System and method for non-programmers to dynamically manage multiple sets of xml document data

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically retrieving, manipulating, updating, creating, and displaying data from sources of Extensible Markup Language (XML) documents. The program memory comprises system-user entered data definitions and business rules. The system imports XML document data into the system data definitions, processes the data using the business rules definitions and exports XML documents. The system can automatically create XML document formats from its data definitions and can automatically create its data definitions from XML document formats. The system-user can also define the mapping between XML document formats and the system data definitions. The system data definition is the combination of a Relational data model, an Object data model, and an XML data model.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system for manipulating XML documents, the apparatus comprising:
 a device configured to receive a document in an XML format; and   a device configured to define a mapping between the XML format and a set of data definitions in response to the apparatus receiving the document in the XML format.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a device configured to store data from the document in a database.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the database is a relational database. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the database is an object-oriented database. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises the database. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a web server. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a device configured to maintain the set of data definitions and a set of relationship rules.   
     
     
         8 . An system for manipulating XML documents, the apparatus comprising:
 a device configured to receive a request for a document in an XML format; and   a device configured to generate the document in the XML format according to a mapping between the XML format and a set of data definitions in response to the apparatus receiving the request for the document in the XML format.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a device configured to populate the document using data retrieved from a database.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the database is a relational database. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the database is an object-oriented database. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus comprises the database. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is a web server. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising
 a device configured to maintain the set of data definitions and a set of relationship rules.   
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 receiving a request for a document in an XML format; and   in response to the apparatus receiving the request for the document in the XML format, generating the document in the XML format according to a mapping between the XML format and the set of data definitions.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 populating the document using data stored according to the set of data definitions and a set of relationship rules.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the data is stored in a database. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the database is a relational database. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the database is an object-oriented database. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the database is located in a web server.