Object relational mapping layer

An integration server system that enables data modeling and storage operations of data objects, the system comprising:

• a processor operable to execute instructions stored in a data storage medium;
• a relational database operable to store data accessible to the processor that updates and retrieves data in response to SQL commands;
• a model generator adapted to create a database schema including one or more database tables in response to a model description defining one or more data objects, wherein the database schema is configured to store a set of data object instances in the database and wherein the model generator is further adapted to create object structures having one-to-one and one-to-many mappings and is capable of creating a single table to encompass all classes in an inheritance hierarchy of classes;
• an application programming interface operable to enable a client application to create instances of a data object in the database schema and provide the client application with access to the set of data object instances as separate data objects enabling the client application to perform the data modeling and storage operations of data objects, wherein the application programming interface allows client applications written in an object oriented programming language to access the data objects in the same manner as any other object in the programming language;
• and
• a module that creates a set of functions corresponding to attributes of data objects defined by the model description including accessor functions that enable client applications to read or set attributes of instances of the data objects.

An integration server system that enables data modeling and storage operations of data objects, the system comprising:

• a processor operable to execute instructions stored in a data storage medium;
• a relational database operable to store data accessible to the processor that updates and retrieves data in response to SQL commands;
• a model generator adapted to create a database schema in response to a model description defining one or more data objects, the database schema including one or more database tables configured to store a set of data object instances in the database, wherein the model generator allows mapping of attributes that are not specifically defined in the class definition, is capable of creating a single table to encompass all classes in the hierarchy and object structures having one-to-one and one-to-many mappings;
• an application programming interface operable to enable a client application to create instances of a data object in the database schema and provide the client application with access to the set of data object instances as separate data objects enabling the client application to perform the data modeling and storage operations of data objects, wherein the application programming interface allows client applications written in an object oriented programming language to access the data objects in the same manner as any other object in the programming language, and wherein in response to a request for creation of one or more new data objects from a client application the application programming interface coordinates a response to the request including creating an instance of the data object in the database schema and returning a reference to the data object instance to the requesting client application thereby allowing the integration server to change database schemas without changing the model application programming interface;
• and
• one or more modules that (i) create a set of functions corresponding to attributes of data objects defined by the model description including accessor functions that enable client applications to read or set attributes of instances of the data objects;
• (ii) enable caching;
• and automatically assign attribute values to columns in the database;
• and
• wherein the integration server is capable of converting data objects between different formats specific to two or more client applications based on transformation rules stored in a table of the database and automatically handling conversion of data objects from their format as stored in the database schema into a format used by the client application;
• and
• storing variable length strings in the database schema in a manner that provides improved performance as compared to storing the variable length strings in a CLOB data structure.

A method of enabling a client application executing on a computer to perform operations on data objects defined by a model description stored in a machine-readable medium along with a database schema including one or more database tables configured to store a set of data object instances in a database created from the model description and a model application programming interface from the model description that enables the client application to access data objects in the set of data object instances in the same manner as other data objects, the method comprising:

• using the model application programming interface to create instance of data objects in the database schema including an instance of an object structure having one-to-one and one-to-many mappings;
• storing the created data object instances in a machine-readable medium;
• accessing the created data object instances as a separate data objects with the client application;
• and
• performing operations on the accessed data object instances including storing, reading and modifying attributes of the data objects.

A method of enabling a client application executing on a computer to perform operations on data objects defined by a model description stored in a machine-readable medium, the method comprising:

• creating and storing in a machine-readable medium a database schema including one or more database tables configured to store a set of data object instances in a database from the model description including a single table to encompass all classes in an inheritance hierarchy of classes;
• creating and storing in a machine-readable medium a model application programming interface from the model description that enables the client application to access data objects in the set of data object instances in the same manner as other data objects;
• assigning attribute values to columns in the database and mapping attributes that are not specifically defined in the class definition;
• creating a set of functions corresponding to attributes of data objects defined by the model description including accessor functions that enable client applications to read or set attributes of instances of the data objects by generating an appropriate database command;
• ordering retrieved data by a value of an attribute of the data;
• generating a persistent unique sequence value for data objects stored in the database;
• creating instances of data objects in the database schema using the model application programming interface including an instance of an object structure having one-to-one and one-to-many mappings;
• storing the created data object instances in a machine-readable medium;
• accessing the created data object instances as a separate data objects with the client application;
• and
• performing operations on the accessed data object instances including storing, reading and modifying attributes of the data objects.

A machine-readable medium for a computer system, the machine-readable medium having stored thereon a model description defining one or more data objects, a database schema including one or more database tables configured to store a set of data object instances in a database created from the model description, a model application programming interface created from the model description that enables the client application to access data objects in the set of data object instances in the same manner as other data objects, and a series of instructions which, when executed by a processing component of the computer system, cause the processing component to:

• create instance of data objects in the database schema using the model application programming interface including an instance of an object structure having one-to-one and one-to-many mappings;
• store the created data object instances in the machine-readable medium;
• access the created data object instances as a separate data objects with the client application;
• and
• perform operations on the accessed data object instances including storing, reading and modifying attributes of the data object.

A machine-readable medium for a computer system, the machine-readable medium having stored thereon a model description defining one or more data objects and a series of instructions which, when executed by a processing component of the computer system, cause the processing component to:

• create and store in a machine-readable medium a database schema including one or more database tables configured to store a set of data object instances in a database from the model description including a single table to encompass all classes in an inheritance hierarchy of classes;
• create and store in a machine-readable medium a model application programming interface from the model description that enables the client application to access data objects in the set of data object instances in the same manner as other data objects;
• assign attribute values to columns in the database and mapping attributes that are not specifically defined in the class definition;
• create a set of functions corresponding to attributes of data objects defined by the model description including accessor functions that enable client applications to read or set attributes of instances of the data objects by generating an appropriate database command;
• order retrieved data by a value of an attribute of the data;
• generate a persistent unique sequence value for data objects stored in the database;
• creating instances of data objects in the database schema using the model application programming interface including an instance of an object structure having one-to-one and one-to-many mappings;
• store the created data object instances in a machine-readable medium;
• accessing the created data object instances as a separate data objects with the client application;
• and
• perform operations on the accessed data object instances including storing, reading and modifying attributes of the data objects.