Extending collaboration capabilities to external data

A method for obtaining business data, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for data from a data store;
• determining if the data resides on an internal data store or an external data store;
• when the data resides on the external data store, accessing external data on the external data store;
• mapping the external data from the external data store;
• and
• presenting the external data from the external data store to a user in a same manner as internal data from the internal data store.

A computer readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform steps comprising:

• creating definitions of business objects that encapsulate a set of defined attributes related to the business objects;
• accessing definitions of entities and performing an inventory of the attributes defined therein;
• receiving a request for data from a data store;
• determining if the data resides on an internal data store or an external data store;
• when the data resides on the external data store, accessing external data on the external data store using one or more API calls specific to the external data store;
• mapping the external data from the external data store;
• generating forms and views for presentation to the user of the client computing device, wherein the views and forms contain content that is consistent with permissible operations embodied in APIs of an external business system associated with the external data store;
• presenting the external data from the external data store to a user in one of the views or forms in a same manner as internal data from the internal data store;
• and
• allowing the user to manipulate the external data store in a same manner as manipulating the internal data from the internal data store.