System, method and article of manufacture for a persistent state and persistent object separator in an information services patterns environment

• US 6,442,748 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Bowman-Amuah, Michel K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAVIS, JOHN Q
• Application Number:
  US09/388,911
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 717/1, 717/2, 717/3, 707/103-R-1, 707/9, 707/10, 707/104.1, 709/315, 709/225-226
• US Class Current: 717/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4493 Object persistence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for separating logic and data access concerns during development of a persistent object for insulating development of business logic from development of data access routine. A persistent object being developed is accessed and a state of the persistent object is detached into a separate state class. The state class serves as a contract between a logic development team and a data access development team. Logic development is limited by the logic development team to developing business logic. Data access development is restricted by the data access development team to providing data creation, retrieval, updating, and deletion capabilities.

Claims

1. A method for separating logic and data access concerns during development of a persistent object for insulating development of business logic from development of data access routine, comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing a persistent object being developed;

(b) detaching a state of the persistent object into a separate state class, wherein the state class serves as a contract between a logic development team and a data access development team;

(c) limiting logic development by the logic development team to developing business logic; and

(d) restricting data access development by the data access development team to providing data creation, retrieval, updating, and deletion capabilities.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the business logic team develops persistent objects that manipulate the state of the persistent object in accordance with business requirements.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the state is implemented as a structure of values of basic data types.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the state class contains member variables of lower data types including at least one of basic data types, extended basic data types with value semantics, other state classes, and vectors of the basic data types, the extended basic data types with value semantics and other state classes.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the state class supports data structures of arbitrary shapes, wherein supporting classes manipulate the state in a polymorphic fashion.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of implementing the state as a class that contains key-value attribute pairs, wherein the state class contains a keyed data structure containing attribute names and attribute values, wherein the state can be asked to write data to a stream.

7. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for separating logic and data access concerns during development of a persistent object for insulating development of business logic from development of data access routine, comprising:

(a) a code segment that accesses a persistent object being developed;

(b) a code segment that detaches a state of the persistent object into a separate state class, wherein the state class serves as a contract between a logic development team and a data access development team;

(c) a code segment that limits logic development by the logic development team to developing business logic; and

(d) a code segment that restricts data access development by the data access development team to providing data creation, retrieval, updating, and deletion capabilities.

8. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the business logic team develops persistent objects that manipulate the state of the persistent object in accordance with business requirements.

9. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the state is implemented as a structure of values of basic data types.

10. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the state class contains member variables of lower data types including at least one of basic data types, extended basic data types with value semantics, other state classes, and vectors of the basic data types, the extended basic data types with value semantics and other state classes.

11. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the state class supports data structures of arbitrary shapes, wherein supporting classes manipulate the state in a polymorphic fashion.

12. A computer program as recited in claim 7, further comprising a code segment that implements the state as a class that contains key-value attribute pairs, wherein the state class contains a keyed data structure containing attribute names and attribute values, wherein the state can be asked to write data to a stream.

13. A system for separating logic and data access concerns during development of a persistent object for insulating development of business logic from development of data access routine, comprising:

(a) logic that accesses a persistent object being developed;

(b) logic that detaches a state of the persistent object into a separate state class, wherein the state class serves as a contract between a logic development team and a data access development team;

(c) logic that limits logic development by the logic development team to developing business logic; and

(d) logic that restricts data access development by the data access development team to providing data creation, retrieval, updating, and deletion capabilities.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the business logic team develops persistent objects that manipulate the state of the persistent object in accordance with business requirements.

15. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the state is implemented as a structure of values of basic data types.

16. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the state class contains member variables of lower data types including at least one of basic data types, extended basic data types with value semantics, other state classes, and vectors of the basic data types, the extended basic data types with value semantics and other state classes.

17. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the state class supports data structures of arbitrary shapes, wherein supporting classes manipulate the state in a polymorphic fashion.

18. A system as recited in claim 13, further comprising logic that implements the state as a class that contains key-value attribute pairs, wherein the state class contains a keyed data structure containing attribute names and attribute values, wherein the state can be asked to write data to a stream.