Systems, methods and computer program products for retrieving and parsing data at runtime
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a method, system and computer product for retrieving and parsing dynamic data at runtime by use of an interpreted language script that utilize Java and XML technologies. The interpreted scripting language uses a set of proxies, introspection and configuration to access and retrieve data elements that are in existence within underlying applications but not immediately available to the interpreter.
1. A method for accessing and retrieving data from different data sources at runtime of an interpreted language script, said method comprising:
executing a software application including an interpreted language script, the interpreted language script including a tag representing a data element whose data value is to be retrieved during execution of the software application; and during execution of the software application,
executing the interpreted language script using a script interpreting engine; and
detecting the tag in the interpreted language script, and upon detecting the tag:
(1) delegating accessing and retrieving data from a data source to a data lookup engine;
(2) accessing a definition of the detected tag from a library including the definitions of a plurality of tags using the data lookup engine, the definitions of the tags specifying manners of accessing and retrieving data from different data sources;
(3) retrieving, from a designated one of the different data sources, the data value of the data element represented by the detected tag, the data value being retrieved according to the definition of the detected tag in the library; and
(4) returning the retrieved data value to the script interpreting engine from the designated data source.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said library including the definitions of a plurality of tags comprises an XML document.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detected tag is associated with a Java object.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the manner of accessing and retrieving data specified by the definition of the detected tag comprises a set of methods to extract dynamic data from said Java object.
5. A system for retrieving data while a code script is run interpretively, said system comprising:
a script interpreting engine configured to execute the code script during execution of a software application including the code script;
a data lookup engine in communication with said script interpreting engine, said data lookup engine configured to execute a tag embedded in the code script, the tag representing a data element whose data value is to be retrieved during execution of the software application; and
a database accessible to said data lookup engine, said database storing a library including definitions of a plurality of tags, the definition of each tag being embodied in a set of executable instructions and a set of methods for obtaining data at runtime.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said data lookup engine is further configured to report retrieved data to said script interpreting engine for executing said code script continuously.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the library in said database comprises an XML document.
8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the set of executable instructions in the library of said database associate a tag with a Java object and the set of methods for obtaining data of the Java object at runtime.
9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the library stored in said database is configurable so as to provide a reusable data accessor for different data sources.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the set of executable instructions use a reflection mechanism to determine a method from the set of methods to return retrieved data.
11. A method for accessing and retrieving data while running an interpreted language script, said method comprising:
defining one or more tags in an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document, each of said one or more tags being associated with a Java object that contains dynamic data value of at least a data element;
including a particular tag of the one or more tags in an interpreted language script, said tag representing a particular data element whose data is to be retrieved;
detecting said particular tag while running said interpreted language script at a data interpreter engine;
using a data lookup engine to access said XML document, identify a particular Java object associated with said particular tag, and determine a method for obtaining data from said particular Java object via a reflection mechanism; and
returning said data from said particular Java object to said data interpreter engine.
12. A computer program product for accessing and retrieving data from different data sources at runtime of an interpreted language script, said computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by a processor cause an apparatus to at least perform the following:
executing a software application including an interpreted language script, the interpreted language script including a tag representing a data element whose data value is to be retrieved during execution of the software application; and during execution of the software application,
executing the interpreted language script using a script interpreting engine; and
detecting the tag in the interpreted language script, and upon detecting the tag:
(1) delegating accessing and retrieving data from a data source to a data lookup engine;
(2) accessing a definition of the detected tag from a library including the definitions of a plurality of tags using the data lookup engine, the definitions of the tags specifying manners of accessing and retrieving data from different data sources;
(3) retrieving, from a designated one of the different data sources, the data value of the data element represented by the detected tag, the data value being retrieved according to the definition of the detected tag in the library; and
(4) returning the retrieved data value to the script interpreting engine from the designated data source.
13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein said library including the definitions of a plurality of tags comprises an XML document.
14. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the detected tag is associated with a Java object.
15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the manner of accessing and retrieving data specified by the definition of the detected tag comprises a set of methods to extract dynamic data from said Java object.