Managing consistent interfaces for business objects across heterogeneous systems

A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for exchanging information regarding lists including elements used to define and describe components used to assemble an individual material, the medium comprising:

• program code for receiving via a message-based interface exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry and from a heterogeneous application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, a first message for querying, from product data maintenance, information regarding variant data of components associated with an individual material bill, the first message including a message package hierarchically organized as:
• an individual material bill of material enterprise resource planning (ERP) variant by variant identifying elements query message entity;
• and
• a selection package including an individual material bill of material variant by variant identifying elements entity, where the individual material bill of material variant by variant identifying elements entity includes a variant individual material identifier (ID) and a usage code;
• and
• program code for sending a second message to the heterogeneous application responsive to the first message.

A distributed system operating in a landscape of computer systems providing message-based services defined in a service registry, the system comprising:

• a graphical user interface comprising computer readable instructions, embedded on tangible media, for querying, from product data maintenance, information regarding variant data of components associated with an individual material bill, the instructions using a request;
• a first memory storing a user interface controller for processing the request and involving a message including a message package hierarchically organized as:
• an individual material bill of material enterprise resource planning (ERP) variant by variant identifying elements query message entity;
• and
• a selection package including an individual material bill of material variant by variant identifying elements entity, where the individual material bill of material variant by variant identifying elements entity includes a variant individual material identifier (ID) and a usage code;
• and
• a second memory, remote from the graphical user interface, storing a plurality of service interfaces, wherein one of the service interfaces is operable to process the message via the service interface.

A computer readable medium including program code for providing a message-based interface for exchanging information regarding user interface information for tracking progress and completion of a specified order by collecting information from related business transaction documents, the medium comprising:

• program code for receiving via a message-based interface exposing at least one service as defined in a service registry and from a heterogeneous application executing in an environment of computer systems providing message-based services, a first message for responding to a query requesting tracking of a status of a specified purchase order by using follow-on documents and their respective processing statuses, the first message including a message package hierarchically organized as:
• a purchase order tracking view enterprise resource planning (ERP) by purchase order response message entity;
• and
• a purchase order tracking view package and a log package, the purchase order tracking view package including a purchase order tracking view entity, the purchase order tracking view entity including a identifier (ID) and a type code, and the log package including a log entity;
• and
• program code for sending a second message to the heterogeneous application responsive to the first message.

A distributed system operating in a landscape of computer systems providing message-based services defined in a service registry, the system comprising:

• a graphical user interface comprising computer readable instructions, embedded on tangible media, for responding to a query requesting tracking of a status of a specified purchase order by using follow-on documents and their respective processing statuses, the instructions using a request;
• a first memory storing a user interface controller for processing the request and involving a message including a message package hierarchically organized as:
• a purchase order tracking view enterprise resource planning (ERP) by purchase order response message entity;
• and
• a purchase order tracking view package and a log package, the purchase order tracking view package including a purchase order tracking view entity, the purchase order tracking view entity including a identifier (ID) and a type code, and the log package including a log entity;
• and
• a second memory, remote from the graphical user interface, storing a plurality of service interfaces, wherein one of the service interfaces is operable to process the message via the service interface.