Data processing system and development method

• US 20010052113A1
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kimono Limited
• Inventors: Hearne, John, Rooney, Ronan
• Granted Patent: US 6,701,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented

Abstract

A client/server data processing system is developed by a method (20) in which a meta model (21) is transformed by a model generator (24) into an application model (25) which has a layered structure reflecting that of the end-product system. A code generator is associated with each layer of the application model (25). For the client side, an IDL representation (41) is generated and is transformed into client interfaces (46). Client user interfaces (47) are separately generated.

Claims

1. A method for generating a client/server data processing system comprising the steps of:

developing a meta model of objects defining required processing logic;

a model generator automatically transforming the meta model into an application model of objects required for the data processing system;

a code generator automatically transforming the application model to server code by generating code for the application model objects;

an interface definition generator automatically generating an interface definition client representation,

a client interface generator automatically transforming said client representation into client code for client interfaces to server functions;

completing client code by developing client user interface code; and

loading the server and client code onto a hardware platform to complete a client/server data processing system.

2. A method as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein the meta model comprises process and entity objects developed in a case environment.

3. A method as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein the model generator executes mappings between meta model domains and application model domains.

4. A method as claimed in

claim 3

, wherein the mappings have a one-to-many relationship between domains in the meta model and those in the application model.

5. A method as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein the application model comprises:

an interface layer of objects;

a business object layer of objects; and

a data access layer of objects.

6. A method as claimed in

claim 5

, wherein a separate code generator transforms each layer of the application model.

7. A method as claimed in

claim 6

, wherein each code generator performs a semantic analysis of objects in the associated application model layer and uses code templates to generate code.

8. A method as claimed in

claim 7

, wherein the code templates include facilities for data inserts, data updates, singleton, and cursor-based reads, and optimistic locking.

9. A method as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein the client interface generator generates mapping objects and CORBA stubs.

10. A method as claimed in

claim 9

, wherein the mapping objects map user interface widgets to the CORBA stubs.

11. A method as claimed in

claim 10

, wherein the mapping objects are operable to capture data from a user interface screen.

12. A method as claimed in

claim 10

, wherein the mapping objects are operable to perform data validation.

13. A method as claimed in

claim 10

, wherein the mapping objects are operable to perform data conversion from user interface text to Java IDL mappings.

14. A method as claimed in

claim 10

, wherein the mapping objects are operable to use converted data to access the server.

15. A method as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein the client interface generator parses the interface definition client representation to determine services offered by the server to the client.

16. A method as claimed in

claim 1

, further comprising the step of generating rules for the server interface and business object layers by using a framework comprising a high-level graphical editor which allows a user to develop rules in a rule language, and a generator which generates source code from the rule language.

17. A method as claimed in

claim 16

, wherein the executable section comprises mathematical functions and tracing functions linking rate outputs back to high-level rule definition in the editor, and the editor generates a display of rule evidence, reasoning, and a result.

18. A method for generating a client/server data processing system comprising the steps of:

developing a meta model of objects defining required processing logic;

a model generator comprising a plurality of separate code generators automatically transforming the meta model into an application model of objects required of the data processing system, said objects being in a plurality of layers, each layer being transformed by a separate code generator, and the layers comprising;

an interface layer of objects;

a business object layer of objects; and

a data access layer of objects;

a code generator automatically transforming the application model objects to server code by generating code for the application model objects and by a user using a high-level graphical editor to develop rules in a rule language and generating code for said rules;

an interface definition generator automatically generating an interface definition client representation;

a client interface generator automatically transforming said client representation into client code for client interfaces to server functions;

completing client code by developing client user interface code; and

loading the server and client code onto a hardware platform to complete a client/server data processing system.

19. A client/server data processing system comprising:

a server comprising;

a business object layer comprising entity objects representing business entities such as an organisation and process objects representing business processes, the process objects comprising means for manipulating business entity objects in a business-specific manner,

an interface layer of objects providing a middleware client interface to the process objects of the business object layer, and for interacting with external middleware components, and

a data access layer of objects for persistent access to relational database systems,

wherein rules of the server are structured in hierarchies, each hierarchy relating to a business entity; and

a client comprising;

client interfaces to server functions, said interfaces comprising middleware stubs and mapping objects for mapping user interface widgets to middleware stubs, and

client interfaces.

20. A computer program product comprising server and client software code for providing a system as claimed in

claim 19

when loaded in digital computers.