WO2004059523A2

WO2004059523A2 - Method for storing a data object

Info

Publication number: WO2004059523A2
Application number: PCT/DE2003/004209
Authority: WO
Inventors: Udo DÖBRICH; Roland Heidel
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2002-12-23
Filing date: 2003-12-19
Publication date: 2004-07-15
Also published as: DE10260596A1; WO2004059523A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for storing a data object in a file system (210), whereby the file system is provided for storing data objects of different object types and relationship object types, and the file system has a folder (212, 214, 216, 218, 220,...) for each of the object types and relationship object types. The inventive method comprises the following steps: assigning one of the object types and one or more of the relationship object types to the data object; storing a representation of the data object in each folder that belongs to one of the assigned object types or relationship object types.

Description

description

Method for storing a data object

The invention relates to a method for storing a

Data object and a corresponding computer program product and a computer system.

It is known from the prior art data objects, such as. B. files in a structured file system. For example, Microsoft's Windows operating systems include an "Explorer" that visualizes the structure of the file system. Such a file system is composed of files and folders which are assigned to one another. A tree structure, ie. H. a so-called "filetree". A folder can contain one or more files. A folder can be part of another folder, whereby a nested file structure can be defined.

A disadvantage of such previously known file systems is that the search for a data object is not intuitive and is therefore complex. There is also, for example, a search function in the Windows operating systems that allows you to search for files or folders. You can either search for the name of the file or folder or for the text contained there. A specific subtree of the tree structure of the file system can be specified for the search. The search is carried out sequentially in all folders or files in the subtree in which the search is to take place. On a conventional personal computer, this leads to search times in the minute range even with relatively small amounts of data.

Such filetrees are also used in engineering systems, e.g. B. generated for the design and configuration of automation technology systems. About such a filetree the planning information, such as B. Objects or files related to each other. Here, too, access to individual data or their relationship information is very complex and time-consuming, since the entire and meshed relationship tree must be searched starting from an entry point. This is also referred to as an object cloud.

Such relationship information is also stored in tree structures in other areas of electronic data processing, eg. B. to map a networked computer system or to map a complex document which is linked to other documents or objects via so-called hyperlinks.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing an improved method for storing a data object and a corresponding computer program product and computer system.

The object underlying the invention is achieved with the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

The invention enables the structured storage of a data object, which enables the data object to be found quickly and intuitively from various points of view and questions. For the storage of the data object, predefined object types and relationship object types are used.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the data objects occurring for an application and their relationships with one another are classified in order to define object types and relationship object types. These object types and Relationship object types are networked together in a tree structure.

When a data object is stored, it is assigned to at least one of the object types and at least one of the relationship object types. There is a folder for each of the object types and relationship object types in the file system, so that a representation of the data object is stored in each of the folders which belong to an assigned object type or relationship object type for storing the data object. This means that a data object is not only present once in the data system, but is also stored symbolically in the form of a link or a file symbol in various folders that represent object types and relationship object types. This enables intuitive and quick access to the data objects from various points of view.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a dialog window is displayed in a graphical user interface for storing a data object. As is known per se from the prior art, a file name can be assigned via the dialog window. In addition, a selection list of the object types and the relationship object types is displayed in the dialog window. For example, by clicking, the user can assign the file to be saved to one or more of the object types and the relationship object types. A corresponding assignment of the file to the folders of the file system is then saved.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the assignment of data objects to object types and relationship object types is program-supported. For this purpose, a logical evaluation criterion is assigned to each object type and each relationship object type. If a data object fulfills this logical evaluation criterion, it belongs to the relevant object type or relationship object type. In this way, for example, the data objects of a conventional explorer tree can be converted into a file structure according to the invention without the user himself having to make an assignment. This is particularly the case with large amounts of data, such as B. generated in engineering systems, of great advantage.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the assignment of the data object to an object type is specified by the file extension of the data object itself. For example, there are predefined file extensions for text files, graphic files, table files, etc., the file extension clearly indicating the file type.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Show it:

1 shows an exemplary embodiment for interlinked object types and relationship object types,

2 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system according to the invention,

3 shows a dialog window of a graphical user interface,

4 shows a flowchart for converting the data objects of an engineering system into a file system according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a tree structure 100 as an embodiment of a file system according to the invention. The tree structure contains instances, ie data objects, of object types A, B and C as well as relationship object types A, B, C, A / B and B / C. This type of structured storage enables the data to be found quickly and intuitively. For example, a question may be which instance of the object type B the instance C4 of the object type C uses. To answer this question, you only have to search the relationship object type B / C. The entry B3-C4 is found there, ie the instance B3 uses the instance C4.

Another question can be whether there is a relationship between the instance A2 of the object type A and the instance B1 of the object type B. To answer this question, the content of the relationship object type A / B only has to be searched. Since there is no corresponding entry there, there is no such relationship.

To z. B. to access the content of instance C3, access is via object type C. There C3 is z. B. identified via a hash algorithm.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a computer 200. The computer 200 has a memory 202 for storing various object types. For this purpose there is a list in the memory 202

204 available for the intended object types. Each object type is identified in the list 204 by its name and a description of the object type. The description of the object type can be plain text or a logical query, such as B. a Boolean criterion to automatically check whether a given data object belongs to the relevant object type.

The relationship object types with their names and descriptions are stored in a further corresponding list 206.

The computer 200 has an operating system with a graphical user interface 208. This serves to visualize a file system 210 of the computer 200. The file system 210 contains a number of folders 212, 214, 216, 218, 220,.. each of the folders an object type or one Relationship object types are clearly assigned. For example, folder 212 is assigned to object type A, folder 214 to object type B, folder 216 to object type C, folder 218 to relationship object type A, folder 220 to relationship object type B, etc.

The folder 212 thus contains a representation of all data objects stored in the file system which have been classified as belonging to the object type A. This representation may be e.g. B. is a common file icon. A file can then e.g. B. can be opened by double-clicking on the representation.

Correspondingly, folder 214 contains a representation of data objects that have been classified as belonging to object type B.

The folder 218 contains a representation for each data object of the file system 210 which has been classified as belonging to the relationship object type A. Such

Classification exists when the data object in question itself is an instance of object type A and has a relationship with another instance of object type A.

Furthermore, in the file system 210 there are further folders, not shown for the sake of clarity in FIG. B. for the relationship object types A / B and the relationship object types B / C (compare the example of FIG. 1)

A data object stored in the file system 210 can therefore occur multiple times in the filetree formed by the folders 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, ..., because the data object in question has a certain object type on the one hand and instances of the same object type or is related to instances of other object types and is therefore assigned to corresponding relationship object types. For the The data object in question is therefore present in one of the folders assigned to the object types, as well as in the folder or folders of the relationship object types to which the data object belongs.

In order to avoid multiple storage of the same data object in the different folders, it is advantageous that pointers to the corresponding data are stored in each folder to represent the data object.

FIG. 3 shows a dialog window 300 of the graphical user interface 208 of FIG. 2. The dialog window 300 appears when a user wants to save a data object. The user can save the data object in the

Enter an object name in input field 302. Furthermore, a selection list 304 appears in the dialog window 300, which contains a list of all intended object types and relationship object types.

A selection field is assigned to each object type and relationship object type. H. the selection field 306 for the object type A, the selection field 308 for the object type B, the selection field 310 for the object type C, etc. The user can then assign the data object to be stored to an object type and to one or more of the relationship object types in such a way that he makes the assignment by clicking on a selection field.

If, for example, the data object belongs to object type A, the user clicks on selection field 306. B. a check mark or a cross appears. Accordingly, the user selects one or more of the relationship object types to which the data object belongs. After the data object has been saved, representations of the data object then appear in the corresponding folders in the filetree 222 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 4 shows a flow chart for converting the data of an engineering system into a file structure according to the invention. In step 400, the data objects of the engineering system are imported. These data objects are initially unstructured and are in the form of an object cloud. The individual data objects are then filtered in step 410 in order to assign them in each case to an object type and to one or more relationship object types. This can be done automatically by evaluating a Boolean criterion (compare lists 204 and 206 of FIG. 2). In step 412, the data objects classified in this way are then stored in a file system according to the invention.

Another preferred application of the method according to the invention for files is specified below:

Object type text files: A, B, C Object type graphic files: DD, FG, TT Object type table files: XX, W

Relationship object type Text files that contain information from other text files: A-B, A-C

Relationship object type Text files that contain graphic file information: A-D, C-TT

etc.

If a specific text file is now searched for, it is not necessary to search all branches as in the hierarchical structure, but the text file with the content sought can be found more quickly via the entry "Text file". The search can also be carried out in two directions at the same time, namely hierarchical and file type-specific. For example, a search term with a search term can be carried out with a specific search term in the folder assigned to the object type "text files" and at the same time in one hierarchical explorer tree. In the event that both processes are operated in parallel, there are the following options, among others:

- The search process that leads first to the destination stops the other search process;

- There is a selection of the folder in which the search is to be carried out according to the particular question or the respective access unsches;

- The selection of the folder for performing the search can be specified by the user or made automatically by the system.

Claims

claims

1. A method for storing a data object in a file system (210), the file system being provided for storing data objects of various object types and relationship object types, and the file system being a folder (212, 214, 216, 218, 220, ...) for each of the object types and the relationship object types, with the following steps:

Assignment of one of the object types and one or more of the relationship object types to the data object,

- Storage of a representation of the data object in each folder that belongs to one of the assigned object types or relationship object types.

2. The method according to claim 1 with the following further steps:

Display of a dialog window (300) for storing the data object, the dialog window containing a selection list (304) of the object types and relationship object types of the file system,

- Assignment of the one or more of the object types and the one or more of the

Relationship object types to the data object by selection from the selection list.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a first of the object types is data relating to a device type of an automation system and a second of the object types is data relating to a software type of an automation system.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the object types are file types.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein the assignment of the data object to one of the object types is given by a file extension of the data object.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the object types and each of the relationship object types is assigned a Boolean criterion, and the assignment of the data object to the object types and the relationship object types is carried out by evaluating the Boolean criterion for the data object.

7. Computer program product, in particular digital storage medium, for storing a data object in a file system (210), the file system being provided for storing data objects of different object types and relationship object types, and the file system being a folder (212, 214 , 216, 218, 220, ...) for each of the object types and the relationship object types, with program means for performing the following steps:

Assignment of one or more of the object types and one or more of the relationship object types to the data object,

8. The computer program product according to claim 7, wherein the program means are designed to carry out the following further steps: - Display of a dialog window (300) for storing the

Data object, the dialog window containing a selection list (304) of the object types and relationship object types of the file system,

- Assignment of the one or more of the object types and the one or more of the

9. Computer system for storing a data object with:

a file system (210) for storing data objects of different object types and relationship object types, the file system having a folder (212, 214, 216, 218, 220, ...) for each of the object types and the relationship object types,

- Means (202, 204, 206) for assigning one of the object types and one or more

Relationship object types to the data object,

- Means (210) for storing a representation of the data object in each folder that belongs to one of the assigned object types or relationship object types.

10. Computer system according to claim 9 with a graphical user interface (208) for displaying a dialog window (300) for storing the data object, the dialog window containing a selection list (304) of the object types and the relationship object types of the file system.