Techniques for maintaining database compatability

Abstract

A method of accommodating at least one difference between a first database schema and a second database schema is provided. The method includes receiving a response generated by a first application program using a first database schema, identifying a value in the response that is unrecognizable to a second application program using a second database schema, and substituting, using a processor, the value that is unrecognizable to the second application program with a reserved element recognizable to the second application program, the reserved element indicating to the second application program that a portion of the response is not recognizable to the second application program. The method further includes communicating the response to the second application program.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method, comprising:
 determining, by a computer system, that a first application program is configured to receive query response data corresponding to a first type of database structural organization;   generating, by the computer system, a transmission message according to a second type of database structural organization, wherein the transmission message includes a particular element stored at a specified location within the transmission message, the particular element indicating that the second type of database structural organization is different from the first type of database structural organization; and   the computer system causing the transmission message to be sent, via a network interface device, to the first application program.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the computer system, a data query from the first application program;   wherein causing the transmission to be sent is performed in response to the data query.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein determining that the first application program is configured to receive query response data corresponding to a first type of database structural organization is based on an analysis, performed by the computer system, of content in the data query. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first database schema is a later version of the second database schema. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first application program comprises an application program interface (API), and wherein the first type of database structural organization corresponds to a data organization for a computer server configured to respond to requests from one or more types of applications. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first type of database structural organization and the second type of database structural organization are based on extensible markup language (XML). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first application program is an Application Program Interface (API), the first database schema is a server-side database schema, and the second database schema is a client-side database. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the particular element stored at the specified location within the transmission message comprises a specific numerical code not defined in the first type of database structural organization. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the computer system causing a second application program, running on a system that is not running the first application program, to take one or more actions affecting a listing of a good or service for sale via a website. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating the transmission message according to the second type of database structural organization comprises:
 reading specific data from a database not explicitly organized according to either the first or second type of database structural organization; and   formatting the specific data according to the second type of database structural organization.   
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that are executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, via a network interface device, a data submission from a first application program;   determining, based on the data submission, that the first application program is configured to receive query response data corresponding to a first type of database structural organization;   generating a transmission message according to a second type of database structural organization, wherein the transmission message includes a particular element stored at a specified location within the transmission message, the particular element indicating that the second type of database structural organization is different from the first type of database structural organization; and   causing the transmission message to be sent to the first application program.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the data submission is a data query organized at least partly according to the first type of database structural organization. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the data query comprises data organized according to simple object access protocol (SOAP). 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the particular element stored at the specified location within the transmission message comprises a specific numerical code not defined in the first type of database structural organization 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein generating the transmission message according to the second type of database structural organization comprises:
 reading specific data from a database not explicitly organized according to either the first or second type of database structural organization; and   formatting the specific data according to the second type of database structural organization.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the first type of database structural organization and the second type of database structural organization are based on Web Services Description Language (WSDL). 
     
     
         18 . A system, comprising:
 a processor;   a network interface device;   a memory; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that are executable to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
 determining that a first application program is configured to receive query response data corresponding to a first type of database structural organization; 
 generating a transmission message according to a second type of database structural organization, wherein the transmission message includes a particular element stored at a specified location within the transmission message, the particular element indicating that the second type of database structural organization is different from the first type of database structural organization; and 
 causing the transmission message to be sent to the first application program via the network interface device. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein generating the transmission message according to the second type of database structural organization comprises:
 reading specific data from a database not explicitly organized according to either the first or second type of database structural organization; and   formatting the specific data according to the second type of database structural organization.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a data query from the first application program;   wherein causing the transmission to be sent is performed in response to the data query.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein determining that the first application program is configured to receive query response data corresponding to a first type of database structural organization is based on a version indicator contained in the data query.