Type neutral container

A computing system comprising:

• an artifact type neutral container stored in a computer-readable medium, the artifact type neutral container comprising:
• an element table determination logic that maintains an element table that maps a container identifier to a container or non-container artifact type identifier for each type of container or non-container artifact aggregated within the artifact type neutral container;
• a type registration table determination logic that maintains a type registration table that maps each artifact type to a data store that stores artifacts of the artifact type;
• a query engine to:
• generate and execute a query on the element table to return one or more artifact type identifiers that identify an artifact type for each type of artifact aggregated within the artifact type neutral container;
• generate and execute a query on the type registration table to return one or more data store identifiers that identify one or more data stores that store artifacts of the returned artifact types;
• generate and execute a query on the one or more data stores identified by the one or more data store identifiers to return artifacts aggregated within the artifact type neutral container;
• and
• a display to display the artifacts aggregated within the type neutral container.

An artifact type neutral container that aggregates artifacts having more than one artifact type comprising:

• an element table stored in a computer-readable medium that maps a container identifier to a container or non-container artifact type identifier for each type of container or non-container artifact aggregated within the artifact type neutral container;
• a type registration table stored in a computer-readable medium that maps artifact type identifiers to data store identifiers that identify data stores that store artifacts of each artifact type;
• a query engine to:
• query the element table to return the artifact type identifiers that identify the artifact types aggregated within the artifact type neutral container;
• query the type registration table for each identified artifact type to return a data store identifier that identifies an artifact data store that stores artifacts of the artifact type;
• and
• query each identified data store to return artifact identifiers that identify artifacts aggregated within the artifact type neutral container.

A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• receiving a container identifier;
• querying an element table to return one or more artifact types aggregated within an artifact type neutral container identified by the container identifier;
• querying a type registration table to return one or more data stores that store artifacts of the returned one or more artifact types;
• querying the returned one or more identified data stores to return artifacts aggregated within the artifact type neutral container identified by the container identifier;
• and
• displaying the artifacts aggregated within the artifact type neutral container.

A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• receiving an artifact having an artifact type;
• storing the artifact in a data store by recording an artifact identifier that identifies the artifact, an artifact type identifier that identifies the artifact type, and a container identifier that identifies an artifact type neutral container in which the artifact is aggregated;
• recording a data store identifier that identifies the data store in which the artifact is stored and the artifact type identifier in a type registration table;
• recording the artifact type and the container identifier in an element table;
• and
• providing a query engine to query the data store, the type registration table, and the element table to return artifacts aggregated in the artifact type neutral container.

A system that aggregates artifacts having an artifact type in an artifact type neutral container, the system comprising:

• means for receiving an artifact having an artifact type;
• means for storing the artifact in a data store by recording an artifact identifier that identifies the artifact, an artifact type identifier that identifies the artifact type, and a container identifier that identifies an artifact type neutral container in which the artifact is aggregated;
• means for recording a data store identifier that identifies the data store in which the artifact is stored and the artifact type identifier in a type registration table;
• means for recording the artifact type and the container identifier in an element table;
• means for receiving a container identifier;
• means for querying an element table to return one or more artifact types aggregated within an artifact type neutral container identified by the container identifier;
• means for querying a type registration table to return one or more data stores that store artifacts of the returned one or more artifact types;
• and
• means for querying the returned one, or more identified data stores to return artifacts aggregated within the artifact type neutral container identified by the container identifier.