Rapid application integration using functional atoms

A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program configured to perform data exchanges, the medium comprising one or more code segments, that when executed, perform data exchanges between a first software application program and a second software application program using a map scenario stored in computer-readable storage, wherein:

• the map scenario defines a configured collection of reusable functional atoms, the configured collection identifies a path of connectivity between the functional atoms to perform a data exchange of application data between the first and second application programs, wherein:
• the functional atoms describe one or more of a data processing functional atom, a data persistency functional atom, and a helper functional atom, and
• the one or more of a data processing functional atom describes one or more of a transformation functional atom, a branch functional atom, an unbranch functional atom, a split functional atom, and a join functional atom;
• each functional atom represents a unit of integration that is performed completely during a data exchange of application data between the first and second application programs, and
• at least one functional atom represents a type of application data transformation that is performed during the data exchange;
• and
• the one or more code segments are configured to access the map scenario from the computer-readable storage and execute the configured collection of reusable functional atoms to perform the data exchange, wherein the one or more code segments comprise a transformation functional atom configured to:
• receive an application data collection and a data transformation rule;
• transform the received application data collection by applying the data transformation rule identified by the transformation functional atom to the received application data collection;
• and
• produced a transformed application data collection.

A method for use in application system integration, the method comprising using a map scenario to perform data exchanges between a first software application programs and a second software application program, wherein:

• a map scenario defines a configured collection of reusable functional atoms, the configured collection identifies a path of connectivity between the functional atoms to perform a data exchange of application data between the first and second software application programs, wherein:
• the functional atoms describe one or more of a data processing functional atom, a data persistency functional atom, and a helper functional atom, and
• the one or more of a data processing functional atom describes one or more of a transformation functional atom, a branch functional atom, an unbranch functional atom, a split functional atom, and a join functional atom;
• each functional atom represents a unit of integration that is performed completely during the data exchange, and
• at least one functional atom represents a type of application data transformation that is performed during the data exchange;
• and
• using the map scenario perform data exchanges comprises:
• accessing the map scenario from computer-readable storage, and
• executing the configured collection of reusable functional atoms to perform the data exchange between the first and second software application programs, wherein the map scenario includes a transformation functional atom and the method further comprises:
• receiving an application data collection and a data transformation rule;
• transforming the application received data collection by applying the data transformation rule to the received application data collection;
• and
• producing a transformed application data collection.