System and method for providing a graphical user interface for mapping and accessing objects in data stores

• US 5,627,979 A
• Filed: 07/18/1994
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Daniel T., Lee, Taejae, Lau, Christina
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KATBAB, ABDOLLAH
• Application Number:
  US08/276,389
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155, 395/600, 395/159
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A graphical user interface for mapping and accessing objects in data stores is disclosed. A user may define a mapping between object schema and data store schema by use of a high level language, Schema Mapping Definition Language (SMDL), which is data store independent, object oriented language independent, and extensible. The user may either write SMDL directly or generate SMDL through the use of a graphical user interface Smart Schema whose graphical semantics support the SMDL semantics. A Schema Mapping Internal Representation (SMIR) containing representations of the object schema, the data store schema, and the mapping of the object schema and the data store schema is generated by an SMDL Parser from the SMDL. The SMIR is represented such that it may be accessible by both development interfaces and run-time environments. It supports the accessing of the mapping information given either the object schema or data store schema such that the data store schema may be accessed from the object schema, and the object schema may be accessed from the data store schema. An SMDL Generator may be used to generate the SMDL from the SMIR. The SMIR, SMDL Generator, SMDL Parser, and SMDL may be registered in a Data Store Manager (DSM) having a single, uniform, object oriented application programing interface for accessing one or more data stores, regardless of the type of data store. The DSM may use the SMIR to access objects from a data store. The SMIR may also be used by a run-time environment to provide direct access of objects from a data store, or it may be used by various Code Generators to generate an object oriented programing language for providing direct access to objects from a data store.

Claims

1. A system for mapping objects to a data store, said system comprising:

a first graphical user interface for mapping an object schema to a data store schema;

a data structure for embodying said mapping, said data structure supporting said first graphical user interface and supporting a run-time access;

a high level language generator for generating, from said data structure, a high level language representing said mapping;

a parser for parsing said high level language into said data structure; and

a translator for creating from said data structure and displaying said first graphical user interface representation of said mapping.

2. A system for mapping and accessing objects in data stores, said system comprising:

graphical user interface for defining a mapping between an object schema and a data store schema in a high level language;

a first graphical user interface for mapping said object schema to said data store schema;

a data structure for embodying said mapping, said data structure supporting said first graphical user interface and supporting a run-time access;

high level language generator for generating, from said data structure, said high level language representing said mapping;

a parser for parsing said high level language into said data structure;

a translator for creating said first user interface representation of said mapping from said data structure;

a second user interface, dependent upon an application programming interface, for accessing object data from said data store;

said application programming interface, independent of said second user interface, for accessing object data from said data store;

a run-time component executing said application programming interface and implementing said object data access from said data store;

a data store access for said run-time component to utilize said data structure embodying said mapping definition in accessing said objects from said data store; and

a generator for generating, from said data structure, an object oriented programming language and data access language for deleting, adding, retrieving, and updating objects from said data store.

3. A method of mapping objects to a data store, said method comprising the steps of:

mapping an object schema to a data store schema via a first graphical user interface;

embodying said mapping in a data structure supporting said first graphical user interface and supporting a run-time access;

generating, from said data structure, a high level language representing said mapping;

parsing said high level language into said data structure; and

creating from said data structure and displaying said first graphical user interface representation of said mapping.

4. A method of mapping and accessing objects in data stores, said method comprising the steps of:

defining a mapping between an object schema and a data store schema in a high level language via a graphical user interface;

mapping said object schema to said data store schema via a first graphical user interface;

embodying said mapping in a data structure supporting said first graphical user interface and supporting a run-time access;

generating, from said data structure, said high level language representing said mapping;

parsing said high level language into said data structure;

creating said first user interface representation of said mapping from said data structure;

accessing object data from said data store via a second user interface, dependent upon an application programming interface;

accessing object data from said data store via said application programming interface, independent of said second user interface;

implementing said object data access from said data store via a run-time component executing said application programming interface;

accessing said objects from said data store by said run-time component utilizing said data structure embodying said mapping definition; and

generating, from said data structure, an object oriented programming language and data access language for deleting, adding, retrieving, and updating objects from said data store.

5. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system for mapping objects to a data store, said article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program embodied in said medium which causes the computer system to:

map an object schema to a data store schema via a first graphical user interface;

embody said mapping in a data structure supporting said first graphical user interface and supporting a run-time access;

generate, from said data structure, a high level language representing said mapping;

parse said high level language into said data structure; and

create from said data structure and display said first graphical user interface representation of said mapping.

6. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system for mapping objects to a data store, said article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program embodied in said medium which causes the computer system to:

define a mapping between an object schema and a data store schema in a high level language via a graphical user interface;

map said object schema to said data store schema via a first graphical user interface for;

embody said mapping in a data structure supporting said first graphical user interface and supporting a run-time access;

generate, from said data structure, said high level language representing said mapping;

parse said high level language into said data structure;

create said first user interface representation of said mapping from said data structure;

access object data from said data store via a second user interface, dependent upon an application programming interface;

access object data from said data store via said application programming interface, independent of said second user interface;

implement said object data access from said data store via a run-time component executing said application programming interface;

access said objects from said data store by said run-time component utilizing said data structure embodying said mapping definition; and

generate, from said data structure, an object oriented programming language and data access language for deleting, adding, retrieving, and updating objects from said data store.