Software customization framework

A software customization framework responsive to a request that identifies a generic domain class, the software customization framework, comprising:

• an enterprise platform comprising:
• a metadata framework comprising a generic domain class used to configure an extension class;
• a service layer configured to receive one or more inputs from a client interface, the service layer comprising a dispatch service which forwards a call to a generic executable object;
• and
• an object layer configured to generate the generic executable object at run time, wherein the generic executable object uses the extension class to
• emulate a desired object behavior and invoke a select dispatch scheme for a generic handler to apply in response to the call;
• and
• a data structure within which the handler implements an operation responsive to the generic executable object.

An enterprise application extension system, comprising:

• means for creating an extension class in metadata, the extension class defining a multiple-mode dispatch scheme;
• means for creating a generic domain object;
• means for receiving a client request to manipulate data in a data structure used to support a banking enterprise;
• means for responding to the client request via an executable object generated at run time responsive to a dispatch service, the generic domain object, and the extension class, wherein said means for responding to the client request supports executable customizations without requiring new Java classes for the data structure;
• and
• means for manipulating data in the data structure.

A method for extending core application behavior of an enterprise platform without generating code when an extension class is added to metadata, comprising:

• adding information to metadata defining a generic domain class;
• using the generic domain class to generate an extension class including a field, an operation, and a dispatch scheme;
• integrating the metadata with an enterprise platform;
• generating a generic domain object;
• defining a mechanism for invoking a dispatch service that generates an executable object at run time responsive to the extension class;
• and
• directing a multiple dispatch scheme directed handler defined via a generic handler attribute in the metadata to implement the operation on data in a data structure.