System for defining data mappings between data structures

1. A computer system for defining data mappings between data elements in a first data structure and data elements in a second data structure, the computer system executing instructions for:

selecting a first data element in the first data structure for mapping;

suggesting a first possible data mapping definition to a user based on a first previous data mapping definition, the first possible data mapping definition defining a mapping from the first data element in the first data structure to a first data element in the second data structure;

suggesting a second possible data mapping definition based on a second previous data mapping definition, the second previous data mapping definition defining a mapping from a data element in a fifth data structure to a data element in a sixth data structure;

prioritizing the first possible data mapping definition and the second possible data mapping definition based on a predefined rule; and

mapping the first data element in the first data structure to the first data element in the second data structure according to the first possible data mapping definition in response to acceptance of the first possible data mapping definition by the user,

wherein the first previous data mapping definition defines a mapping from a data element in a third data structure to a data element in a fourth data structure, at least one of the third and fourth data structures being different from the first and second data structures, and

wherein the predefined rule specifies the first possible data mapping definition is ranked higher than the second possible data mapping definition when each of the third and fourth data structures is part of a first data structure set containing the first data structure or is part of a second data structure set containing the second data structure and when at least one of the fifth and sixth data structures is not part of the first data structure set and is not part of the second data structure set.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein a data structure is a message and a data element in the data structure is a field in the message.

3. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the first previous data mapping definition comprises a message field to message field definition or a message name to message name definition.

4. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first previous data mapping definition is a user defined data mapping definition.

5. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first data structure is part of a first set of data structures and the second data structure is part of a second set of data structures and wherein at least one of the third and fourth data structures is part of the first set of data structures or part of the second set of data structures.

6. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system further executes instructions for:

mapping the first data element in the first data structure to a second data element in the second data structure according to a data mapping definition defined by the user in response to rejection of the first possible data mapping definition and the second possible data mapping definition by the user; and

storing the data mapping definition defined by the user for future use.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined rule further specifies the first possible data mapping definition is ranked higher than the second possible data mapping definition when at least one of the third and fourth data structures is part of a first data structure set containing the first data structure or is part of a second data structure set containing the second data structure and when none of the fifth and sixth data structures are part of the first data structure set or part of the second data structure set.

8. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first possible data mapping definition is based on a reverse of the first previous data mapping definition.

9. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for defining data mappings between data elements in a first data structure and data elements in a second data structure, the computer program comprising executable instructions for:

selecting a first data element in the first data structure for mapping;

suggesting a first possible data mapping definition to a user based on a first previous data mapping definition, the first possible data mapping definition defining a mapping from the first data element in the first data structure to a first data element in the second data structure;

suggesting a second possible data mapping definition based on a second previous data mapping definition, the second previous data mapping definition defining a mapping from a data element in a fifth data structure to a data element in a sixth data structure;

prioritizing the first possible data mapping definition and the second possible data mapping definition based on a predefined rule; and

mapping the first data element in the first data structure to the first data element in the second data structure according to the first possible data mapping definition in response to acceptance of the first possible data mapping definition by the user,

wherein the first previous data mapping definition defines a mapping from a data element in a third data structure to a data element in a fourth data structure, at least one of the third and fourth data structures being different from the first and second data structures, and

wherein the predefined rule specifies the first possible data mapping definition is ranked higher than the second possible data mapping definition when each of the third and fourth data structures is part of a first data structure set containing the first data structure or is part of a second data structure set containing the second data structure and when at least one of the fifth and sixth data structures is not part of the first data structure set and is not part of the second data structure set.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein a data structure is a message and a data element in the data structure is a field in the message.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the first previous data mapping definition comprises a message field to message field definition or a message name to message name definition.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first previous data mapping definition is a user defined data mapping definition.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first data structure is part of a first set of data structures and the second data structure is part of a second set of data structures and wherein at least one of the third and fourth data structures is part of the first set of data structures or part of the second set of data structures.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer program further comprises executable instructions for:

mapping the first data element in the first data structure to a second data element in the second data structure according to a data mapping definition defined by the user in response to rejection of the first possible data mapping definition and the second possible data mapping definition by the user; and

storing the data mapping definition defined by the user for future use.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the predefined rule further specifies the first possible data mapping definition is ranked higher than the second possible data mapping definition when at least one of the third and fourth data structures is part of a first data structure set containing the first data structure or is part of a second data structure set containing the second data structure and when none of the fifth and sixth data structures are part of the first data structure set or part of the second data structure set.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first possible data mapping definition is based on a reverse of the first previous data mapping definition.