1. A method for forming an article having a wall that is at least partially formed from a tube, the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least one tube;
stacking the at least one tube in a predetermined manner such that the at least one tube forms a plurality of tube seqments that are approximately abutted against one another; and
employing a pressurized fluid to compress the plurality of tube seqments such that a first surface of the at least one tube substantially conforms to a predetermined first wall configuration, a second surface of the at least one tube that is disposed opposite the first surface substantially conforms to a predetermined second wall configuration and each of the tube seqments is substantially contiguous with at least one other tube segment;
wherein the at least one tube is evacuated prior to the step of exposing the at least one tube to a pressurized fluid.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of heating the at least one tube to a predetermined temperature.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of heating the at least one tube and the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized fluid are performed substantially simultaneously.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of brazing the tube segments together.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second surfaces are generally parallel to one another.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressurized fluid is a gas that is selected from a group of gasses consisting of argon, nitrogen and helium.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized fluid the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a first closeout skin structure, the first closeout skin structure having a first skin surface that defines the predetermined first wall configuration; and
abutting the first skin surface to the first surface of the at least one tube.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein prior to the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized fluid the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a second closeout skin structure, the second closeout skin structure having a second skin surface that defines the predetermined second wall configuration; and
abutting the second skin surface to the second surface of the at least one tube.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of removing at least one of the first and second closeout skin structures from the at least one tube after the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized fluid.
10. A method for forming an article having a wall that is at least partially formed from a tube, the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least one tube:
stacking the at least one tube in a predetermined manner such that the at least one tube forms a plurality of tube segments that are approximately abutted against one another; and
employing a pressurized fluid to compress the plurality of tube segments such that a first surface of the at least one tube substantially conforms to a predetermined first wall configuration, a second surface of the at least one tube that is disposed opposite the first surface substantially conforms to a predetermined second wall configuration and each of the tube segments is substantially contiguous with at least one other tube segment;
wherein prior to the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized fluid the method further comprises the step of at least partially filling the at least one tube with a fluid.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the fluid in the at least one tube is a compressible fluid.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the compressible fluid is an inert gas.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of heating the at least one tube to a predetermined temperature.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of heating the at least one tube and the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized fluid are performed substantially simultaneously.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of brazing the tube segments together.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second surfaces are generally parallel to one another.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein the pressurized fluid is a gas that is selected from a group of gasses consisting of argon, nitrogen and helium.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein prior to the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized fluid the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a first closeout skin structure, the first closeout skin structure having a first skin surface that defines the predetermined first wall configuration; and
abutting the first skin surface to the first surface of the at least one tube.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein prior to the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized fluid the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a second closeout skin structure, the second closeout skin structure having a second skin surface that defines the predetermined second wall configuration; and
abutting the second skin surface to the second surface of the at least one tube.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of removing at least one of the first and second closeout skin structures from the at least one tube after the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized fluid.
21. A method for forming an article having a wall that is at least partially formed from a tube, the method comprising the steps of;
providing at least one tube;
arranging the at least one tube in a predetermined manner such that the at least one tube forms a plurality of tube segments that are abutted against one another in a stacked arrangement, each of the tube segments having an annular cross-section with an outer circumference, the annular cross-section being taken generally perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the tube segment;
employing a pressurized gas to compress the plurality of tube seqments such that a surface of the at least one tube substantially conforms to a predetermined wall configuration and each of the tube seqments contacts at least one adjacent tube seqment over an area that exceeds about 5% of the circumference of the tube segment; and
heating the at least one tube to a predetermined temperature;
wherein the at least one tube is evacuated prior to the step of exposing the at least one tube to a pressurized fluid.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized gas and the step of heating the at least one tube are performed substantially simultaneously.
23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of brazing the tube segments together.
24. The method of claim 21, wherein the pressurized fluid is a gas that is selected from a group of gasses consisting of argon, nitrogen and helium.
25. The method of claim 21, wherein prior to the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized gas the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a closeout skin structure, the closeout skin structure having a skin surface that defines the predetermined wall configuration; and
abutting the skin surface to the surface of the at least one tube.
26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of removing the closeout skin structure from the at least one tube after the step of heating the at least one tube.
27. A method for forming an article having a wall that is at least partially formed from a tube, the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least one tube;
arranging the at least one tube in a predetermined manner such that the at least one tube forms a plurality of tube seqments that are abutted against one another in a stacked arrangement, each of the tube segments having an annular cross-section with an outer circumference, the annular cross-section being taken generally perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the tube seqment;
employing a pressurized gas to compress the plurality of tube segments such that a surface of the at least one tube substantially conforms to a predetermined wall configuration and each of the tube seqments contacts at least one adjacent tube seqment over an area that exceeds about 5% of the circumference of the tube segment; and
heating the at least one tube to a predetermined temperature;
wherein prior to the step of heating the at least one tube the method further comprises the step of at least partially filling the at least one tube with a fluid.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the fluid in the at least one tube is a compressible fluid.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein the compressible fluid is an inert gas.
30. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of pressurizing the fluid.
31. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of exposing the least one tube to the pressurized gas and the step of heating the least one tube are performed substantially simultaneously.
32. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of brazing the tube segments together.
33. The method of claim 27, wherein the pressurized fluid is a gas that is selected from a group of gasses consisting of argon, nitrogen and helium.
34. The method of claim 27, wherein prior to the step of exposing the at least one tube to the pressurized gas the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a closeout skin structure, the closeout skin structure having a skin surface that defines the predetermined wall configuration; and
abutting the skin surface to the surface of the at least one tube.
35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of removing the closeout skin structure from the at least one tube after the step of heating the at least one tube.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method for customizing entities in a software system, comprising:
automatically instantiating a base extension entity related to a base entity each time the base entity is instantiated;
receiving a customization value indicative of a customization to be made to the base entity; and
customizing the base entity using the base extension entity, based on the customization value.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein customizing further comprises:
generating an extension entity, related to the base extension entity, having a property indicative of the customization value.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein customizing and further comprises:
re-compiling the base extension entity after generating the extension entity.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein data represented by the entities is stored in a relational database and wherein generating an extension entity comprises:
generating an entity-relational (ER) map mapping the extension entity to the relational database.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein relationships among entities are stored in an entity association (EA) map and wherein generating an extension entity comprises:
generating an entity-association (EA) map mapping relations between the extension entity and the base extension entity.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the base extension entity has an associated E-R map and E-A map and wherein re-compiling comprises:
re-generating the ER and EA maps for the base extension entity.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein generating an extension entity comprises:
storing a table in the relational database, including data indicative of the customization value in the extension entity, according to a database schema.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein storing a table comprises:
storing the customization value in an extension of a table corresponding to the base entity.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein storing a table comprises:
storing the customization value in a separate table, separate from a table corresponding to the base entity.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving includes receiving a plurality of customization values indicative of a plurality of customizations, and wherein storing a table comprises:
storing the plurality of customization values in a single customization table, separate from a table corresponding to the base entity.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization value specifies a change to a relationship between the base extension entity and another entity.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein base extension entity has an associated entity-association (EA) map mapping associations between the base extension entity and other entities, and wherein customizing comprises:
re-generating the EA map to reflect the change in the relationship between the base extension entity and the other entity.
13. A system for customizing fields of entities in a software system, comprising:
an adapter subsystem having methods configured to be invoked to receive a customization input from a customizable subsystem, the customization input being indicative of a request to apply a customization to a field of an entity to be customized, the adapter subsystem identifying instances of target entities to be customized based on the request; and
a target subsystem having a method configured to be invoked by the adapter subsystem, to apply the requested customization to the field of the identified instances of target entities.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the adapter subsystem includes methods which, when invoked, perform customization functions on various portions of the customizable subsystem.
15. The system of claim 13 and further comprising:
a context component configured to identify a context in which each customization is applied.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the adapter subsystem is configured to access the context component to identify the instances of target entities, based on a current context.
17. A system for implementing customizations to fields of entities, the system comprising:
an adapter subsystem identifying instances of target entities to be customized based on a customization request; and
a target subsystem configured to generate one or more extension entities, related to the identified target entities to be customized, the one or more base extension entities being indicative of a customization to a field.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the target subsystem includes a method configured to be invoked by the adapter subsystem, to apply the requested customization to the field of the identified instances of target entities to be customized.
19. The system of claim 17 wherein the adapter subsystem includes methods which, when invoked, perform customization functions on various portions of the customizable subsystem.
20. The system of claim 17 and further comprising:
a context component configured to identify a context in which each customization is applied.
21. The system of claim 20 wherein the adapter subsystem is configured to access the context component to identify the instances of target entities, based on a current context.
22. The system of claim 17 wherein the target subsystem is configured to generate one or more extension entities, related to the base extension entity, including a property indicative of the customization to the field.
23. The system of claim 22 wherein the target subsystem is configured to re-compile the base extension entity after generating the one or more extension entities.