Method and apparatus for accessing a relational database without exiting an object-oriented environment

• US 5,212,787 A
• Filed: 03/12/1991
• Issued: 05/18/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sitze, Kevin L., Baker, Ronald B., Cavendish, Cathy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US07/668,001
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 395/600
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

The method and apparatus of the present invention permit accessing a relational database outside of an object-oriented environment without exiting the object-oriented environment. A requestor object located in the object-oriented environment sends a data access message requesting data located in a relational database outside of the object-oriented environment. This message is sent to an interface which creates a data object containing instance variables to hold results from the data access request. The interface executes a data access routine and the results are placed into the data object with the results being sent to the requestor object by sending the requestor object a pointer to the data object.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a relational database outside of an object-oriented environment, without exiting the object-oriented environment comprising:

receiving a data access message from a requestor object in the object-oriented environment;

selecting a table having a data access routine for retrieving data corresponding to the data access message;

creating a data object in the object-oriented environment for holding data;

sending a command to a data access routine corresponding to the table, wherein the data access routine accesses the relational database;

receiving results of the relational database access from the data access routine;

placing the results in the data object; and

sending the data object to the requestor object.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending the result step includes sending the requestor object a pointer to the data object.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data access routine places the result in the data object.

4. A data processing system for accessing a relational database outside of an object-oriented environment, without exiting the object-oriented environment, the data processing system comprising:

reception means for receiving a data access message from a requestor object in the object-oriented environment;

selection means for selecting a table having a data access routine for retrieving data corresponding to the data access message;

creation means for creating a data object in the object-oriented environment for holding data;

sending means for sending a command to a data access routine corresponding to the table, wherein the data access routine accesses the relational database;

reception means for receiving results of the relational database access from the data access routine;

placement means for placing the results in the data object; and

means for sending the data object to the requestor object.

5. The data processing system of claim 4, wherein the data access routine for retrieving data is predefined.