Mashup Patterns: Designs and Examples for the Modern Enterprise

Chapter 4. Harvest Patterns

As a general rule the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information.—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881)

Introduction

All too often the data required to solve thorny problems or unlock new business opportunities is trapped inside a proprietary system. The Harvest patterns describe methods for extracting information from resources previously viewed as closed. The basic premise of these patterns is a simple yet powerful one: Mine existing assets for unique data.

Outside the enterprise, user-created mashups typically do not utilize any Harvest patterns. Instead, they rely on data and functionality that is made publicly available via well-defined interfaces. Even with only a relatively small number of ...