System and method for querying a data source

• US 20040215604A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ivanov, Vesselin K.
• Application Number:
  US10/423,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215604A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24524 Access plan code generation and invalidation; Reuse of access plans

Abstract

The present system and associated method are adapted to query a data source. The present system comprises a query registry that stores a plurality of SQL queries, and a query processor that receives a query command from a caller in an application, that retrieves an SQL query associated with the query command from the query registry, and that returns results of the query to the query command. The present system further comprises a data source adapter that accesses the data source to apply the SQL query associated with the query command, and that returns the results of the query to the query processor. The query command maps the results of the query to a data access object of some type and returns it to the caller. The system also comprises a module that gathers user input for each SQL query, and that generates a source code of the query command and the data access object needed to execute the query.

Claims

1. A system for querying a data source, comprising:

a query registry for storing at least one SQL query;

a query processor for receiving a query command in an application, for retrieving an SQL query associated with the query command from the query registry, and for returning results of the query to the query command; and

a data source adapter for accessing the data source, to apply the SQL query associated with the query command and for returning the results of the query to the query processor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the application further comprises a data access object for storing the results.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the results of the query are accessible via the data access object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is coupled with an enterprise framework that provides enterprise functionality so that the system provides the enterprise framework with a lightweight query system for predefined queries.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the framework is a J2EE platform-based framework.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the J2EE platform based framework comprises a Websphere Commerce Server.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the query processor comprises a setting to use a default data source adapter associated with the enterprise framework for establishing a connection with an enterprise data source.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the query processor comprises a custom setting for receiving parameters from the query command, for establishing a connection with a custom defined data source through a custom data source adapter.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a code generation component for generating code required to add components to the system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the code generation component creates a code for generating the query command.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the code generation component creates code for generating the data access object.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the code generation component accesses a meta-data file including parameters required by the code generation component for generating one or more components.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the code generation component accesses a plurality of meta-data files for performing batch code generation.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the meta-data file is an extensible markup language file.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the meta-data file is created by a wizard that collects the parameters from a developer via a plurality of interactive screens.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the meta-data file comprises a program.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the meta-data file is created by a conversion utility, for converting a file of a known format to a format required for the meta-data file.

18. A method for querying a data source, comprising:

a query processor receiving a query command in an application;

retrieving an SQL query from a query registry, the SQL query being associated with the query command;

accessing the data source via a data source adaptor to apply the SQL query associated with the query command; and

returning results of the SQL query to the query command.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the results of the SQL query are returned to the query command via the query processor.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the results are communicated to a data access object for storage.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising accessing the results of the query by accessing the data access object.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the query processor comprises a setting to use a default data source adapter associated with an associated enterprise framework for establishing a connection with an enterprise data source.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the query processor comprises a custom setting for receiving parameters from the query command, in order to establish a connection with a custom defined data source through a custom defined data source adapter.

24. A method of generating code for creating a query command, comprising:

accessing a meta-data file that comprises a plurality of predefined parameters for defining a query; and

generating the query command using the predefined parameters in accordance with a predefined rule set.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising generating a data access object using the predefined parameters.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein accessing a meta-data file comprises accessing a plurality of meta-data files for performing batch code generation.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the meta-data file is an extensible markup language file.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising using a wizard for creating the meta-data file, and using the results for creating the meta-data file;

and

wherein the wizard collects the parameters via a plurality interactive screens.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising programming the meta-data file.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising creating the meta-data file by using a conversion utility for converting a file of a known format to a format required for the meta-data file.

31. A system having instruction codes for executing an enterprise framework, comprising:

a first set of instruction codes for receiving a query command in an application;

a second set of instruction codes for retrieving an SQL query from a query registry, the SQL query being associated with the query command;

a third set of instruction codes for accessing the data source via a data source adaptor to apply the SQL query associated with the query command; and

a fourth set of instruction codes for returning results of the SQL query to the query command.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a fifth set of instruction codes for returning the results of the SQL query to the first set of instruction codes.

33. The system of claim 31, further comprising a sixth set of instruction codes for communicating the results to a data access object for storage.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising a seventh set of instruction codes for accessing the results of the query by accessing the data access object.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the first set of instruction codes comprises establishes a connection with an enterprise data source using a default data source adapter associated with an associated enterprise framework.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the first a connection with an enterprise data source establishes a connection with a custom defined data source via a custom defined data source adapter, for receiving parameters from the query command.

37. A system having instruction codes for defining a transition tool suite, comprising:

a first set of instruction codes for accessing a meta-data file, the meta-data file comprising a plurality of predefined parameters for defining a query; and

a second set of instruction codes for generating a query command component using the predefined parameters in accordance with a predefined rule set.

38. The system of claim 37, further comprising a third set of instruction codes for generating a data access object.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the first set of instruction codes accesses a plurality of meta-data files for performing batch code generation.

40. A transition tool suite for facilitating conversion to a system for querying a data source, the system comprising:

a query registry for storing at least one SQL query;

a query processor for receiving a query command in an application, for retrieving an SQL query associated with the query command from the query registry, and for returning results of the query to the query command;

a data source adapter for accessing the data source to apply the SQL query associated with the query command and for returning the results of the query to the query processor;

wherein the transition tool suite comprises;

a meta-data file including a plurality of predefined parameters for defining a query; and

a code generation component for generating code in accordance with the parameters in the meta-data file for adding components to the system.

41. The transition tool suite of claim 40, wherein the code generation component creates code for generating the query command in accordance with a predefined rule set.

42. The transition tool suite of claim 40, wherein the code generation component creates code for generating the data access object in accordance with a predefined rule set.

43. The transition tool suite of claim 40, wherein the code generation component accesses a plurality of meta-data files for performing batch code generation.

44. The transition tool suite of claim 40, wherein the meta-data file is an extensible markup language file.

45. The transition tool suite of claim 40, wherein the meta-data file is created by a wizard that collects the parameters via a plurality interactive screens.

46. The transition tool suite of claim 40, wherein the meta-data file is programmable.

47. The transition tool suite of claim 40, wherein the meta-data file is created by a conversion utility for converting a file of a known format to a format required for the meta-data file.