Transforming a natural language request for modifying a set of subscriptions for a publish/subscribe topic string

1. A method for transforming a natural language request for modifying a set of subscriptions for a publish/subscribe topic string, the method comprising:

receiving, at a processing device, a natural language request for modifying a set of subscriptions for one or more topics in a publish/subscribe topic hierarchy, the natural language request comprising a predetermined natural language element;

transforming the natural language request into a publish/subscribe topic string, wherein the predetermined natural language element is transformed into a first publish/subscribe symbol, the symbol representing one or more topics in the topic hierarchy, and wherein an indefinite article used in the natural language request in relation to a given topic is transformed into a second publish/subscribe symbol representing a randomly selected topic from topics within a same parent folder as the given topic; and

modifying one or more subscriptions to one or more topics based on the transformed topic string.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the request for modifying a set of subscriptions is selected from the group consisting of a subscribe request and an unsubscribe request.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a given predetermined natural language element used in the natural language request in relation to a given topic is selectively transformable into a plurality of publish/subscribe symbols.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an occurrence of any one of a predetermined set of natural language elements is transformed to a same publish/subscribe symbol.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in response to the identification of one of a set of predetermined elements in the natural language request in relation to one or more topics, contextual data is used to identify a given topic for use in the topic string.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the contextual data is used in a transformation of a definite article or a possessive adjective.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the contextual data is provided by a user profile.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed by a publish/subscribe message broker.

9. Apparatus for transforming a natural language request for modifying a set of subscriptions for a publish/subscribe topic string, the apparatus being operable to:

receive a natural language request for modifying a set of subscriptions for one or more topics in a publish/subscribe topic hierarchy, the natural language request comprising a predetermined natural language element;

transform the natural language request into a publish/subscribe topic string, wherein the predetermined natural language element is transformed into a first publish/subscribe symbol, the symbol representing one or more topics in the topic hierarchy, and wherein an indefinite article used in the natural language request in relation to a given topic is transformed into a second publish/subscribe symbol representing a randomly selected topic from topics within a same parent folder as the given topic; and

modify one or more subscriptions to one or more topics based on the transformed topic string.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the request for modifying a set of subscriptions is selected from the group consisting of a subscribe request and an unsubscribe request.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein a given predetermined natural language element used in the natural language request in relation to a given topic is selectively transformable into a plurality of publish/subscribe symbols.

12. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein an occurrence of any one of a predetermined set of natural language elements is transformed to a same publish/subscribe symbol.

13. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, in response to the identification of one of a set of predetermined elements in the natural language request in relation to one or more topics, contextual data is used to identify a given topic for use in the topic string.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the contextual data is used in the transformation of the definite article or a possessive adjective.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the contextual data is provided by a user profile.

16. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is provided by a publish/subscribe message broker.