Hypermedia management system

Abstract

A system supplies links between objects. A link service receives a link request from a client. The request identifies a source object. The link service aggregates links from link providers for which the source object is a source of the links, and provides the aggregated links to the client.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for supplying links between objects comprising: 
 a link service receiving a link request from a client, the link request identifying a source object, the link service aggregating links from link providers for which the source object is a source of the links and providing the aggregated links to the client.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the link request identifies an instance of the source object and wherein the link service aggregates the links based on the instance of the source object.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the link request identifies the class of the source object and wherein the link service aggregates the links based on the class of the source object.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  and further comprising: 
 a link provider operably coupled to the link service, the link service requesting links having the source object as the source of the links from the link provider.  
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  and further comprising: 
 a provider register, operably coupled to the link service, storing register information corresponding to the provider, the register information being indicative of links provided by the link provider.  
 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the register information is indicative of source objects for which the link provider provides links.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the register information is indicative of classes of objects for which the link provider provides links.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the register information is indicative of instances of objects for which the link provider provides links.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6  and further comprising: 
 a plurality of link providers, the provider register storing register information for each of the plurality of link providers.  
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the link service accesses the provider register to identify link providers from which to request links, based on the identified source object.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the link service is configured to receive a traversal request from the client, the traversal request identifying a link to traverse.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the link service is configured to determine which link provider provided the link and to request that link provider to traverse the link, the link provider returning a traversal result.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the link represents an association with a destination object and wherein the traversal result comprises the destination object.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the link represents an action and wherein the traversal result comprises an indication that the link provider has taken the action.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the link belongs to a link category and wherein the traversal result comprises: 
 a destination object belonging to the link category.  
 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the link category is defined by a link provider.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the link service returns the traversal result to the client.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  and further comprising: a handler operably coupled to the client and configured to handle the traversal result.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the link service is configured to receive a registration request for an additional link provider.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the link service queries the additional link provider for register information corresponding to the additional link provider and stores the register information in the provider register.  
     
     
         21 . A method of maintaining links between objects comprising: 
 receiving a link request at a link service from a client, the link request identifying an object that is a source object in links being requested;    requesting links from a plurality of providers, based on the identified object;    aggregating links from the providers, at the link service; and    returning the aggregated links to the client.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the link request identifies an instance of the source object and wherein requesting comprises: 
 requesting links based on the instance of the source object.  
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the link request identifies a specific instance of the source object and wherein requesting comprises: 
 requesting links based on the specific instance of the source object.  
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the link request identifies a class of the source object and wherein requesting comprises: 
 requesting links based on the class of the source object.  
 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21  wherein requesting comprises: 
 accessing a provider register storing register information corresponding to the providers, the register information being indicative of links provided by the providers.  
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  and further comprising: 
 receiving a traversal request from the client, the traversal request identifying a link to traverse.  
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  and further comprising: 
 determining which link provider provided the link; and  
 requesting that link provider to traverse the link, the link provider returning a traversal result.  
 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the link represents a destination object and further comprising: 
 returning the destination object to the client.  
 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the link represents an action and further comprising: 
 returning an indication that the link provider has taken the action to the client.  
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21  and further comprising: 
 receiving a registration request for an additional link provider.  
 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  and further comprising: 
 querying the additional link provider for register information corresponding to the additional link provider; and  
 storing the register information.  
 
     
     
         32 . A method of maintaining hypermedia links, comprising: 
 receiving, at a hypermedia service, a registration request for a link provider that provides links between objects;    querying the link provider for register information indicative of source nodes for which the link provider provides links; and    storing the register information.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein querying comprises: 
 querying the link provider for object classes for which the link provider provides links.  
 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32  wherein querying comprises: 
 querying the link provider for instances of objects for which the link provider provides links.  
 
     
     
         35 . A method of traversing links between objects the method comprising: 
 receiving, at a hypermedia service, a traversal request from a client, the traversal request identifying a link to traverse;    determining which of a plurality of link providers provided the link; and    requesting that link provider to traverse the link, the link provider returning a traversal result.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the link represents a destination object and further comprising: 
 returning the destination object to the client.  
 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the link represents an action and further comprising: 
 returning an indication that the link provider has taken the action to the client.  
 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35  and further comprising: 
 returning the traversal result to the client; and  
 the client returning the traversal result to a handler that handles the traversal result.