Database connectivity and database model integration within integrated development environment tool

• US 9,047,337 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ahadian, Azadeh, Brodsky, Stephen Andrew, Jamshidi, Ardeshir, Nin, Rebecca B., Payton, Brian Gerrit, Surange, Sonali
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Li B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paulino, Lenin
• Application Number:
  US11/741,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,958 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide database integration within an integrated development environment (IDE) tool for displaying database structure and other database information, query editing and execution, and error detection for database statements embedded in program source code. Embodiments of the invention integrate database connectivity and error detection into the IDE tool, thereby potentially reducing the time required for database-aware application development.

Claims

1. A method of providing database connectivity within an integrated development environment (IDE) tool, the method comprising:

displaying a portion of source code in an editing pane of the IDE tool, wherein the portion of the source code includes at least a text string representing a database statement;

determining a database to be accessed using the database statement;

establishing a database connection between the IDE tool and the database;

retrieving a data model associated with the database;

upon determining the database statement includes one or more host variables passing data to the database, prompting for a value for each host variable;

evaluating, based on the data model, the database statement to identify any errors in the database statement, wherein evaluating the database statement includes executing the database statement and providing an option to commit or rollback one or more database changes made as a result of executing the database statement;

providing programming assistance based on the database statement and the data model, including providing an indication of any errors identified by the evaluation; and

storing, by the IDE tool, the value provided for each host variable to allow the database statement to be re-executed from within the IDE tool without again prompting for values for the host variables.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data model comprises a relational schema specifying an organization of tables, columns, and keys defined for the database associated with the data model.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

highlighting elements of the text string to distinguish different portions of the database statement from one another.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the text string represents a partially completed database statement, and wherein providing the programming assistance comprises:

predicting, based on the text string, one or more completed elements of the database statement; and

displaying a list of the one or more completed elements in the editing pane.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the one or more completed elements is a keyword of a database query language in which the database statement is being composed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the one or more completed elements specifies a name of an element of the data model.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the IDE tool provides a programming environment used to develop a database-aware application, and wherein the IDE tool includes at least a graphical text editor and a compiler.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon identifying an error in the database statement, halting a project build process.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon identifying an error in the database statement, presenting an error correction recommendation to a user, and, upon receiving an acceptance of the error correction recommendation, editing the database statement via the IDE tool.

8. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:

displaying a portion of source code in an editing pane of the IDE tool, wherein the portion of the source code includes at least a text string representing a database statement;

determining a database to be accessed using the database statement;

establishing a database connection between the IDE tool and the database;

retrieving a data model associated with the database;

upon determining the database statement includes one or more host variables passing data to the database, prompting for a value for each host variable;

evaluating, based on the data model, the database statement to identify any errors in the database statement, wherein evaluating the database statement includes executing the database statement and providing an option to commit or rollback one or more database changes made as a result of executing the database statement; and

providing programming assistance based on the database statement and the data model, including providing an indication of any errors identified by the evaluation; and

storing, by the IDE tool, the value provided for each host variable to allow the database statement to be re-executed from within the IDE tool without again prompting for values for the host variables.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the data model comprises a relational schema specifying an organization of tables, columns, and keys defined for the database associated with the data model.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises:

highlighting elements of the text string to distinguish different portions of the database statement from one another.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the text string represents a partially completed database statement, and wherein providing the programming assistance comprises:

predicting, based on the text string, one or more completed elements of the database statement; and

displaying a list of the one or more completed elements in the editing pane.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more completed elements is a keyword of a database query language in which the database statement is being composed.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more completed elements specifies a name of an element of the data model.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the IDE tool provides a programming environment used to develop a database-aware application, and wherein the IDE tool includes at least a graphical text editor and a compiler.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing an integrated development environment (IDE) tool configured to provide database connectivity within the IDE tool by performing an operation, comprising;

displaying a portion of source code in an editing pane of the IDE tool, wherein the portion of the source code includes at least a text string representing a database statement,

determining a database to be accessed using the database statement,

establishing a database connection between the IDE tool and the database,

retrieving a data model associated with the database,

upon determining the database statement includes one or more host variables passing data to the database, prompting for a value for each host variable,

evaluating, based on the data model, the database statement to identify any errors in the database statement, wherein evaluating the database statement includes executing the database statement and providing an option to commit or rollback one or more database changes made as a result of executing the database statement,

providing programming assistance based on the database statement and the data model, including providing an indication of any errors by the evaluation, and

storing, by the IDE tool, the value provided for each host variable to allow the database statement to be re-executed from within the IDE tool without again prompting for values for the host variables.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data model comprises a relational schema specifying an organization of tables, columns, and keys defined for the database associated with the data model.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises:

determining that a user has completed entering the text string in the editing pane provided by the IDE tool; and

highlighting elements of the text string to distinguish different portions of the database statement from one another.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the text string represents a partially completed database statement, and wherein providing the programming assistance comprises:

predicting, based on the text string, one or more completed elements of the database statement; and

displaying a list of the one or more completed elements in the editing pane.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the one or more completed elements is a keyword of a database query language in which the database statement is being composed.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the one or more completed elements specifies a name of an element of the data model.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the IDE tool provides a programming environment used to develop a database-aware application, and wherein the IDE tool includes at least a graphical text editor and a compiler.