  A direct approach to exact solutions of nonlinear partial differential
equations is proposed, by using rational function transformations. The new
method provides a more systematical and convenient handling of the solution
process of nonlinear equations, unifying the tanh-function type methods, the
homogeneous balance method, the exp-function method, the mapping method, and
the F-expansion type methods. Its key point is to search for rational solutions
to variable-coefficient ordinary differential equations transformed from given
partial differential equations. As an application, the construction problem of
exact solutions to the 3+1 dimensional Jimbo-Miwa equation is treated, together
with a B\"acklund transformation.
