partnership is characterized by one partnership set associated with itself or associated with one other partnership set. The computer controls access to one or more design data by reference to a partnership set which is in partnership with partnership sets of one or more design data.
The system may include at least one information modeler, which provides a dynamic environment for the user to create, analyze, and modify IM models which contain IM design data. The Information Model (IM) design data may be representative of entities, attributes, relationships, entity methods, partnership sets, and combinations thereof, each of which may be effected by externally applied signals.
The system may also include at least one process modeler, providing a dynamic environment for the user to create, analyze, and modify IFM models containing Information Flow Model (IFM) design data. The IFM design data is representative of processes, information stores, information flows, messages, sources and/or destinations. In general, the IFM design data, specifically information flow contents, correspond to IM design data entities. The IFM modeler and the IM modeler can be dynamically linked, such that a change in one design data set will affect a corresponding change in the other design data set.
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 1-1 through 1-24 collectively show a detailed entity-relationship diagram of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 1A shows a diagram designating the relative position of each of FIGS. 1-1 through 1-24.
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of display windows and facilities of the invention of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of an Entity-Relationship (E-R) diagram display which may be generated through an IM modeler of the invention of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3A is a diagrammatic representation of a "create" form which may be accessed through an IM modeler of the invention of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4A is a diagrammatic representation of a network diagram display of the invention of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4B is a diagrammatic representation of multi-layered overlapping boxes display of the invention of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of an IFM diagram display of the invention of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6A is a diagrammatic representation of an IFM diagram display of the invention of FIG. 1 having exploded processes, prior to creating a new process boundary.
FIG. 6B is a diagrammatic representation of an IFM diagram display of the invention of FIG. 1 having a new process incorporating subprocesses.
FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic representation of an Function Decomposition (FD) diagram display of the invention of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a Process Description Language (PDL) diagram display of the invention of FIG. 1.
FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic representation of a PDL diagram displayed in a diagram window of the invention of FIG. 1.
FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic representation of an options window of the invention of FIG. 1.
Like reference characters in the respective drawn figures indicate corresponding parts.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, a system 10 operates using a programmed IBM-compatible 80386 personal computer, having an OS/2 operating system. Other computer hardware and operating systems, such as UNIX or DOS, may be used, with some modifications to the software. Although the preferred embodiment uses C as its programming language, other programming languages may be used to implement the present invention.
The system 10 assists data analysts and systems analysts in building models of information systems of organizations. These models, or files, can be stored in a database and shared among analysts. In its preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 1, the system 10 consists of four modelers, or editors, which can be used to build models, each of which gives a different perspective of the same design.
The system 10 further includes a controller 2 and a display 3. The four modelers include: the information modeler 4; the process modeler 5; the logic modeler 6; and the function modeler 7. Each of these modelers generate corresponding models or diagrams, having design data which may be created, analyzed, and modified by a user. These models and diagrams are referred to as the information model (IM), the information flow model (IFM), the Process Description Language (PDL) diagram, and the functional decomposition (FD) diagram, respectively. Each of these models and diagrams may be dynamically linked in the manner described in further detail below.
FIGS. 1-1 through 1-24 collectively show a detailed entity-relationship diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1A shows a diagram designating the relative position of each of FIGS. 1-1 through 1-24 to form a composite, complete entity-relationship diagram of the preferred embodiment.
The following TABLE 1 identifies, in column I, elements of the system shown in FIGS. 1-1 through 1-24. TABLE 1, column II, identifies corresponding names for certain of the elements of column I which are used in the description below.
|LEGEND FOR FIGS. 1-1 THROUGH 1-24 Column I Column II
ABORT abort
ALLOWABLE-VALUE allowable value
APPL-STRUCTURE information structure
ATTRIBUTE attributes
CHOOSE case
COMMIT commit
DELETE delete
DESTINATION destination
DIMENSION dimension
DO do
DOMAIN domain
ENTITY entities
ENTITY-SET entity-set
EVENT-OBJECT event
EXIT exit
FLOW-ATTRIBUTE flow-attribute
FLOW-ENTITY flow-entity
FLOW-P-SET flow-partnership set
FLOW-PARTNERSHIP flow-partnership
FLOW-STRUCTURE message
information flow
FOR-EACH foreach
IF if
IM-PROCEDURE methods
IM-PROCEDURE entity methods
IM-PROCEDURE attribute methods
IM-PROCEDURE partnership-set methods
INFO-MODEL information model
INFO-STORE information-store
INT-PROCESS high-level process
KEY key
LEAVE skip
MODIFY update
P-SET partnership-sets
PARTNERSHIP relationships
PROCESS processes
process local store
RECEIVE receive
RETURN return
SELECT retrieve
SEND send
SOURCE source
STORE create
STORE insert
TERM-PROCESS primitive process
VIEW-STRUCTURE information flow
WHEN when
The primary interface between a user and the system of the invention is through a series of interactive graphics windows presented to the user in the display 3. The windows display text, tree structure diagrams, or other graphical representations of each of the modelers. As shown in FIG. 2, when a user accesses either the information modeler or process modeler, three windows will generally appear: an options facility 20; a feedback window 22; and, a diagram window 24.
The options facility 20 consists of a hierarchy of items which enable the user to perform actions on a specified model. By activating an element displayed in the facility, for example by placing and activating a cursor over the element, a selected model may be activated or deactivated. This facility may also display selections not presently available to the user at that time.
The feedback window 22 displays messages informing the user of one or more of the following: when an action has taken place; what step to take next; any mistakes or errors which may occur; when the user is entering or exiting a modeler or mode.
The diagram window 24 displays diagrams generated by each of the modelers. This window 24 generally includes the capability to scroll in any direction to view a diagram which is too large to fit in the window 24. Once a diagram is displayed in the diagram window 24, a user may edit the diagram, or create a new diagram. This window 24 also provides a dynamic environment for user interaction to the modelers.
Additional windows may be added or included in the present system. For example, pop-up windows (not shown), context menus 26, and icons (not shown) may appear at various times and at various locations on the CRT of a computer. Pop-up windows may be used to control user interactions with the system. Sometimes a pop-up window may be used to provide choices, or warn of a problem. Context menus may be included to enable the user to perform actions within a specific context, or model. An item in a context menu may function in the same manner as the corresponding item in an options facility, but may occur at different times or locations than the options facility. Icons may appear at various locations on the CRT, for example in the lower left corner when a model is initially opened, or as a reminder that other modelers and models are available.
Diagrams and forms of the system are tools used for defining and manipulating objects of the overall business information system model. Once an object is created using any of the modelers, or editors, of the system, it exists in the system and can be displayed graphically in any applicable diagram, or textually in a form. When an object is manipulated, the new information about the object is accessible from any applicable diagram or form, which provide different ways of accessing the same model objects by offering different perspectives of the same system.
An additional editor, the options modeler 5A, is available from the logic modeler 5. The options modeler is a language sensitive editor which prompts the user with grammatical options which may be inserted at any selected location. The modeler 5A defines what can be selected by the user and inserted into a PDL statement, which is further described below. The modeler 5A presents the options to a user in an options window, and shows only the next available syntactic phrase or term. Thus, at any point, the option modeler provides only syntactically valid options.
It is also possible to display subprocesses for a process contained in an information flow model concurrently with an information flow diagram in the diagram window. In the preferred embodiment, while an activated information flow model (IFM) diagram is displayed in the diagram window, a user may selectively display subprocesses to specified process within that IFM diagram. This "process explosion" is described in further detail in the section labelled "Process Modeler" below.
Since the four models are essentially views of the same information system design, an operation applied to one model using a particular modeler has an immediate effect on another model. This may be accomplished by maintaining logical relationships between the models, thus keeping the representation of design data consistent with the underlying design. It is important, therefore, that a change to a model or diagram in one modeler is reflected in other models and diagrams. For example, if a process is deleted through the function modeler, the deletion is automatically and immediately reflected in the IFM diagram. By way of further example, if a process having associated information flows is created through the process modeler, the information flow model objects, or IFM design data, are reflected in an activated PDL diagram. This change may occur substantially immediately, i.e. without any additional user input.
The preferred embodiment is a system designed for interaction with a human user. However, the system may also be incorporated into a larger system whereby the "user" becomes a generic "operator", such as another computer. The operator may include magnetic tape devices, which download information into the present system. Any other technology which permits transfer of design data, or information, such as laser disc memory devices, may be used. The operator may also be an artificial intelligence device which not only provides design data input, but is capable of dynamically interacting with the present system.
An information model describes the objects that are used within the system. The information modeler 4 of the present system invention includes an editor for creating, analyzing, and modifying entity relationship data models, referred to below as information model (IM), and for generating entity-relationship (E-R) diagrams which describe relationships between entities. An exemplary E-R diagram is shown in FIG. 3. The information modeler consists of IM design data, or IM objects, which may include entities, attributes, attribute methods, relationships, entity methods, keys, domains, dimensions, allowable values, and partnership sets. The modeler 4 also enables the operator to import existing information models created on other systems, or in other environments, into the present system 10.
As used in the field of the invention, the term "entity" is generally defined as an item about which information is being stored. An entity may be a tangible object, such as an employee or a part, or may be an intangible concept, such as a job title or an event. The term "attribute" is generally defined as properties of entities. For example, for an entity "customer", attributes may include address, company affiliation, or salary. A "relationship" describes the correlation among entities, or among attributes. Alternately, attributes may be "free" attributes. Free attributes are attributes not associated with an entity. For example, an attribute may be used to hold constants, or contents of flows that go between processes. A free attribute may later become associated with an entity, or may remain independent.
"Partnership sets" are described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,664 (Bachman, Dec. 23, 1986). In the present system, partnership sets are used both for storing and manipulating information. Thus, using the information modeler 4, a user may define objects within the system as partnership sets. Internal to the system, partnership sets are established to provide the medium through which design data is accessed and exchanged among the modelers of the present system.
An "entity method" is a PDL procedure (defined below) attached to an entity in an E-R diagram rather than to a process in the IFM diagram. Each entity method defines a generic operation to be performed on all occurrences of the entity, similar to methods in object-oriented programming. The use of entity methods protects applications from changes made in the design data model. Similar to an entity method, an "attribute method" is a PDL procedure associated with an attribute.
A typical use for an entity method might be to specify a referential integrity rule required by a user's business. For example, a company may have a rule that requires the "last-customer-number" attribute to be incremented by one each time a new customer is created, and the assignment of that number to the new customer. The traditional "process-centered" approach would force all developers of applications to include the code for this operation each time an application creates a new customer. However, a "create-customer" entity method may be created to handle this operation. Then, whenever an application creates a new customer, the developer calls the "create-customer" entity method which insures that the "last-customer-number" attribute is incremented by one and assigned to the new customer.
A "derived attribute" is an attribute having a value which is calculated each time it is used in a procedure. The value is not stored in the database, but is recalculated when it is used. For example, for a transaction-based system, a user might create a derived attribute, called "total-tax", that calculates the total sales tax for each sales transaction. A PDL statement is then used to create a derivation rule, which sets the derived attribute "total-tax" equal to 5% of the value of the stored attribute "subtotal-taxable." Once a derived attribute is created, it can be used in the same manner as any other attibute derived in an E-R diagram.
A key is one or more entity components that uniquely identifies an occurrence of an entity. For example, every house has a unique address and every employee has a unique employee identification number. In the preferred embodiment of the system, unique keys may represent one or more attributes, partnership sets, or a combination of both attributes and partnership sets. Keys may be primary, alternate, or foreign. A primary key represents a combination of attributes and/or partnership sets that uniquely identify each occurrence of an entity. For example, "Emp-Address" attribute of an Employee entity.
Any key other than a primary key is an alternate key, which may later become a primary key. For example, a customer can be uniquely identifed by a customer identification number, or by a name and address combination. A user can choose either identification form as the primary key for the Customer entity. The other key is then an alternate key.
Foreign keys represent attributes and/or partnership sets used to establish a recursive relationship or a relationship with another entity or partnership set. Attributes within the entity may correspond to some or all of the attributes in the primary key of a partner entity. That is, a foreign key is a primary key in one entity that acts as a unique identifier in a partner entity, a partner entity essentially being referenced by the primary key in the other entity.
To create a new information model, the user selectively interacts with the options facility 20 to the information modeler 4 to indicate that a new file is being created. The options facility 20 may include various forms of information display, such as a palette, a dialog box, or context menus, depending upon the type of information to be displayed and/or ergonomic criteria. The new information model (IM) is named, and identified as to type of model. In the preferred embodiment, a diagram is generated in the diagram window 24. An operator may then create an IM by creating and placing IM design data, or objects, in the IM diagram. The IM design data may include entities, with associated attributes, relationships, text blocks, and entity methods. In the preferred embodiment, IM design data may include at least the following objects and combinations: attributes; attribute methods; entities; entity methods; partnership sets; partnership set methods; entities and relationships; entities and attributes; and entities, relationships, and partnership sets.
To create one or more entities, an operator selects an element in the context menu 26 corresponding to "create". A "create" form 40, shown in FIG. 3A, is then displayed in the diagram window 24. The operator then describes the entity by entering the following information: entity name; description; name of parent entity; and expected volume. This information is then stored, and selectively displayed upon later recall by either the operator or one of the modelers.
Attributes may be created in a manner similar to entities, and are described by the following information entered by an operator: attribute name; description; expected length; domain; data type. Data type of an attribute generally may include integers, strings, and the like. Domains may be used to define useful, recurring data types. For example, "date" is a domain, made up of separate pieces of data, each of which may be defined as subdomains. Attributes may only be assigned superior domains as data types. A domain can consist of one or more pieces of data. In the present system, deleting a domain does not delete attributes with that data type, but does leave attributes without data types. Dimension allows a user to group domains which are comparable in value. For example, a value space may have one or more representations such as U.S. format (e.g., Nov. 2, 1990), or European format (e.g., 2 Nov. 1990). By making a dimension "date", all attributes having "date" data type, regardless of format, will be shown.
In the preferred system, attributes may be created independent of entities. Using the partnership set protocols described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,664, relationships may be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many, depending upon the type and complexity of the system or model created.
Once an IM is created, it may be displayed as an IM diagram, as either network diagrams or multi-layered overlapping boxes, shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Other graphical representations may be used, such as text or tree structure diagrams (not shown). Each design data, or object, of the diagram, or text, may be dynamically activated by the user to modify, analyze, or create the associated IM. Thus, the information modeler 4 may be accessed by the operator by means of the diagram window 24. In a similar manner, the IM diagram 30 may be manipulated as to size or object location. In the preferred embodiment, a pointing device, such as a mouse, is used in conjunction with the system 10 to manipulate a pointing icon in the related windows. Thus, the pointing icon may be used to expand or contract the size of the diagram, the size of the design data associated with the diagram, and placement of the design data in relation to the diagram.
The process modeler 5 of the preferred embodiment is an editor used to define an information flow model (IFM). An IFM describes a function that occurs within the system. The process modeler 5 enables an operator to define the processes, information stores, information flows, messages, and sources/destinations of the system. The information store of a process modeler 4 corresponds to design data elements in an IM. The information flow of a process modeler represents the flow of design data elements which are usually defined in an IM. Therefore, in the preferred system 10, the IM is generally established before the related IFM. The IM to which an IFM is attached can be empty; that is, it does not have to contain entities, attributes, or other elements. Thus, an operator may begin modeling a system with an IFM diagram, generated through the process modeler to describe relationships between objects in a process model. An exemplary IFM diagram 50 is shown in FIG. 5.
A new IFM can be created through the process modeler 5 in the same manner that a new IM can be generated through the information modeler 4, as discussed above. Generally, creating a new IFM requires operator input of the following: a model name; identification of an associated information model; target database in which the IFM will be stored; and model type. An IFM diagram may be associated with the process modeler 5 such that a user may dynamically interact with the diagram in creating, analyzing and modifying an IFM.
Once an IFM diagram is generated, after the above-mentioned information is entered by the user, IFM design data, or IFM objects, may be selectively placed on the IFM diagram. The IFM design data includes processes, information flows, messages, sources/destinations, process local stores, events, flow-partnership, flow-partnership set, flow-entity, flow-attribute, and information stores. After one or more IFM design data are created by the operator, information flow can be added between them. Duplicate names for design data or flows are generally not accepted within an IFM.
In the preferred embodiment, an information flow may be added to the model once at least two processes, or a process and an information store, or a source/destination object are present. Generally, data cannot flow between two information stores, or between two source/destination objects without an intervening process. Therefore, the preferred system accesses information flows created between two processes, between a process and a source/destination, or between a process and an information store. The contents of an information flow are generally referred to as messages, which may consist of design data.
Information stores may be created to contain one or more entities, and may be included in the process model. There is an association between information stores and entities, which may be graphically represented in E-R diagrams. An entity may exist in one or many information stores. Therefore, the IFM diagram, IM diagram, and associated process model and information model forms are linked by the association of the information store and the entity. Forms, like diagrams of the preferred system, may be used as tools for defining and manipulating all objects of the system. Diagrams and forms provide graphical and textual ways of accessing the same objects of the system.
In the preferred embodiment, Events are the ones that control flow design data in the IFM diagram. Examples of Events include Clock/Calendar Events, User Events, Database Events, and Flow Events. A Clock/Calendar Event may indicate that a process is to execute at a specified time. For example, a user might specify a process to run every day at 2:00 pm. User Events generally correspond to a user demand, for example, an explicit "run this process". A Database Event may be a mechanism that initiates the execution of a process based on the changing of an information store value. For example, if a customer goes from having good credit to having bad credit, this might trigger the "send threatening letter" process. A process triggered by a Flow Event begins execution upon the arrival of the flow structure. Flow Events must correspond to a flow going to that process, or a triggering flow.
While Events generally appear in IFM diagrams, there may be corresponding clauses in other modelers of the system. For example, in the preferred embodiment, a Triggered-When clause in the logic modeler corresponds to the IFM diagram Event for that process. Further, in the preferred embodiment, every completely specified primitive process (described further in the "Function Modeler" section, below) must have a triggering Event associated with it. This Event is what actuates the process, forcing it to begin "executing" its business logic.
Source/destination objects may be defined to direct information in an IFM. In the preferred system, these objects may be included in the IFM diagram to indicate the source or destination of IFM design data of that diagram.
The size of an IFM diagram 50 may be changed, enlarged or diminished, to accommodate the viewing needs of a user. In the preferred embodiment, a user can generate an expanded view of a selected process or design data element. The size of the IFM diagram 50 may also be changed to accomodate an overlapping, or superimposed exploded process or function decomposition diagram (described below). In addition, the layout of the IFM diagram 50 may be modified by moving IFM design data, for example, boxes and graphical representations (arrows) of information flows 54 connecting the boxes, as shown in FIG. 5.
Once a process is created it may be divided into lower-level processes or subprocesses. Dividing a high-level process into two or more subprocesses is referred to as "explosion". In the preferred embodiment, the process to be exploded must have at least one information flow attached to it, either incoming or outgoing. In other forms, such a restriction is not necessary. When a process is exploded, the number of subprocesses generated and named by the system for the exploded process equals the number of flows coming into and out of the process.
In one embodiment, a subprocess 58 related to an incoming flow has the word "handle" as a prefix to its name; a subprocess 60 related to an outgoing flow has the word "generate" in its name. Subprocesses 62 may exist within a process 56 which have neither incoming nor outgoing flow associated therewith. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a process "fill orders" may be divided into subprocesses "generate inventory update", "handle orders for shipping", "put orders in boxes", and "take boxes to mail room".
Thus, an IFM diagram may contain both high-level processes 56 and primitive proccesses 62. High-level processes 56 are those processes having subprocesses associated therewith. Primitive processes 62 are those processes having no subprocesses. Once a process is exploded, the subprocesses may be displayed through a functional decomposition diagram 80, (defined below), or superimposed over a segment of the IFM diagram.
In the preferred embodiment, a user can simultaneously and concurrently view an IFM diagram 50 and an exploded process 56 in the same diagram window 24. For example, a user may use a pointing device to point to an icon representative of a high-level process 56 in an IFM diagram 50, and display the "explosion", or subprocesses, of that process, while maintaining the other processes on the display screen. A user may also display or hide the subprocesses in a corner window, leaving the IFM diagram intact. Subsequent changes to an IFM object or process in either window would be reflected in the other window. Conversely, the subprocesses can be hidden in the high-level process using process "implosion", resulting in a display of only the high-level process.
In an IFM diagram 50 a user can create a high-level process 56 for a process or group of processes by defining process boundaries 70. In the illustrated embodiment, and as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the system prompts the user to name the new high-level process, and then draws the new process 74 around the selected, or "boundaried", processes 72. The original processes 72 become subprocesses of the new process 74. Making a new process boundary 70 is a way of changing the hierarchy of processes in the process model. Each new high-level process has a form. This form lists the subprocesses in the process hierarchy fields of display. Likewise, the forms for each subprocess list the new process as the top-level process. In a similar manner, process boundaries 70 may be undone, returning the process model to the state it was in before the process boundary 70 was created.
Once an IFM containing process is created, the function modeler 7 may be invoked to generate and display a function decomposition (FD) diagram of the process, as exemplified by diagram 80 shown in FIG. 7. The decomposition diagram 80 consists of subprocesses 84 identified by the operator to be associated with an identified process 82. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, if the process 82 is identified as "fill orders", subprocesses B4 identified with that process 82 may include, "generate inventory update", "handle orders for shipping", "put orders in boxes", and "take boxes to mail room". In the preferred embodiment, a pointing device, such as a mouse, is used to select a process displayed in an IFM diagram. By selecting a process with the pointing device, a decomposition diagram may be superimposed over all or part of the IFM diagram.
A typical FD diagram 80 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 7. There, the diagram 80 is a tree-structure type diagram, having nodes containing process description 86, process 82, and subprocess 84. The relationship between the nodes is shown graphically by a main line 88, and branch lines 90. The nodes are each connected to the lines 88, 90 at root pins 92. Each of lines 88, 90 also has an extension pin, 94 at which nodes may be attached.
An important aspect of the present invention is that the FD objects of the FD diagram 80 are dynamically linked to the IM and IFM objects such that a change to the FD diagram 80 (FIG. 7) is substantially immediately reflected in the IFM diagram 50 (FIG. 5) and the design data sets of both the information modeler and the process modeler.
In addition, a FD diagram 80 may display subprocesses 62 created in a process explosion. Thus, there are two ways in which subprocesses 62 may be created and displayed: using the process explosion from an IFM diagram 50; or using the function modeler to create a FD diagram 80.
The system 10 of the invention also includes a logic modeler 6 which specifies the logic of primitive processes defined in an IFM. The logic modeler 6 primarily embodies a graphical, structured language which enables a user to define business logic of the processes that operate on entities defined in an IM. The logic modeler 6 may be used to define logic models for describing the flow of information between models.
The logic modeler 6 refers to entities and attributes in the IM as it defines the logic that operates on the entities and their attributes according to the organization's business rules. For example, the business rule for deriving an attribute can be expressed in the logic modeler 6 and stored.
In the preferred embodiment, the structured language is a Process Description Language (PDL), which shows the flow of processing in relation to objects in the IFM and the specific operations performed on entities and attributes in the information model. The logic modeler 6 is generally related to an IFM and to an IM. As shown in FIG. 8, a PDL diagram 100 may be built by creating PDL statements, one at a time, in a window. The system then automatically generates graphical representation of the statement in the PDL diagram 100. The logic modeler 6 includes PDL procedures and PDL statements in describing and displaying logical operations on objects. As discussed above, entity methods and derived attributes may be used to define a procedure on an entity in the corresponding IFM diagram 50. PDL procedures may also include process procedures, which describe the business logic of the primitive process, and derived attributes, which are attributes having a value calculated each time it is used.
PDL statements may be used to build procedures and write specifications that describe the business logic of primitive processes in a corresponding IFM diagram. Statements may be built by a user or generated by the system, using keywords, identifiers, and expressions. Keywords which may be used in building PDL statements may include, inter alia: CREATE; RETRIEVE; UPDATE; DELETE; SEND; RECEIVE; SIGNAL; and, WHEN.
In the system of the present invention, several types of statements are available, including logical access statements (RETRIEVE, CREATE, UPDATE, DELETE), iteration statements (FOREACH, and LOOP), conditional statements (IF, CASE), and control transfer statements (EXIT, SKIP, RESUME). Logical access statements describe selecting or changing data defined in information stores. These statements are equivalent to statements that describe database access in a physical database. Any of the logical access statements of the present embodiment can create new objects in the IM diagram and in the IFM diagram.
In the preferred embodiment, "send" and "receive" statements are also available. The "send" statement defines the destination of information leaving a particular process. It can create an information flow from the process a user is currently editing to another process or source/destination. The syntax, or semantic rule, associated with a "send" statement is: SEND-(INFORMATION-STRUCTURE-REFERENCE)-WHERE (optional) - THROUGH (optional) - TO (optional). "Information-structure-reference" specifies the information to be sent from the process. The information can be a list of attribute references or an "entity.*" (indicating all attributes of a particular entity). An attribute reference can be an attribute name or a qualified attribute name. Optional clauses may include "where", "through", and "to". The "where" clause specifies search conditions that determine the information to send. The "through" clause specifies the information flow through which a user wants to send information. In one embodiment, only one information flow is allowed. The "to" clause specifies one or more processes or source/destination objects to which a user wants to send information.
The "receive" statement specifies the source of the information entering the process. It can create an information flow from a specified process or source/destination to the process for which a user is currently specifying PDL. The syntax associated with a "receive" statement is: RECEIVE - (INFORMATION-STRUCTURE-REFERENCE) - WHERE (optional) - THROUGH (optional) - FROM (optional). The "information-structure-reference" is the same as for "send" statements. Similarly, the "where" clause specifies search conditions that determine the information to receive, the "through " clause specifies the information flow through which a user wants to receive the information, and the "from" clause specifies the process or source/destination object from which the information is to be received. In one embodiment, neither the "send" nor the "receive" statements are allowed in entity method and derived attribute procedures. Both SEND and RECEIVE can create entities and attributes in the information model by reference. That is, if a user references an entity or attribute which does not exist, the system will prompt the user to create such an entity or attribute. Thus, similar to logical access statements, SEND and RECEIVE statements of the present embodiment can create new objects in the IM diagram and in the IFM diagram.
A SIGNAL statement may be used to signal an exception condition or error and to transfer control to a condition handler (WHEN clause) defined for the specified condition. A syntax for the statement is: SIGNAL - condition - (- expression list - ). The "condition" is one of the system-defined conditions, including: ABORT, DUPLICATE, EMPTY, ONE, BEGIN, FIRST, LAST, EXIT, BETWEEN, END, END GROUP, SKIP, and, OTHERWISE. The system may test for and signal some of these conditions by default. An "expression-list" is a user-defined list of parameters to be passed to the condition handler.
A condition handler, such as WHEN, may be included to specify the action to take when a particular condition arises. This may be used in place of a user-written PDL statement to test for or signal that a condition exists. This may be used in conjunction with a SIGNAL statement to explicitly signal any of the system default conditions. Thus, as an argument to the SIGNAL statement, a user may specify the condition to be signaled and any parameters to be passed to the condition handler.
Two other important PDL statements are CONNECT and DISCONNECT. In general, these statements provide the means by which two instances of entities are caused to be joined at one of their partnership sets by a single partnership. The CONNECT statement may provide the means for causing a new instance of a partnership to be created joining two instances of a partnership set, each of which is associated with an instance of an entity. In the case of non-directed, recursive partnships, the two ends of a single instance of a partnership must both be attached to the same instance of a partnership set.
In the preferred embodiment, when a CONNECT statement is executed, it is necessary to establish two sets of information; one set for each end of the partnership being created. In that instance, each set must include: (1) identification of the type of entity and instance to be connected; (2) identification of the type of partnership set to be connected; and, (3) identification of the rules of insertion to be applied to the new partnership endpoint. These rules may include identification of the new partnership endpoint as the "first" member, as the "last" member, as the "prior" member to some designated current member, as the "next" member after some designated current member, sorted by some attribute value controlled by sorting rules, or in no particular order. Where the maximum cardinality is one, the rules of insertion are moot, as there can then be only one instance of a partnership endpoint at an instance of a partnership set at any moment in time.
The CONNECT statement may be an independent statement, or may be included as an extension of an INSERT statement. In the preferred embodiment, where the minimum cardinality is one (1) for one of the partnership sets, then the CONNECT statement must be treated as an extension of the INSERT statement to assure that the integrity of the partnship set is maintained after the INSERT is completed. In the situation where the minimum cardinality is one (1) for both partnship sets of the partnership, it may be necessary to actually INSERT both entities and CONNECT them before the information structure is in a consistent state. Where the minimum cardinality is zero for both ends of the partnership, or where the maximum cardinality is greater than one (1) for both ends of the partnership, it is essential that there exist an independent CONNECT statement which may add partnerships as they are required.
The DISCONNECT statement provides the means for causing an existing partnership to be destroyed. The destroyed partnership might be replaced by a new one, several, or none, depending upon the information situation.
Where it is essential to the integrity of the data definitions, it may be necessary that a RECONNECT statement be constructed as a separate command, or as a pairing of a DISCONNECT statement and a CONNECT statement to assure that the minimum cardinality rules remains intact. Where the order of the members of a partnership set is defined as being controlled by the values of one or more attributes, then the modification of the value of one of those attributes might require that the members of a partnership set be reordered to maintain the integrity of the declarations. The SORT statement may be defined to cause the members of a partnership set to be placed in a defined sequence on a batch basis, rather than on an ad hoc basis as they are created.
Other statements available in the illustrated system, plus a brief description, are listed below in TABLE 2.
ABORT signals fatal error and rolls back all
changes specified by the transaction
CASE executes zero, one or more of several
possible statement lists; compares
several possible values to the value of
"case selector"
COMMIT transfers process results to
information store
DO calls an entity method or procedure
from a process procedure, another
entity method, or the same entity method
EXIT used in iteration blocks to terminate
the iteration statement and transfer
control to the EXIT condition handler
or to the statement following the
iteration block
FOREACH starts an iteration block, processing a
single entity occurrence on each
iteration until a specified condition
is met
IF makes the execution of a block
statement conditional
LOOP starts an iteration block, processing
the statements within the block until a
specified condition is met
NOTE adds comments to a PDL specification
RESUME used in condition handlers to indicate
that the condition handler completed
successfully, and transfers control to
the statement following the SIGNAL
statement that raised the condition
RETURN exits from the process with a value
SKIP terminates the current iteration and
transfers control to the SKIP condition
handler or to the next iteration of the
Other embodiments may have other statements which perform substantially the same functions as the CREATE, RETRIEVE, UPDATE, DELETE, SEND, RECEIVE, or other statements of the preferred embodiment described above. The description above is not intended to be semantically limiting, but merely to describe functions for affecting the modelers and associated design data.
The logic modeler 6 may be accessed from any of the other three modelers. In general, an IFM having the processes upon which the logic modeler 6 is to act must be opened prior to accessing the logic modeler. When a user creates or modifies objects in the IFM diagram 50, the system 10 automatically creates or modifies the corresponding PDL statements and their graphical representations. For example, if an information flow is created from a source/destination object to a primitive process and the contents of the information flow in the IFM diagram 50 are defined, the PDL diagram 100 for that primitive process contains a node labeled "receive" (nodes are described in detail below). The "receive" node represents a PDL statement that describes the source of information coming into the process.
In a similar manner, when PDL objects are created or modified, the system creates or modifies the corresponding objects in the IFM diagram 50. For example, any of the PDL logical access statements can create a new entity in the IM diagram 30 or a new information store in the IFM.
The PDL diagram 100 may also include graphical representation of the process description, and may enable a user to generate a report containing the text of a process description. In the preferred embodiment of the system 10, the graphical representation is in the form of a tree structure diagram, shown in FIG. 8. The tree 100 may have a series of nodes 102, pins 104, and PDL statements 106. The nodes 102 appear as boxes on the tree structure diagram 100. The nodes 102 contain text fields, upon which statements from the modelers or from internal language statements, appear.
Pins 104 represent the relationship, or link, between statements or parts of statements. The position of a pin 104 in relation to its node 102 indicates the type of pin 104 it is. As best shown in FIG. 9, pin types may include: extension pins 112; root pins 114; parent/child pins 116; qualifier pins 118; and condition pins 120. An extension pin 112 may be used to mark each location where an operator can add nodes 102 to the end of an existing sequence. An extension pin 112 may appear at the end of a main line 108, or at the end of each line that represents a subsection of a process description. A root pin 114 may be used to mark the location, or root, of a node 102. Selection of a root pin 114 by an operator enables the operator to insert nodes 102 before the root pin 114. A root pin 114 may appear along any line of a process description. A parent/child pin 116 may be used to mark the beginning of a subtree of nodes, and allows a user to insert nodes 102 at the beginning of a subtree. A qualifier pin 118 may be used to represent a clause 118a that modifies a PDL statement 106 contained in an associated node 102. A condition pin 120 may be used to represent directions for handling exception conditions and errors associated with statements in a node 102. An important aspect of the nodes/pins relationship is that each pin 104 is associated with at least one node 102, and is graphically represented as such.
In general, each node 102 and its attached pins 104 represent a PDL statement 106. Pins 104 may also have active or inactive, and may be displayed to the user independent of its status. A pin 104 having active status is defined as a pin 104 which acts upon the associated node 102, whereas a pin 104 having inactive status is defined as a pin 104 which merely represents the possibility of becoming active upon user input.
The logic modeler 6 may have a series of windows associated with it which are unique to the logic modeler. These windows may be similar to those used in the other modelers, but may only reflect activities within the logic modeler and associated logic model.
PDL statements and their graphical representations can be created either by being generated by the system 10 from objects in the corresponding IM and IFM, or entered directly by the operator. The graphical representations may be in the form of a tree structure diagram 100, a network diagram (not shown), or other forms customary in the art, which may be displayed in a diagram window 24. In the preferred embodiment, a node 102 representing the scope of the description occurs at the top of each PDL diagram 100. The node is generated by the system 10 to describe the process for which the user is specifying a logic modeler 4. All possible qualifier pins 118 and a condition pin 120 appear on the node 102 independent of whether a user has actually entered them as part of the statement. In the preferred embodiment, if a qualifier pin 118 is active, i.e. actually part of the statement, the text of the clause represented by the pin 118 appears to the side of the pin 118. If a pin 103 is not active, it serves as a place holder, telling the user that a clause may be added to the statement.
Addition or modification of design data, or objects, in the PDL diagram 100 may be achieved by establishing an editing focus, which may be user-selected and system activated. An editing focus may be a pin 104 to which the user wants to add a node 102, or it can be a node 102 or pin 104 the user wants to modify. When a new node 102 is added to the end of a LM tree of a PDL diagram, the logic modeler automatically creates a new Pin 112 that extends from the new node. This extension pin 112 then becomes the editing focus. An operator can easily change this editing focus by selecting another object in the displayed PDL diagram 100.
In the preferred system, the logic modeler may also include an options modeler and related options windows which present items available for the operator to use in building PDL statements 106 and manipulating PDL diagrams 100. An exemplary option window 150 is shown in FIG. 10. The options modeler is a language sensitive editor which generates a display of syntactically valid options for insertion by the user at a selected point in a line of a procedure, specification, or statement. The options window shows only those terms and/or phrases which are syntactically valid for building PDL statements, and thus may be displayed as a PDL palette as shown in FIG. 10.
The syntactic validity of an option is determined by comparing the options available, to criteria which may be defined by logical relationships, general semantic rules, expert rules, and heuristics. Logical relationships may include requirements such as certain keywords must be used in conjunction with specific identifiers. General semantic rules may include requirements that two keywords cannot occur next to each other without intervening identifiers. Expert rules and heuristics may involve series of user-defined logical correlations which must occur before a PDL statement structure is considered correct.
In the illustrated embodiment, the options window 150 is a tree-like display of items that a user can use to build PDL statements. These items may include keywords, symbols, identifiers, and the names of objects in the corresponding IM diagram 30 and IFM diagram 50. When the logic modeler 6 is first displayed, a single PDL palette 152 appears in the options window. Once a user selects an editing focus, the PDL palette item expands to display one or more categories of the PDL grammar. For example, when a user sets the editing focus to an extension pin 112, a root pin 114, or a parent/child pin 116, the following items appear in the options window: verbs, control flow, qualifiers, NOTE. The first three items are categories of the PDL grammar. The fourth item is a PDL keyword that can be used to add comments to procedures.
In other systems, an option modeler may be used in conjunction with any of the modelers, or editors, in designing and building a model.
An important aspect of the present system is a dynamic linking between the design data sets of each modeler. Within the logic modeler, when design data is created or modified in the information modeler or process modeler, the system automatically creates or modifies the corresponding PDL statements and their graphical representations. For example, if an operator creates a source/destination design data, or object, with an information flow to a primitive process in the IFM, the PDL diagram 100 for that primitive process contains a node 102 labeled RECEIVE. The RECEIVE node represents a PDL statement that describes the source of information coming into the process. In a similar way, when an operator creates or modifies PDL objects or design data in the logic modeler, the system creates or modifies the corresponding design data in the IFM and/or IM.
The dynamic characteristics of the system of the invention may be achieved by use of partnership sets. As best described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,664 (Bachman, 1986), partnership sets may be used to control storage, retrieval, and modification of information in a design data collection contained in storage devices in a design data processing system. In the present system, partnership sets are used to handle complex information sets, as described above.
In addition, each of the modeler displays may include text having a combination of icons and alphanumerics. The text may be dynamic, such that a user may affect IM design data, IFM design data, FD design data, and PDL design data by interacting with either the icons or alphanumerics. Since the present system is a primarily graphics system enabling an information system user to create graphic models of complex information systems, the ability to use dynamic icons and alphanumerics may be an important feature of such a system.
Further, the system of the invention may include an internal diagnostic or consistency check which signals to a user when improper terminology is used. Certain processes, semantic rules, logical relationships, expert rules, heuristics, text fields and pins may be stored in a database storage. When a user creates, modifies or adds design data in any of the modelers, the present system will check those statements against internally-stored design data. If the input design data does not correspond to the predetermined design data, the improper design data is "flagged" by the system and appropriate flag signals are displayed to the user.
In addition to being a double-check system for syntactic and semantic correctness of statements, the signals may be a part of an iterative process performed within the system. In the preferred embodiment, a design task may be included which is an intelligent, rule-based task that automates the repetitive process of examining and modifying the information model. The design task may include expert rules and heuristics against which statements and procedures are checked.
In the illustrated embodiment, the design task works in the following series of steps: (1) using a built-in set of design rules, the design task searches tha information model for objects that might be more complex than necessary; (2) it then displays a list of those objects and actions that might simplify those objects; (3) the user then decides what action to take next, which may be either selecting an action that modifies one or more of the objects, or marking one or more of the objects as correct, thus indicating that the rule is inappropriate for the particular object; and, (4) the user then decides whether to rerun the same design rule, or to run the next rule.
A user may also define and implement filters. A filter allows a user to view and operate on a subset of a model. The objects that are included in a subset, or filtered model, are determined by selection criteria defined by a user when the filter is created. In the preferred embodiment, multiple filters may be created for the same model, however only one filter can be active at a time. For example, if a user wants to display objects created by a specific user and also display objects of a certain type, two filters can be defined, each including those respective objects. Both of these filters would be applied to the same original model, but they would each produce a subset of that model.
When using the filters, if a diagram is displayed when a filter is activated, the filter takes effect immediately. That is, all objects which do not meet the selection criteria of the filter are automatically cleared from that diagram. It may be possible to implicitly include objects when an object is explicitly selected to be included in a filtered model. For example, if an information flow is the selection criteria of the filter, the objects that are the source and destination of that flow are implicitly selected, but not associated subordinate objects, such as flow structures. Similarly, when a diagram of a filtered model is displayed, objects that meet the filter selection criteria are displayed, along with any objects upon which their existence may depend.
The system of the present invention enables a user to describe the elements and concepts most important to a business organization. Building a model of complex organizations facilitates the communication of vital business functions among the many departments of an organization. In the preferred embodiment, PDL enables a user, in a specification/design mode, to specify business logic for a model. Objects and processes (i.e. PDL design data) are specified and/or defined. In an execution mode, PDL enables a user to manipulate instances of objects and processes of the model. Such objects and processes, in both modes, include entities, attributes, processes, messages, and relationships. In both modes, the processes may be independent processes, or cooperating processes which are focused upon the successful processing of individual "business transactions".
The transactions specified by PDL are business transactions which are declared to be indivisible elements. The PDL essentially enables the system to assure that a user is working with such indivisible elements by providing a means for defining pieces of discrete business processing. The business world, or environment of an organization, can thus be defined in terms of discrete transactions which are known and either processed or not processed. In a model for complex organizations defined in terms of business transactions, or indivisible elements, validity checks need to be performed each time an instance of an object or process is manipulated or a process is defined. To do so, user data is effectively maintained in a static form until the specific transaction either becomes "successfully" or "not successfully" processed.
The business transactions related to the processes specified by the PDL are thus indivisible elements of work which are to be treated by the business as being in one of four states: waiting to be processed; in process; completely and successfully processed; or, completely and unsuccessfully processed. In the preferred embodiment, the rules expressed by the PDL for one business transaction can only either specify access to information in an information store that has been placed there by completed other business transactions, or specify receipt of messages from completed business transactions. During its processing period, i.e., in the execution mode, the PDL enables the storage of new information in the information store, and the sending of information intended for other processes. Moreover, the stored information will immediately be available to processes cooperating on the same business transaction. In the case of an unsuccessful process, it may make changes to the user data, and send messages reporting an unsuccessful transactions after its prior actions have been undone. Processes working on other business transactions will not be able to access the new information, nor will the processes be aware of the generation of the messages until after the source process has either successfully terminated or declared that it has been aborted.
Thus, in execution mode, the present system with PDL enables a user to manipulate instances of objects and processes within a model. That is, the user data is essentially put into a static state during which operations are, in effect, reversibly performed without affecting existing instances of objects or processes. That is, changes to the user data are performed in "quarantine", and are not incorporated into the user data until the process is determined to be (in accordance with criteria or algorithms defined by the PDL design data), and reported successful or unsuccessful. A user-specified process may then abort the action without side-effects to the existing user data, or commit the action. This is analogous to having a master "undo" command which retrieves data deleted, but temporarily stored, in an application. The changed user data may be made accessible for processing in conjunction with other business transactions.
In the preferred embodiment, a PDL an ITERATOR statement may be a major block of a program, having a number of nested blocks. Each nested block contains the logic to be executed under a designated circumstance or set of circumstances.
The system of the preferred embodiment may also include entity-sets. In the specification mode, entity-sets are defined in terms of references to entity types and conditions. In the execution mode, an instance of an entity-set contains references to a list of entity instances, which are then treated as a value. Thus, in the execution mode, entity-sets may be assigned to a variable or to the attribute of an entity, or may be used as an operand. For example, such entity-sets may be the operand of an ITERATOR statement.
An entity-set variable provides the means for storing and accessing a list of references to entity instances. In the execution mode, this collection of references is ordered, i.e., there is a "first" reference, a sequence of "next" references, and finally a "last" reference. The sequence of references is preserved, unless some explicit action is made to reorder that set. New references may be added to, deleted from, or rearranged in the list. It may be possible for one entity instance to be referenced in an entity-set more than once, however explicit action may be used to hide duplicate references to a single entity instance. The type of entity instances referenced within an entity-set may be of the same or different entities.
An entity-set is a generalization of the partnership-set of the partnership data model. It takes the properties of a partnership-set expressed as a particular property of an entity and characterizes it as a holder of a list of entity references. These properties are transfered to a new type of data variable, which is not necessarily identified with a particular entity. The assignment of a list of references from a partnership-set has the effect of transforming that list from a dynamic list, responsive to the creation and deletion of partnerships between the subject partnership-set and other partnership-sets, into a static list subject only to explicit commands addressing that list.
Generally, data variables are named storage structures, where each data variable is specialized to handle particular types of data. In the present embodiment, during operation in the specification mode, an operator may declare a variable to be an entity-set variable; during operation in the execution mode, a user data value may be assigned to an entity-set variable. Thus, this leads to a new type of data variable, i.e., one that can store and return the values which are references to entity instances. In the preferred embodiment, an entity-set has three basic states: empty (i.e., the entity-set has no members); not-empty (i.e., the entity-set has a list of one or more entity references); and, undefined (i.e., no entity-set, either empty or not empty, has been assigned to the data variable). The undefined state may appear initially after the data variable has been established but before any value has been assigned to it. The undefined state may also arise subsequent to a data variable being nullified.
The association of data variable with a data type entity-set enables the separation of the idea of the set of entity instances associated in partnership with a partnership-set, from the act of iterating over the list of entity instances of a partnership-set to perform the actual processing of those entity instances. In the preferred embodiment, a SELECT statement may be used to assign an entity-set to a data variable, and to hold that entity-set value until it becomes appropriate to take some action against the set of entity instances referenced by the entity-set value.
Establishment of entity-set data types enables the identification of data variables, including those which are process-local variables, as well as those attributes of entity instances which may be defined, as having the data type of entity-set. Further, any operation which may be performed upon an entity instance may also iteratively operate on a set of entity instances by referencing a variable of the type entity-set. Specifically, within the logic modeler of the preferred embodiment, PDL statements may act upon entity-set variables. Operations may also involve two or more entity-sets. For example, entity-sets may be merged, concatenated, compared, joined, and tested for the inclusion of one within the other, or the exclusion of one from the other.
While, in the preferred embodiment, PDL is used to manipulate business transaction design data, other embodiments may use mechanisms independent of the PDL of the present system. Business transaction design data may correspond to transaction-related information, such as rules of transactions which operate on entities, attributes, and relationships. These rules may include processing algorithms, and may be stored internal to a computer system. User data may then be transformed in accordance with the transaction design data.
The user data of the entire business transaction model described above may be held in an externally perceived static state, while that data is effectively internally transformed in a reversible manner. The discrete elements of the user data of a business transaction may be tested against the existing user data without making externally perceived changes to the existing user data. Once the internal check is complete, in accordance with the predetermined algorithms, external signals may be sent by a user to either commit (if "successful") or abort (if "unsuccessful") the changes to the user data. Subsequent to the abort signal and the reversal of prior action on the user data and messages, the process may make changes to the user data and send other messages that are relevant to the unsuccessful transaction (e.g. indicative of the unsuccessful processing). The changed user data then becomes fully externally accessible.
The specification, or outcome, of the system described above, may be converted into code and implemented to produce a working application system. That conversion may be accomplished manually, or under the control of a programmed digital computer. This specification, or outcome, is preferably in terms of PDL statements similar to those discussed above and as listed in Table 2.
A complete printout of the object code for the system described in detail above is set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/516,822, incorporated herein by reference.
A manual describing a preferred embodiment of the present system is set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/516,822, incorporated herein by reference.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.


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As per our Shipping and Returns Policy, custom cuts and fabricated parts are non-returnable. If you need an over- or undersized item, note it under "Comments" during Checkout. Cut-to-size orders have an acceptable cut tolerance of 1/8" (0.125"), so clarify if the adjustment is to be made on the (+) or (-) side of the saw blade. Please review our full return and shipping policy here.
Since custom cuts and fabricated parts are non-refundable, be very careful while measuring your dimensions. As each cut is nominal, even the slightest miscalculation could be costly.
Extend your tape measure several inches to find the 1 and 2 inch markers. In between the inch markers you'll find 16 equally spaced tick marks.
Measure by counting the increments beyond the nearest inch. As the increments decrease, so does the length of the mark. For example, 1/2" has a bigger mark than 1/4" which has a bigger mark than 1/8". The smallest mark follows at 1/16". Please be aware that some measuring tapes may have even smaller increments.
The sliding end hook is designed for two different types of measurements. An outside measurement (where the hook of the tape hangs over an edge), requires the hook to slide out a bit to account for the thickness of the material. When making an inside measurement (where the hook will push up against a surface), the clip slides in, again, accounting for its thickness. The measuring tape self-adjusts to guarantee an accurate measurement (as far as the tape is concerned).
Acrylic and Polycarbonate Sneeze Guards and like products require special care while cleaning and disinfecting. To maintain the optical clarity of sneeze guards and other acrylic or polycarbonate items, use an acrylic or polycarbonate safe cleaner like Novus Plastic Polish #1, Brillianize Plastic Cleaner, or a mild soap solution.
Please reference the following compatible cleaners when DISINFECTING acrylic and polycarbonate items. The use of commonly available commercial alcohol or ammonia-based disinfectants may cause crazing and damage.
• sBioMed Steriplex SD
• Safetec Surface Wipes
• Contec Healthcare Perodox RTU
• Contec Healthcare PS-911 EB Prostat Sterile Wipes
• Pharmacy Grade Hydrogen Peroxide
• Household Bleach
• Isopropyl Alcohol (Water Diluted to 30% Strength)
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Blue polycarbonate twinwall sheet from Interstate Plastics provides an endless range of glazing and roofing applications, for extreme weather conditions, and is known for its light-transmitting and reflective qualities. Twinwall is attractive, durable, easy to install, and has the impact resistance and UV protection to withstand anything you can throw at it. Twinwall's notorious double paneled sheets serve to trap air, therefore increasing the product's insulation strength. Insulation properties will increase depending on the material's thickness.
Twinwall's surface is protected from the degradation effects of UV radiation by a proprietary co-extrusion process. Beneficial infrared light passes through the material promoting an ideal growth environment. UV-resistant Twinwall is twelve times lighter versus glass and the resins comprising the material are specially developed for excellent flame retardant properties.
Note: We recommend only using Interstate Plastics' Aluminum Vent Tape with twinwall and multi-wall polycarbonate. 6mm (.236") and 8mm (.315") wall should be used with 1"x108' tape. 10mm (.394") and 16mm (.630) wall should be used with 1.5"x108' tape.
U Profile #212H Profile #201Base/Cap #230/#2311" Vent TapeScrew #422Bubble Washer #473 Foam Spacer #505Mega-Lock Aluminum Glazing System
U Profile #213H Profile #202Base/Cap #230/#2311" Vent TapeScrew #422Bubble Washer #473 Foam Spacer #505Ridge Profile (please call)F Profile (please call) Mega-Lock Aluminum Glazing System
U Profile #214H Profile #203Base/Cap #230/#231Vent TapeScrew #422Bubble Washer #473 Foam Spacer #505Ridge Profile (please call)F Profile (please call) Mega-Lock Aluminum Glazing System
U Profile #215Base/Cap #207/#211Vent TapeScrew #422Bubble Washer #473 Foam Spacer #505Ridge Profile (please call)F Profile (please call)Mega-Lock Aluminum Glazing System
Preparing the Sheets
Preparing the End Profiles
Preparing the HPC Connecting Profiles
Installation Instructions for Roofing a Beamed Structure
Step 1: Use screws to attach the base connecting profiles to the roof beams. Make sure that screws do not bend, tear or exert excessive pressure on the profile.
Step 2: Place the sheet on the top of the base profile support edges, with the side covered by the printed protective film facing upwards.
Step 3: Slide the base under the sheet and attach it to the beam.
Step 4: Place the side spacer profile onto the roof beam and attach the cap to the base by hammering into place with a rubber mallet.
Steps 5 to 7: Continue adding sequentially, a sheet (step 5), a base connecting profile (step 6) and a cap (step 7) until reaching the end of the building. After completing installation, remove all the printed protective film from the sheets.
General Cleaning1. Rinse surface with warm water to loosen preexisting dust, dirt and grime.2. Gently wash surface with a mild soap and a soft microfiber cloth or sponge.3. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Dry completely with a soft, dry cloth.
Removing Oil and Tar1. Rinse with warm water to loosen preexisting dust, dirt and grime.2. Gently rub the surface with a 50/50 isopropyl alcohol and water mixture using a soft, non-abrasive cloth.3. Immediately rinse material with water and dry using a soft, dry cloth.
Removing Heavy Markings (e.g. graffiti, paint, marker, inks, glazing components)1. Rinse with warm water to loosen preexisting dust, dirt and grime. 2. Gently rub the surface with Naphtha VM&P grade, isopropyl Alcohol, or butyl cellosolve, using a soft, non-abrasive cloth.
Removing Adhesive-Backed Labels1. Stubborn adhesives can be removed using isopropyl alcohol, Naphtha VM&P grade or kerosene.
Removing Scratches1. Deep scratches and gouges made by sharp objects such as keys, screwdrivers and knives cannot be repaired.2. Fine scratches can be cosmetically hidden by using our Novus 2, followed by a polishing agent such as Novus 1.
Special Note: Always rinse edges of polycarbonate with generous amounts of warm water, as the edges of polycarbonate sheet are not protected with an abrasion and chemical resistance hard coating.
PlanningIn good architectural planning elements of the environment in which the structure will be placed must be taken into account. In outstanding architectural planning, the environment becomes an integral part of the structure.
CreativityTwinwall Polycarbonate sheeting harnesses nature to create the interior atmosphere by enlisting nature's qualities for the creative process. Realizing that the creative process in building depends on the ability to adapt the materials for the design concept, Polycarbonate Twinwall offers architects a raw material that can bring many architectural and design projects to fruition.
The right-hand area, where the curves become more horizontal, measures specifically and only sheets clamped at 2 sides. The left-hand area measures specifically sheets glazed in frames with supports perpendicular to the sheet ribs. For structures built in areas with variance in meteorological conditions, the use of adequate safety factors is recommended in order to reduce risks.
The data and information in this section is given in good faith but only as basic technical support for engineers of various structures. In no way can this information be substituted for the responsibility and liability of the designing engineer of a structure as determined by law. The information pertains to the roofing material only and does not in any way determine the strengths required in a supporting structure or in various glazing systems.
Major in construction and agricultural industries as well as many DIY applications. Polycarbonate has an impact strength 200 times greater than glass and 8 times greater than Acrylic. A solar grade co-extruded layer protects the sheets against yellowing and surface wear from extended UV exposure.


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Ehud Asherie is one of the musicians I look for whenever I'm in New York, and if he's not on the road, I usually get lucky and find him at a piano somewhere in town. On a recent visit, I had the good fortune of hearing him two nights in a row, first at the weekly Louis Armstrong celebration at Birdland, and then a solo set at Smalls Jazz Club, where he usually plays the 7:30-9:45 p.m. slot every other Thursday. At Birdland, Ehud joined David Ostwald's Gully Low Jazz Band to play "Black and Blue," "After You've Gone," and other tunes associated with Pops; Gully Low's personnel often changes from week to week, and on this occasion included Wycliffe Gordon and Anat Cohen.
The following night, Asherie was on his own at Smalls for a couple of sets that included material by Fats Waller, George Gershwin, Ellington, Bud Powell, Monk and Leonard Bernstein. Ehud channels the stride masters as well as the modernists, and the lineage that runs from James P. Johnson and Jimmy Yancey to Monk and Errol Garner figures prominently in his work. Not surprisingly, he's an insightful listener. The first time I met Asherie and mentioned how Dave McKenna had opened my ears to solo jazz piano, he expressed awe not only over McKenna's two-fisted attack but the subtler internal voicings that are often overlooked by listeners wowed by his rumbling bass lines and dazzling technique.
Asherie, who turned 32 in December, was born in Israel in 1979. His family moved to Italy when he was three, and six years later to New York. In his early teens, Ehud began hanging out at Smalls and studying with the veteran pianist Frank Hewitt, a Smalls regular who's now deceased. Ehud spent a few years working with Grant Stewart's Quintet, which is where I first heard him, and he's recorded with Stewart and Harry Allen, another bonafide keeper of the flame. Asherie and his colleagues explore the seemingly endless possibilities of theme and variation inherent in the 12-bar blues and 32-bar song forms, and they swing like mad. Here's a clip of Ehud and Harry stretching out on the Vincent Youmans classic, "Hallelujah." And here's a solo version of "My Heart Stood Still" which Asherie played at the Arbors jazz party in Florida three years ago; a year later, he recorded this solo collection of New York tunes for Arbors that I've been playing regularly on WFCR.
Last week Posi-tone Records released Upper West Side, a duo recording by Asherie and Allen that's destined to become another chart-topper on Jazz à la Mode. Let's hope we're not the exception, for beyond a devoted circle of fans, players like Asherie and Allen and Stewart rarely garner much attention in the jazz press. When I mention their names to writers and deejays, or to players of an edgier bent, they readily acknowledge their mastery but often leave it at that. Rarely are they reviewed by the Times or even mentioned in the paper's Friday arts listings, yet they're almost always working in town. But they're not the kinds of players who are bellwethers of the latest trend, so assignment editors and those for whom straight-ahead jazz just isn't enough tend to overlook them. One senses that Ehud and his colleagues are not unaffected by this lack of wider recognition, that they're well aware of the jazz buzz ringing elsewhere. But as Asherie told me recently, "I love the music I play," to which I thought,"There's no small reward in that."
Here's Ehud at the Kitano Hotel introducing "One for V," a tune based on his hero James P. Johnson's "Old Fashioned Love." Wrap your heart around the freshness of this old-fashioned-ness and savor the choice quote from "Manhattan" he uses to signal the end of his solo.
Asherie will be with Gully Low on the 8th and 15th of this month at Birdland, and he's back at Smalls on Thursday, February 16 with his trio. Smalls, by the way, is operated by former Hampshire College student Spike Wilner, a fine pianist in his own right whose venue offers the cozy feel of a clubhouse. For many, it's probably a second home. In addition to its primary function as a performance venue, Smalls operates a record label, provides a live internet video stream for a nominal annual fee, and presents up to three different acts and a jam session seven nights a week in its location at the bottom of a steep flight of stairs at 183 West 10th Street in Greenwich Village.


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Fiat 500e Review: The Bosses Don't Love It, but You Will
The company's losses on the electric car notwithstanding, it's a worthwhile car in many ways
RECENTLY, CAPITALISTS were scandalized when Fiat and Chrysler Group Chairman Sergio Marchionne revealed that his company loses $10,000 apiece on the Fiat 500e, an electric retrofit of the wee-posh 500 built solely to satisfy California's zero-emission vehicle mandate and sold, for now, only in the Golden State. This sickening perversion of market forces—whereby a tiny fraction of a company's profits are used to mitigate harm caused by its products—was labeled "masochism" by Mr. Marchionne.
Yeah, well, tough. It's the cost of doing business in the biggest vehicle market in the U.S., and a plain-fact acknowledgment that the automobile has public costs—impacts on air quality, climate and health, infrastructure, injury and death. Lest we forget. You can take issue with California's zero-emission vehicle methodology, and you can reach different conclusions with regard to electric vehicles' value to consumers; but it's inarguable that car companies have an obligation to clean up the mess they make.
The airline industry has spent untold millions on quieter airplanes and noise mitigation around airports. Telecoms lose money on the copper-wire landlines maintained to comply with universal-service requirements. If corporations want to dance in the American discothèque, there's a cover charge called the public good.
Mr. Marchionne's remarks at last month's Society of Automotive Engineers Congress in Detroit constitute the most exquisite amnesia. Remember in the run-up to reorganization and Fiat's takeover, when Chrysler generally and Mr. Marchionne singly promised that the merged companies would be as green as chlorophyll? The boss's very public pushback on the 500e builds a floor of suspicion under all the brand's past and future green messaging. Fiat: We don't like it. We don't mean it.
In his SAE Congress speech, Mr. Marchionne argued that structural incentives are favoring electric vehicles in a way that could preclude more promising technical solutions. Like what? Legions of engineers in the room probably wanted to know. This problem—safe, dense energy storage in an automobile with practical range, zero tailpipe emissions and a smaller carbon footprint—has been on the blackboard a long time. Mr. Marchionne held up hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion as an example of faddish technology that proved impractical. But, of course, a fuel-cell car is an electric car, albeit with a complicated hydrogen battery.
" Fiat's brass has talked down the electric 500, but why knock such a great ride? "
If we are talking about an automobile powered by anything other than, or in addition to, an internal-combustion engine, we are talking about electric motors. That means electrical storage, typically in an electrochemical battery, but capacitors also store and discharge electricity. More exotic solutions include flywheel energy storage (converting mechanical to electrical energy, and vice versa). It's all electrons, however. So, even if we were to concede Mr. Marchionne's point, that the California Air Resources Board's ZEV mandate is not technologically "neutral," that isn't to say the mandate is pushing in the wrong direction.
Unless Fiat-Chrysler has a secret plan to power cars with giant, watch-like mainsprings, electrification (along the spectrum of hybrid, plug-in, and battery-electric vehicle designs) will be a growing part of the product story in the U.S. Why curse it? Would somebody please just tackle the boss?
And of all cars to throw under the bus! The Fiat 500e is just awesome, a nutty electric elf of a car. All dressed up in Playskool aero pieces and available in Life Savers colors, the 500e feels like the big-kid toy the Fiat 500 always wanted to be, with an otherworldly electric hum to go with its whimsical aesthetics. Actually, because of suspension changes to the 500e (it weighs about a quarter-ton more than a regular 500), the wheel clearances look larger, which make the 15-inch wheels seem even more crazy-diminutive and precious. It's like automotive foot binding.
And unless I'm mistaken, the 500e actually dances around corners better than the gas-powered Pop edition. The heated and liquid-cooled battery pack under the floor takes the car's weight distribution from a nose-heavy 64/36 front/rear to 57/43, and most of the 500e's additional mass is slung low like ballast in a keel. The reoriented mass gives the 500e a very able, level cornering posture, and the e-steering's turn-in has nice bite to it for a city car. The car's brakes—actually the illusion of friction brakes, since almost all the stopping effort is provided by regenerative braking—feel stout and easily modulated.
The breakdown: Up front is an AC permanent-magnet motor good for 111 horsepower (10 more than in a standard 500) and 147 pound-feet of torque, channeled through a single-gear transmission to the front wheels (the transmission push-buttons form a vertical row at center-stack in the dash). The lithium-ion battery pack, with a nominal capacity of 24 kwh, consumes about 4 inches of rear legroom and a couple of cubic feet of rear cargo room, but otherwise you wouldn't know it's there.
To further aid in transparency, the 500e's powertrain engineers have provided a kind of artificial idle speed, which allows the car to creep forward when the driver's foot is off the brake, like a conventional car.
According to the EPA, the 500e has a range of 87 miles, with a city/highway fuel economy of 122/108 mpg-e (a gasoline-gallon equivalent unit of energy). I drove the car for two days in Los Angeles, putting on about 65 miles and returning it with about a 25% state of charge. The 500e is equipped with a handsome 7-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) display as the instrument cluster, providing clear and simple readouts for speed, state-of-charge and range. At a 240-volt charging station, the 500e can be topped up in about four hours.
2013 Fiat 500e
Base price: $32,500 (less $7,500 federal tax credit, $2,500 California tax credit and $2,000 Fiat incentive)
Powertrain: Battery-electric vehicle, AC permanent-magnet traction motor, with a single-speed transaxle and front-wheel drive; 24 kwh, liquid-cooled/heated lithium-ion battery pack
Horsepower/torque: 111 hp (83 kW)/ 147 pound-feet
Length/weight: 142.4 inches/2,980 pounds
Wheelbase: 90.6 inches
0-60 mph: 9.1 seconds (mfr.)
EPA city/highway: 122/108 mpg-e (gasoline-gallon equivalent)
Cargo capacity: 7 cubic feet
Throw in some hot-rod leather upholstery and the Fiat's charismatic dash design, as well as the EV-specific version of the TomTom navigation unit that plugs into the dash, and you've got yourself a pair of very kinky boots.
The e retrofit flatters the Fiat 500 so well, it's almost as if the company had it planned—which it didn't and wouldn't have, of course, as per Mr. Marchionne. The 500 feels so fulfilled as an electric car. Consider off-the-line acceleration: The base 500, with the 101-hp four-cylinder engine, is completely gutless at low rpm. It just falls on its nose. The Abarth version, with 160 hp and 170 pound-feet of torque, is better, but it, too, requires far too much caning to get going.
Instant, linear torque is just what the 500 needed, and that's what it gets with the e powertrain. Zero to 60 miles per hour is rated at 9.1 seconds (a tick quicker than in the base petrol-powered 500); but the 500e lives and dies by its bright, punchy acceleration from 0-30 mph. At the stoplight drag strip, the 500e has a Mustang-quality hole shot.
Meanwhile, the sweet, nursing-baby-cute 500e is an absolute Godzilla of a lease deal. Thanks to Fiat taking a 10-grand haircut on each one—thanks, Fiat!—California car buyers can lease one of these puppies for $999 down and $199 a month. You can buy one outright, too: the base MSRP is $32,500, but that's before the $7,500 federal tax credit, an additional $2,500 California tax credit and a $2,000 Fiat credit. I feel nakedly incentivized.
The 500e is by no means the only car on the market sold at a loss to its manufacturer. Would you like to add up the costs of the Lexus LF-A program? How about the Nissan GT-R? Even the Corvette's profitability is suspect. But these cars raise awareness, polish the brand image and create loyalty and enthusiasm.
And so would the 500e, if only Mr. Marchionne would stop talking.
Email Dan at email@example.com and follow him on Twitter @Danneilwsj
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