Integrating both modifications to an object model and modifications to a databse into source code by an object-relational mapping tool

• US 20010018690A1
• Filed: 01/05/2001
• Published: 08/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Learmont, Timothy R., Tung Ng, Tony Chun
• Granted Patent: US 6,609,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/103Y
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4493 Object persistence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

In accordance with methods and systems consistent with the present invention, an improved object-relational mapping tool is provided that generates source code containing classes which preserve both changes to the database schema as well as customizations to a preexisting version of the classes. This functionality alleviates the programmer from having to recreate their changes to the classes when the database changes, thus saving significant development time over conventional systems.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system having a database with a schema, having a preexisting version of a data structure reflecting the schema of the database, and having an object model containing objects whose interrelationship reflects the schema of the database, comprising:

receiving database modifications to the schema of the database;

receiving object model modifications into the object model;

creating a new version of the data structure reflecting the schema of the database with the received database modifications;

comparing the new version of the data structure with the preexisting version of the data structure to isolate the database modifications;

updating the object model to reflect the database modifications such that the updated object model contains both the database modifications and the object model modifications; and

generating source code based on the updated object model.

2. The method of

claim 1

wherein the generating includes:

obtaining a class corresponding to each object in the object model.

3. The method of

claim 2

wherein the database has tables with fields, wherein the object model has a corresponding object for each table, wherein each object in the object model has an item reflecting a field in the corresponding table, and wherein the creating a class includes:

for each object in the object model, creating a data member for each item in the object.

4. The method of

claim 3

wherein the creating a data member includes:

creating a function member to retrieve a value of the data member.

5. The method of

claim 3

wherein the creating a data member includes:

creating a function member to set a value of the data member.

6. A method in a computer system having a first data structure reflecting a logical structural relationship among data in a data source, comprising:

creating a second data structure reflecting a modified version of the logical structural relationship among the data in the data source;

comparing the first data structure with the second data structure to isolate the modifications made to the logical structural relationship among the data; and

generating source code reflecting the modifications.

7. The method of

claim 6

wherein the generating includes:

creating classes that reflect the modified version of the logical structural relationship.

8. The method of

claim 7

wherein the creating includes:

creating classes in the Java programming language.

9. The method of

claim 6

wherein the data source is a database, and wherein the creating includes:

importing the modified version of the logical structural relationship from the database.

10. The method of

claim 9

wherein the database can be accessed using JDBC methods, and wherein the importing includes:

invoking the JDBC methods to import the modified version of the logical structural relationship.

11. A method in a computer system having a group of data structures reflecting a logical structure of a data source, comprising:

receiving customizations into the group of data structures;

receiving an indication that the data source has been modified; and

incorporating the modifications into the group of data structures while preserving the customizations.

12. The method of

claim 11

wherein the group of data structures is an object model, and wherein the method further includes:

generating source code based on the object model that reflects the customizations and the modifications.

13. A data processing system, comprising:

a secondary storage device with a database having a logical structure comprising tables with rows and columns;

a memory containing;

a first database data structure reflecting the logical structure of the database;

an object model containing objects based on the first database data structure;

an object-relational mapping tool configured to operate after the logical structure of the database has been modified, configured to import the modified logical structure, configured to create a second database data structure based on the modified logical structure, configured to compare the first and the second database data structures to isolate the modifications made to the logical structure, and configured to update the object model with the isolated modifications; and

a processor configured to run the object-relational mapping tool.

14. The data processing system of

claim 13

wherein the object model has customizations and wherein the object-relational mapping tool has a preserving component configured to add the isolated modifications to the object model while preserving the customizations.

15. The data processing system of

claim 14

wherein the object-relational mapping tool includes a code generator configured to generate source code based on the updated object model.

16. The data processing system of

claim 15

wherein the source code has classes.

17. The data processing system of

claim 13

wherein the database can be accessed using JDBC methods and wherein the object-relational mapping tool imports the modified logical structure using the JDBC methods.

18. A computer system having a database with a schema, having a preexisting version of a data structure reflecting the schema of the database, and having an object model containing objects whose interrelationships reflect the schema of the database, comprising:

means for receiving database modifications to the schema of the database;

means for receiving object model modifications into the object model;

means for creating a new version of the data structure reflecting the schema of the database with the received database modifications;

means for comparing the new version of the data structure with the preexisting version of the data structure to isolate the database modifications;

means for updating the object model to reflect the database modifications such that the updated object model contains both the database modifications and the object model modifications; and

means for generating source code based on the, updated object model.

19. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the computer system having a first data structure reflecting a logical structural relationship among data in a data source, the method comprising:

creating a second data structure reflecting a modified version of the logical structural relationship among the data in the data source; and

comparing the first data structure with the second data structure to isolate the modifications made to the logical structural relationship among the data so that source code can be generated to reflect the modifications.

20. The computer-readable medium of

claim 19

further including:

generating the source code to reflect the modifications.

21. The computer-readable medium of

claim 20

wherein the generating includes:

creating classes that reflect the modified version of the logical structural relationship.

22. The computer-readable medium of

claim 21

wherein the creating includes:

creating classes in the Java programming language.

23. The computer-readable medium of

claim 19

wherein the data source is a database, and wherein the creating includes:

importing the modified version of the logical structural relationship from the database.

24. The computer-readable medium of

claim 23

wherein the database can be accessed using JDBC methods, and wherein the importing includes:

invoking the JDBC methods to import the modified version of the logical structural relationship.

25. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the computer system having a group of data structures reflecting a logical structure of a data source, the method comprising:

receiving customizations into the group of data structures;

receiving an indication that the data source has been modified; and

incorporating the modifications into the group of data structures while preserving the customizations.

26. The computer-readable medium of

claim 25

, wherein the group of data structures is an object model, and wherein the method further includes:

generating source code based on the object model that reflects the customizations and the modifications.

27. A computer-readable memory device encoded with an object model data structure reflecting a schema of a database, the object model for use in generating source code based on the schema, the object model data structure comprising:

at least one object that receives customizations from a user and that is updated to reflect updates to the schema while preserving the customizations when the schema is updated.