Method for building data encapsulation layers for highly variable schema

• US 7,831,629 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Simison, Christopher M., Lyon, James M., Lemarchand, Remi Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil; Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard; Jacques
• Application Number:
  US11/326,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management

Abstract

The relationships between physical data store schema, object model, and end-user property may be encoded in the source of the object model using attributes. Reflection may be used to build the table of those relationships so that changes to the relationships between those three layers can be easily and quickly made without impacting higher levels in the software stack.

Claims

1. A method for building a data encapsulation layer for a variable schema for a predefined schema data store, the method comprising:

encoding within a source of a data store interface layer of an application methods and properties of a variable relationship between application object model and data store;

encoding a data store interface as an isolation layer to encapsulate the variable relationship using attributes;

building a mapping table, the mapping table being buildable at runtime, by identifying data relationships, methods and properties within executable source code associated with an application;

reflecting the identified data relationships, methods and properties from the executable source code to an executable mapping table schema;

using the mapping table schema to map the specific reflected data relationships, methods and properties between the object model and the data store that exist at an application execution time on an as-needed basis during runtime; and

accessing the mapping table and the data store interface via said encapsulation layer for use during application execution wherein;

the encapsulation layer allows the mapping table, object model and data store to change without affecting the application code; and

the variable relationship is encoded in source code that defines the data store interface layer of the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the variable relationship is encoded in the source code using annotations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the annotations are attributes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping table is built via executable code associated with the application identifying the variable relationship from source code associated with the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping table is built via a process that is a function of a schema associated with the data store.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping table is used to determine how to retrieve data from the data store.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mapping table is used to invoke a mechanism for obtaining a value of an object model data field.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mapping table is used in response to a request for a property associated with the data store.

9. An isolation layer for a computer application stored in a computer readable storage medium, the isolation layer comprising computer-executable instructions for:

receiving, during application run-time execution, a request for a property associated with a data store from the executable application; and

in response to receiving the request, consulting a mapping table that maps reflected data relationships, methods and properties from the executable application source code into the executable mapping table to access a structured portion of a data store;

accessing a data store interface that provides a variable relationship, encoded using attributes, between an object model associated with the executable application and data store structure reflecting data relationships, methods and properties associated with the data store during runtime wherein;

the isolation layer provides for mapping table and data store structure

change without affecting the application code; and

the variable relationship is encoded in source code that defines a data

store interface layer of the application; and

retrieving structured and variable data schema via said isolation layer from the data store based on the relationship.

10. The isolation layer of claim 9, wherein the mapping table provides a mapping from end-user, to object-model, to the data store.

11. The isolation layer of claim 10, wherein the mapping is a 1-to-1-to-1 mapping from end-user, to object-model, to the data store.

12. The isolation layer of claim 10, wherein the mapping is a 1-to-1-to- many mapping from end-user, to object-model, to the data store.

13. The isolation layer of claim 10, wherein the mapping is a 1-to-1-to-function mapping from end-user, to object-model, to the data store.

14. An isolation layer for a computer application stored in a computer readable storage medium, the isolation layer comprising computer-executable instructions for:

building a mapping table, the mapping table being buildable on an as-needed basis during runtime, that maps a structured relationship between an object model and data store structure by identifying data relationships, methods and properties within executable source code of an executable application, reflecting the identified data relationships, methods and properties from the executable source code to an executable mapping table schema, and using the mapping table schema to map the specific reflected data relationships, methods and properties identified;

wherein the mapping table is built via executable code associated with the application identifying the relationship from the application executable source code associated with the application;

accessing a data store interface that provides a variable relationship, encoded using attributes, between object model data fields associated with the executable application and data store structure associated with the data store during runtime, the variable relationship is encoded in source code that defines a data store interface layer of the application; and

retrieving structured and variable data schema from the data store by accessing the mapping table data store interface via said isolation layer wherein the isolation layer provides for mapping table and data store structure change without affecting the application code.

15. The isolation layer of claim 14, wherein retrieving the data from the data store comprises consulting the mapping table to determine how to get the data and invoke a mechanism for obtaining a value of an object model data field.

16. The isolation layer of claim 14, wherein the data is retrieved in response to a request for a property associated with the data store.

17. The isolation layer of claim 16, further comprising computer-executable instructions for looping through a request array associated with the request and filling property values associated with the property.

18. A method for building a data isolation layer for a variable schema stored in a computer readable storage medium for a predefined schema data store, the method comprising:

encoding an isolation layer using attributes to define a schema data relationship for an executable application, a portion of which is structured and a portion of which is variable;

further encoding the schema data relationship between an application object model and data store structure in a data store interface as an isolation layer to encapsulate a variable relationship, wherein the variable relationship is encoded in source code that defines a data store interface layer of the application;

building a mapping table, the mapping table being buildable on an as-needed basis during runtime, by identifying data relationships, methods and properties within executable source code associated with an application;

reflecting the identified data relationships, methods and properties from the executable source code to an executable mapping table schema;

using the mapping table schema to map the specific reflected data relationships, methods and properties between the object model and the data store that exist at the application execution time; and

accessing the mapping table and the data store interface via said data isolation layer during application run-time wherein the isolation layer provides for mapping table and data store structure change without affecting the application code.