Parameters passing of data structures where API and corresponding stored procedure are different versions/releases

• US 8,161,495 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gallagher, Edward Joseph, Ho, Mang-Rong
• Primary Examiner(s): CAO, DIEM K
• Application Number:
  US12/117,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20080222217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 719/313, 719/316, 719/328, 707/705
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2443 Stored procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A system and computer program product for passing parameters of data structures where an API and corresponding stored procedures are at different version/release levels is provided. A received data structure is parsed for a version identifier of a caller. The parsed version identifier is compared to a stored procedure version identifier and a determination is made with regards to a data structure compatibility or a data structure incompatibility. If a data structure compatibility is determined, all received data structure elements are parsed. If, however, a data structure incompatibility is determined, only data structure elements known to both the caller and the stored procedures are parsed.

Claims

1. A system for passing parameters of data structures on a computer system wherein APIs and corresponding stored procedures are of version/release levels different from one another, the system comprising:

means for receiving, from a calling program, a data structure including at least one data structure element;

means for parsing the data structure for a first version identifier of the data structure;

means for comparing the first version identifier to a second version identifier of the stored procedures and determining one of a data structure compatibility or a data structure incompatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures as a result of said comparing and obtaining version control information from a library, and thereafter parsing data structure elements in accordance to an indication of data structure compatibility;

means for parsing all of the data structure elements of the data structure known to both of the calling program and the stored procedures when said comparing means determines a data structure compatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures; and

means for parsing only the data structure elements of the data structure that are known to both of said calling program and said stored procedures when said comparing means determines a data structure incompatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures.

2. The system for passing parameters of data structures as set forth in claim 1, wherein said comparing means determines a data structure incompatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures when the first version identifier is absent.

3. The system for passing parameters of data structures as set forth in claim 1, wherein said comparing means determines a data structure compatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures when the first version identifier matches the second version identifier.

4. The system for passing parameters of data structures as set forth in claim 1, wherein said comparing means determines at least one of:

a data structure incompatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures when the first version identifier is determined to be less than the second version identifier or missing; and

a data structure incompatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures when the first version identifier is determined to be greater than the second version identifier.

5. The system for passing parameters of data structures as set forth in claim 4, wherein said parsing means parses only the data structure elements of the data structure that are known to the calling program when the first version identifier is less than the second version identifier or missing.

6. The system for passing parameters of data structures as set forth in claim 4, wherein said parsing means parses only the data structure elements of the data structure that are known to the stored procedures when the first version identifier is greater than the second version identifier.

7. The system for passing parameters of data structures as set forth in claim 1, wherein the data structure includes a BLOB/CLOB pair.

8. The system for passing parameters of data structures as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

the CLOB includes at least one character data value; and

the BLOB includes;

a version identifier;

a data element ID for each respective character data value;

a data type for each respective character data value; and

a data length for each respective character data value.

9. The system for passing parameters of data structures as set forth in claim 8, wherein the version identifier includes:

a version number; and

a release number.

10. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for use in passing parameters of data structures on a computer system wherein APIs and corresponding stored procedures are at different version/release levels, comprising:

program code for receiving, from a calling program, a data structure including at least one data structure element;

program code for parsing the data structure for a first version identifier of the data structure;

program code for comparing the first version identifier to a second version identifier of the stored procedures and determining one of a data structure compatibility or a data structure incompatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures as a result of said comparing and obtaining version control information from a library, and thereafter parsing data structure elements in accordance to an indication of data structure compatibility, wherein;

program code for parsing all of the data structure elements of the data structure known to both of the calling program and the stored procedures when said comparing program code determines a data structure compatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures; and

program code for parsing only the data structure elements of the data structure that are known to both of said calling program and said stored procedures when said comparing program code determines a data structure incompatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures.

11. The non-transitory computer program product as set forth in claim 10, wherein said comparing program code determines a data structure incompatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures when the first version identifier is absent.

12. The non-transitory computer program product as set forth in claim 10, wherein said comparing program code determines a data structure compatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures when the first version identifier matches the second version identifier.

13. The non-transitory computer program product as set forth in claim 10, wherein said comparing program code determines at least one of:

a data structure incompatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures when the first version identifier is determined to be less than the second version identifier or missing; and

a data structure incompatibility between said calling program and said stored procedures when the first version identifier is determined to be greater than the second version identifier.

14. The non-transitory computer program product as set forth in claim 13, wherein said parsing program code parses only the data structure elements of the data structure that are known to the calling program when the first version identifier is less than the second version identifier or missing.

15. The non-transitory computer program product as set forth in claim 13, wherein said parsing program code parses only the data structure elements of the data structure that are known to the stored procedures when the first version identifier is greater than the second version identifier.

16. The non-transitory computer program product as set forth in claim 10, wherein the data structure includes a BLOB/CLOB pair.

17. The non-transitory computer program product as set forth in claim 16, wherein:

the CLOB includes at least one character data value; and

the BLOB includes;

a version identifier;

a data element ID for each respective character data value;

a data type for each respective character data value; and

a data length for each respective character data value.

18. The non-transitory computer program product as set forth in claim 17, wherein the version identifier includes:

a version number; and

a release number.