Automated schema and interface generation

• US 6,631,519 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Glass, Michael J., Vaughan, Thomas A., Nicholson, Andrew L., Kosbie, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US09/539,251
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 717/100-118, 717/168-178, 707/1-5, 707/101-110, 704/201
• US Class Current: 717/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Automated generation of schema and interface methods is described. The system receives a schema definition file, which in one aspect of the system is an XML file. The system parses the schema definition file into an internal representation comprising collection classes. A SQL generator traverses the collection classes and generates SQL statements that define tables, views and stored procedures. A component generator traverses the collection classes and generates computer program source code implementing components that access properties defined in the schema definition data, and methods that provide for persistent storage of the objects in a database.

Claims

1. A method for updating one or more interface and database definitions of one or more database objects to enable compatibility between an interface and database utilizing the one or more updated definitions and to provide access to the one or more objects, the method comprising:

receiving schema definition data, the schema definition data including schema definitions defining at least one object in the database, wherein the schema definition defining the at least one object is different than at least one of a corresponding database definition and a corresponding interface definition for the at least one object;

parsing the schema definition data into collection classes comprising one or more schema objects;

examining each of the one or more schema objects in the collection classes and generating one or more corresponding database table definitions, such that the schema definition data is automatically propagated directly into the database definitions;

generating source code and an interface definition file corresponding to the at least one schema object; and

compiling the source code and interface definition into component objects that are compatible with the database table definitions, the component objects providing run-time interfaces for manipulating data in the database as defined by the database table definitions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection classes are ordered according to a dependency relationship among the at least one object in the collection class of objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the schema definition data includes receiving a file formatted according to an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) standard and wherein parsing the schema definition data includes creating an XML parse tree.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated database definition is generated with SQL code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the source code includes C++ code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the generated C++ code conforms to the COM standard.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the source code includes an IDL (Interface Definition Language) file.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the schema definition data is automatically propagated directly into the database definitions without having to first depend on changes made to the component objects.

9. A computer program product including one or more computer readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for updating one or more interface and database definitions of one or more database objects to enable compatibility between an interface and database utilizing the one or more updated definitions and to provide access to the one or more objects, the method comprising:

receiving schema definition data, the schema definition data including schema definitions defining at least one object in the database, wherein the schema definition defining the at least one object is different than at least one of a corresponding database definition and a corresponding interface definition for the at least one object;

parsing the schema definition data into collection classes comprising one or more schema objects;

examining each of the one or more schema objects in the collection classes and generating one or more corresponding database table definitions, such that the schema definition data is automatically propagated directly into the database definitions;

generating source code and an interface definition file corresponding to the at least one schema object; and

compiling the source code and interface definition into component objects that are compatible with the database table definitions, the component objects providing run-time interfaces for manipulating data in the database as defined by the database table definitions.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the collection classes are ordered according to a dependency relationship among the at least one object in the collection class of objects.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein receiving the schema definition data includes receiving a file formatted according to an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) standard and wherein parsing the schema definition data includes creating an XML parse tree.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the updated database definition is generated with SQL code.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the source code includes C++ code.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the generated C++ code conforms to the COM standard.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the source code includes an IDL (Interface Definition Language) file.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the schema definition data is automatically propagated directly into the database definitions without having to first depend on changes made to the component objects.