Object-oriented programming model for accessing hierarchical databases

• US 6,529,914 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1998
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ho, Shyh-Mei Fang, Doan, Bach Dinh
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/070,528
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/100, 707/101-103, 707/200
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for accessing a hierarchical database using an object-oriented programming model. The database is modeled into an objects framework, wherein the objects framework corresponds to application views, data structures, and data defined and stored in the database. The database is then accessed through the objects framework. A class definition tool generates class definitions for objects that encapsulate or wrapper the data retrieved from the database.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for accessing a hierarchical database, comprising the steps of:

(a) modeling the database into an objects framework, wherein the objects framework corresponds to application views, database definitions, and data defined and stored in the database; and

(b) accessing the database through the objects framework.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the objects framework comprises a C++ class library that interfaces to an application program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the application program dynamically loads previously-defined objects into the objects framework to access the database during execution time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the objects framework is comprised of one or more objects selected from a group comprising a root object, an application view object, a database definition view object, a data object, a business logic object, and an iterator object.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of organizing the objects into a tree structure to represent a hierarchical structure of data received from the database.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the tree structure ensures that there is exactly one path through the hierarchy to each object and consequently exactly one identity for an object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identity for an object comprises a segment occurrence.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the root object comprises a root for a collection of the application view objects.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the application view object manages a collection of database definition view objects.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the application view object evaluates queries for the database.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the application view object creates a segment search argument list for the evaluated query.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the database description view object includes information about a structure of the database.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein the database description view object defines the hierarchy to help locate segments for the database.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the database description view object manages a collection of the data objects (DOs) and business logic objects (BOs).

15. The method of claim 4, wherein the data object class represents a segment type in the database and the data object represents a segment occurrence in the database.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data object provides a direct mapping of the data within the segment occurrence.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein an application program directly accesses the data in the segment occurrence by interacting with the data object.

18. The method of claim 4, wherein the business logic object provides business logic for an application program.

19. The method of claim 4, wherein the business logic object invokes one or more methods of a corresponding data object to perform operations on the database.

20. The method of claim 4, wherein the data object isolates the business logic object for specifics of the database.

21. The method of claim 4, wherein the interator object points to an incrementally-materialized collection of the business logic objects and data objects.

22. The method of claim 4, wherein the interator object instantiates the business logic object and data objects.

23. A computerized apparatus for accessing a hierarchical database, comprising:

(a) means for modeling the database into an objects framework, wherein the objects framework corresponds to application views, data structures, and data defined and stored in the database; and

(b) means for accessing the database through the objects framework.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the objects framework comprises a C++ class library that interfaces to an application program.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the application program dynamically loads previously-defined objects into the objects framework to access the database during execution time.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the objects framework is comprised of one or more objects selected from a group comprising a root object, an application view object, a database definition view object, a data object, a business logic object, and an interator object.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for organizing the objects into a tree structure to represent a hierarchical structure of data retrieved from the database.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the tree structure ensures that there is exactly one path through the hierarchy to each object and consequently exactly one identity for an object.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the identity for an object comprises a segment occurrence.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the root object comprises a root for a collection of the application view objects.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the application view object manages a collection of database definition view objects.

33. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the application view object evaluates queries for the database.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the application view object creates a segment search argument list for the evaluated query.

35. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the database description view object includes information about a structure of the database.

36. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the database description view object defines the hierarchy to help locate segments for the database.

37. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the database description view object manages a collection of the data objects (DOs) and the business logic objects (BOs).

38. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein a data object class represents a segment type in the database and the data object represents a segment occurrence in the database.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the data object provides a direct mapping of the data within the segment occurrence.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the application program directly accesses the data in the segment occurrence by interacting with the data object.

41. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the business logic object provides business logic for an application program.

42. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the business logic object invokes one or more methods of a corresponding data object to perform operations on the database.

43. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the data object isolates the business logic object from specifics of the database.

44. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the iterator object points to an incrementally-materialized collection of the business logic objects and data objects.

45. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the interator object instantiates the business logic objects and data objects.

24. A program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for accessing a hierarchical database, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) modeling the database into an objects framework, wherein the objects framework corresponds to application views, data structures, and data defined and stored in the database; and

(b) accessing the database through the objects framework.

46. The program storage medium of claim 24, wherein the objects framework comprises a C++ class library that interfaces to an application program.

47. The program storage medium of claim 46, wherein the application program dynamically loads previously-defined objects into the objects framework to access the database during the execution time.

48. The program storage medium of claim 24, wherein the objects framework is comprised of one or more objects selected from a group comprising a root object, an application view object, a database definition view object, a data object, a business logic object, and an interior object.

49. The program storage medium of claim 48, further comprising the step of organizing the objects into a tree structure to represent a hierarchical structure of data received from the database.

50. The program storage medium of claim 49, wherein the tree structure ensures that there is exactly one path through the hierarchy to each object and consequently exactly one identity for an object.

51. The program storage medium of claim 50, wherein the identity for an object comprises a segment occurrence.

52. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the root object comprises a root for a collection of the application view objects.

53. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the application view object manages a collection of database definition view objects.

54. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the application view object evaluates queries for the database.

55. The program storage medium of claim 54, wherein the application view object creates a segment search argument list for the evaluated query.

56. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the database description view object includes information about a structure of the database.

57. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the database description view objects defines the hierarchy to help locate segments for the database.

58. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the database description view object manages a collection of the data objects (DOs) and business logic objects (BOs).

59. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein a data object class represents a segment type in the database and the data object represents a segment occurrence in the database.

60. The program storage medium of claim 59, wherein the data object provides a direct mapping of the data within the segment occurrence.

61. The program storage medium of claim 59, wherein an application program directly accesses the data in the segment occurrence by interacting with the data object.

62. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the business logic object provides business logic for an application program.

63. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the business logic object invokes one or more methods of a corresponding data object to perform operations on the database.

64. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the data object isolates the business logic object from specifics of the database.

65. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the iterator object points to an incrementally-materialized collection of the business logic objects and data objects.

66. The program storage medium of claim 48, wherein the iterator object instantiates the business logic objects and data objects.