Abstract: A system and associated method for receiving an unlimited number of data items modified by a Web transaction. A processor requests a service from a Web-service program by sending the service program a set of data items and a client identifier. The Web-service program responds with a Web-interface program identifier and a user session identifier. The processor uses the session identifier, the Web-interface program identifier, and a storage location of the data items to open a session with a Web-interface program, during which the processor directs the Web-interface program to modify the data items and store them on a data storage device without interacting with the Web-service program. When the user session terminates, the processor requests from the Web-service program the modified data items and the Web-service program sends the data items to the processor without involvement of the Web-interface program.

Abstract: A system and associated method for web service data for a web service transaction are disclosed. A client program that employs the web service transaction invokes a pair of web service calls to transfer the web service data to and from a web service program that executes the web service transaction. The web service program establishes a user session between the web service program and a web interface program. During the user session, the web service transaction is performed as a user of the client program directly interacts with the web service program through the web interface program. When the user session is completed, the client program retrieves the web service data resulting from the web service transaction from the web service program.

Abstract: A method and system for managing trading in trading networks. At least one trading network package is offered. Each trading network package is based on negotiations occurring prior to receiving purchase requests from customer members of the trading network. Each trading network package is configured to include: (i) a value-add service offering offered by the trading network to the customer members for a fee, (ii) a managed package for which a customer member of the customer members provides a volume commitment and for which actual purchases are tracked; or (iii) both the value-add service offering and the managed package.

Abstract: A method and associated system for interfacing between a caller application and a service module. Upon receiving a request for performing a transaction that includes at least one caller application attribute describing the request, the service module builds a service module data structure pursuant to the received request. The service module data structure includes a generic service document and at least one service module attribute. Each service module attribute is stored in a relational table of the service module data structure, which includes. The request is serviced within the service module data structure, resulting in instantiating the generic service document. The generic service document is returned to the caller application. Servicing the request includes: servicing comprising: performing the transaction; reloading containers from the relational table into respective containers of the generic service document; and returning the generic service document to the caller application.

Abstract: A method and associated system for interfacing between a caller application and a service module. Upon receiving a request for performing a transaction that includes at least one caller application attribute describing the request, the service module builds a service module data structure pursuant to the received request. The service module data structure includes a generic service document and at least one service module attribute. Each service module attribute is stored in a relational table of the service module data structure, which includes. The request is serviced within the service module data structure, resulting in instantiating the generic service document. The generic service document is returned to the caller application. Storing each service module attribute in the relational table includes: determining a category and a level of a first service module attribute; and storing in the relational table a first container pursuant to the category and the level.

Abstract: A system for performing a method for managing a supplier for participation in trading networks. The method includes: receiving from each trading network a volume commitment consolidating volume commitments for offerings of commodities and services; negotiating with each trading network to supply to customer members of the trading network the commodity or service; storing, for each trading network for each supplier, attributes including start date, end date, services and products offered to the trading network, and payment flow for the commodities and services; offing a trading network package based on negotiations occurring before receiving purchase requests from the customer members, the trading network package including: (i) a value-add service offering to the customer members for a fee, and (ii) a managed package for which a customer member provides a volume commitment and actual purchases are tracked; and negotiating price discount levels for committed levels of demand from the trading networks.

Abstract: A system and associated method for interfacing between caller applications and a shared service module. Upon receiving a request for a transaction, the shared service module creates a separate data structure per request from a caller application and configures a caller identifier to uniquely identify the caller application. The separate data structure per request can be extended by the shared service module with additional attributes that may be used, without impacting the service application data model, in the request to support servicing the request. The shared service module generates a generic service document to return the result after servicing the request to the caller application.

Abstract: An approach for transforming a starting list of purchase types into a selection list of valid purchase types by employing a configurable rule is presented. A unit price and commodity code are received for an item whose purchase is being charged to an account. Based on a category of the item, a starting list including purchase types is generated. Each purchase type specifies a corresponding accounting function. A rule set is identified in a table that associates the rule set with purchase type(s) specifying corresponding accounting functions. Identifying the rule set includes determining that the purchase type(s) are in a maximal subset of the purchase types included in the starting list. Based on the rule set and the unit price, a rule is identified in another table. The rule is applied to generate a selection list comprising a proper subset of the starting list.

Abstract: An approach for sharing data between a calling application and a callee application is presented. A callee application receives a request for processing data owned and stored by the calling application in a data table. The callee application receives a document to which containers that include data elements from the data table are attached in a predefined order. The callee application identifies element types corresponding to the containers based on a mapping interface table. The callee application unloads data elements from the containers into a data store via the predefined order and associates the data elements with the corresponding element types. The callee application processes the data according to the request. The processing includes applying a business rule to a data element based on the business rule being associated with an element type of the data element. Only the callee application has knowledge of the applied business rule.

Abstract: A method and system for transforming a starting list into a selection list by employing a configurable rule. Parameters of an item being processed by an application are received. A starting list of elements is generated. Each starting list element specifies a corresponding function performed by the application. A rule set of a set of rule sets stored in a rule set table is identified. The rule set table associates the rule set with values that specify corresponding functions performed by the software application. The rule set is identified by a determination that the associated values comprise a maximal subset of the starting list elements. A rule stored in a rule database table is identified based on the rule set and the parameters. The rule is applied to generate a selection list comprising a proper subset of the starting list. The selection list is displayed on a display device.

Abstract: A method and system for sharing data between a calling application and a callee application. A callee application receives a request for processing data owned and stored by the calling application in a data table. The callee application receives a document to which containers that include data elements from the data table are attached in a predefined order. The callee application identifies element types corresponding to the containers based on a mapping interface table. The callee application unloads data elements from the containers into a data store via the predefined order and associates the data elements with the corresponding element types. The callee application processes the data according to the request. The processing includes applying a business rule to a data element based on the business rule being associated with an element type of the data element. Only the callee application has knowledge of the applied business rule.

Abstract: A method and system for satisfying rules through a configuration of list processing methods. A document received from a calling application includes items being processed. A procedure for satisfying rules is identified by matching, via a database, a combination of values to the procedure. The combination of values includes attributes of the calling application and the document. Steps included in the procedure are determined by matching, via the database, the procedure to the steps. The order for executing the steps is determined by identifying, via the database, predecessor and successor steps. Sets of one or more list processing methods are determined and associated with each step. The order for executing each set of list processing methods is determined. The steps are executed. A selection list of elements is displayed to facilitate a selection of an element to characterize an item included in the document.

Abstract: A system and associated method for looking up a best-fit record identified by a multi-field key. The multi-field key comprises multiple fields that are hierarchically organized in an order of significance in identifying a record. The system generates a set of key values that is used for a best-fit lookup of a search key value. Each value in the set of key values is specified in contiguous fields from the most significant field to a distinctive respective field. In looking up a record for the search key value, the most specific key value in the set is first compared with the search key value, and one-level less specific in the least significant field is next compared with the search key value, until the best-fit record for the search key value is found.

Abstract: A system and associated method for dynamically building a web interface per data collecting rules. An interface module receives a request to perform a business transaction from a caller application. The interface module determines a series of interface screens pursuant to data collecting rules associated with the requested business transaction. The series of interface screens have a subsection which enables a user of the caller application to provide a value of an attribute component of the subsection. The value provided by the user is employed in performing the business transaction. A result of the business transaction is produced to the caller application.

Abstract: A system for performing a method for managing a supplier for participation in trading networks. The method includes: receiving from each trading network a volume commitment consolidating volume commitments for offerings of commodities and services; negotiating with each trading network to supply to customer members of the trading network the commodity or service; storing, for each trading network for each supplier, attributes including start date, end date, services and products offered to the trading network, and payment flow for the commodities and services; offing a trading network package based on negotiations occurring before receiving purchase requests from the customer members, the trading network package including: (i) a value-add service offering to the customer members for a fee, and (ii) a managed package for which a customer member provides a volume commitment and actual purchases are tracked; and negotiating price discount levels for committed levels of demand from the trading networks.

Abstract: A method and a system for identifying screen flows. An instance of an application utilized by a first entity locates a first key in a first table to identify a first procedure. The same instance of the application utilized by a second entity locates a second key in the first table to identify a second procedure. Using the first procedure, a method and a parameter set based on rules of the first entity are located in a second table. Using the second procedure, the method and a parameter set based on rules of the second entity are located in the second table. The method is executed with each of the parameter sets to identify a first screen flow for the first entity and a second screen flow for the second entity. The first screen flow includes data elements that are different from data elements included in the second screen flow.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for modeling a relational database. The method comprises the steps of defining a set of data tables to accommodate any number of levels of a business hierarchy and using these tables as a generic data model to handle various levels of requirements of the business hierarchy. This set of tables include a first control table, a second table containing hierarchy nodes in a flattened format, a third table storing unique hierarchy node names, and a fourth table describing the hierarchy nodes in one or more languages. For example, this business hierarchy may be a commodity hierarchy, a geography hierarchy and a client organization hierarchy. Also, in the preferred embodiment, no new tables are needed when a new hierarchy is introduced, and the generic data model supports different numbers of reporting levels from one hierarchy to the next hierarchy.

Abstract: An accounting method and system. The method includes determining by a computing system, that a second entity is dependent on a first entity for a specified time period. The computing system generates a first list comprising initially allowable purchase types list for items available for purchase by a user. The computing system generates a modified list from the first list. The computing system receives from the user, a selection for a purchase type from the modified list. The computing system presents an accounting data input form to the user. The computing system places the purchase type, a selected general ledger account, and a selected organization into the accounting data input form. The computing system stores the accounting data input form that includes the purchase type, the selected general ledger account, and the selected organization.

Abstract: A method and system for recovering data from an aborted session via a rule application. A first session having a first document ID is initiated. After an interruption of the first session, a second session having a second document ID is initiated. The first and second document IDs are determined to be identical. The first session is determined to be open in a callee application after the interruption. A rule that associates a recovery action with a data item of the first document is applied by detecting the data item of the first document and selecting the recovery action from multiple predefined recovery actions. The data item of the first document is an identification of a calling application that provides the first and second documents or a value entered by a user of the calling application. The callee application performs the selected recovery action.

Abstract: The invention provides a method, system, and program product for processing an electronic document. In one embodiment, the invention includes determining a procedure applicable to the electronic document; defining at least one step of the procedure; in the case that the at least one step includes a plurality of steps, determining an order of the plurality of steps; determining whether the at least one step applies to the electronic document; applying an algorithm for carrying out the at least one step; applying a completion algorithm; determining whether the procedure includes an additional step for which an algorithm has not been applied; and in the case that the procedure includes an additional step for which an algorithm has not been applied: determining whether the additional step applies to the electronic document; applying an algorithm for carrying out the additional step; and applying a completion algorithm.