Method of managing application definitions used in a computer program

• US 20060070088A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wason, James Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,381,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A uniform strategy for the general problem of providing custom editors and initialization strings for beans (all “dynabeans” inherit from a common bean class that incorporates this strategy. This is then extended to allow the initialization strings to be stored in a relational database. The database function is a extension of the function provided by VisualAge Persistence Builder (using some of the EADP extensions). An important advantage of this approach is that many changes to the application can now be handled by adjusting the database version of the bean definition, without a need to touch the underlying code. This will reduce down time for the application, and also improve application stability.

Claims

1. A method of managing application definitions used in a computer program, comprising the steps:

establishing a relational database separate from the computer program;

storing the definitions in the database; and

including in the computer program instructions to access and to use the definitions in the database;

whereby a user has access to the definitions, and can alter, change, add and delete said definitions, without accessing the computer program.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the storing step includes the steps of:

storing in the database initialization strings for the definitions; and

customizing initialization strings to form the definitions.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of initializing values used in the computer program, using the initialization strings in the database.

4. A system for managing application definitions used in a computer program, the system comprising:

a relational database separate from the computer program;

definitions stored in the database; and

instructions included in the computer program to access and to use the definitions in the database;

whereby a user has access to the definitions, and can alter, change, add and delete said definitions, without accessing the computer program.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein:

the definitions include initialization strings for the definitions and stored in the database; and

the system further includes

means to customize the initialization strings to form the definitions.

6. A system according to claim 5, further comprising means for using the initialization strings in the database to initialize values used in the computer program.

7. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for managing application definitions used in a computer program, said method steps comprising:

establishing a relational database separate from the computer program;

storing the definitions in the database; and

including in the computer program instructions to access and to use the definitions in the database;

whereby a user has access to the definitions, and can alter, change, add and delete said definitions, without accessing the computer program.

8. A program storage device according to claim 7, wherein the storing step includes the steps of:

storing in the database initialization strings for the definitions; and

customizing initialization strings to form the definitions.

9. A program storage device according to claim 8, wherein said method steps further comprise the step of initializing values used in the computer program, using the initialization strings in the database.