Method and apparatus for supporting context links for application program text

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for supporting text-based context links for application programs. An embodiment includes a first computer to maintain a database of data objects and a second computer to execute an application program that operates on a file having text elements. In an embodiment, the second computer is to execute a link program to access a data object on the first computer based on a user of the application program having used the application program to select a text element that is related to that data object.

1 . A system comprising: 
 a first computer to maintain a database of data objects; and    a second computer to execute an application program that operates on a document having text elements, wherein the second computer is to execute a link program to access a data object on the first computer if a user of the application program uses the application program to select a text element that is related to that data object.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first computer is a back-end system and the second computer is a front-end system.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a single link program located on the second computer supports any accesses by application programs on the second computer to data objects on the first computer.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the single link program is a single dynamic link library file.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the access to the data object on the first computer comprises the initiation of a function that is performed by the first computer on the data object.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein any software instructions that perform the function on the data object are located on the first computer.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second computer is to display data that is stored on the first computer and that relates to a data object selected by the application program executing on the second computer.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the second computer displays the data as a menu structure that allows a user to display additional data related to the data object based on the relationship between the additional data and the text element.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein an application program executing on the first computer may only access a data object on the second computer if a user of the application program has authorization on the second computer to access that data object.  
   
   
       10 . A method comprising: 
 receiving an indication in an application program executing on a front-end system that a user has selected a context link to a text element in a document that is being operated on by the application program;    displaying a list of actions relating to the context link in the application program on the front-end system;    receiving the selection of one of the listed actions in the application program on the front-end system; and    sending a request to a back-end system to perform an action on a data object that is related to the selected text element.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein all context links on the front-end system are supported by a single dynamic link library file.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein any software instructions to perform actions on data objects on the back-end system are located on the back-end system.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 receiving an indication that the user has entered an additional text element into the application program document;    determining whether the additional text element is related to a data object in the back-end system; and    creating a context link at the front-end system if the additional text element is related to a data object in the back-end system.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein determining whether the additional text element is related to a data object in the back-end system comprises: 
 searching a buffer in the front-end system for the additional text element;    if the text element was not found in the buffer, requesting that the back-end system search for the additional text element; and    deciding that the additional text element is related to a data object in the back-end system if the additional text element was found in the buffer or in the back-end system.    
   
   
       15 . A method comprising: 
 parsing a new application program document at a first computer into a plurality of text elements;    determining if one of the text elements is related to a data object in a second computer; and    if the text element is related to a data object in the second computer, creating and storing in a buffer at the first computer a record of a context link associating the text element to a data object in the second computer.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first computer is a front-end system and the second computer is a back-end system.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein prior to parsing the new application program into text elements, the method comprises receiving a list of data object types at the first computer from the second computer, wherein the list contains the data object types that are supported by the second computer.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein in addition to the list of data object types the first computer also receives a menu structure to be populated with information from documents stored on the first computer based on a parameter conversion.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the menu structure is received if textual information to be displayed with the menu is not available at that time.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining whether the text element is related to a data object in the second computer comprises: 
 searching a buffer in the first computer for the text element;    if the text element was not found in the buffer, requesting that the second computer search for the text element; and    deciding that the text element is related to a data object in the second computer if the text element was found in the buffer or in the second computer.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein if a text element was found more than once for a data object type, then determining if the text element is part of a phrase that is related to a data object in the second computer.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein determining if the text element that was found more than once for a data object type is part of a phrase comprises: 
 placing the text element on a list of text elements for that type; and    determining if a phase consisting of that text element and one or more text elements previous to the text element on the list is found either in the second computer or in a buffer at the first computer.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein a phrase on the list is considered to be related to a data object on the second computer if that phrase was found only once for a data object type.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein a previous text element is on this list if that previous text element was found more than once for that data object type and if any text elements between that previous text element and the text element just added to the list were found more than once for that data object type.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein a text element is removed from the list for that data object type if the text element it is not part of a phase that is found more than once for that data object type.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 receiving an indication in an application program executing on a front-end system that a user has selected a context link to a text element in a document that is being operated on by the application program;    displaying a list of actions relating to the context link in the application program on the front-end system;    receiving the selection of one of the listed actions in the application program on the front-end system; and    sending a request to a back-end system to perform an action on a data object that is related to the selected text element.