Extensible data interface for shared service module

A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, said method comprising:

• said processor building a service module data structure pursuant to a request previously received by the processor, wherein the request comprises at least one caller application attribute describing the request, wherein the service module data structure comprises a generic service document and at least one service module attribute, and wherein the service module uses only the service module data structure such that the service module need not manipulate the at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction;
• subsequent to said building, said processor storing each service module attribute of the at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;
• subsequent to said storing, said processor servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document;
• and
• subsequent to said servicing, said processor returning the generic service document to the caller application,
• wherein said receiving the request, said building the service module data structure, said storing each service module attribute, said servicing the request, and said returning the generic service document are performed by the service module, and
• wherein said building comprises:
• constructing the generic service document, wherein the generic service document is configured to contain a result of the transaction performed by the service module;
• and
• subsequent to said constructing, creating at least one container in the generic service document, wherein each container of the a leas one container is respectively associated with each service module attribute in each mapping of at least one mapping, wherein each container comprises a data value for each service module attribute of at least one service module attribute of the service module data structure, and wherein a mapping table of the service module data structure comprises the at least one mapping.

A computer system comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer readable storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device containing program code configured to be executed by the processor via the memory to implement a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, said method comprising:

• said processor building a service module data structure pursuant to a request previously received b the processor, wherein the request comprises at least one caller application attribute describing the request, wherein the service module data structure comprises a generic service document and at least one service module attribute, and wherein the service module uses only the service module data structure such that the service module need not manipulate the at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction;
• subsequent to said storing, said processor servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document;
• and
• subsequent to said servicing, said processor returning the generic service document to the caller application,
• wherein said receiving the request, said building the service module data structure, said storing each service module attribute, said servicing the request, and said returning the generic service document are performed by the service module, and
• wherein said building comprises:
• constructing the generic service document, wherein the generic service document is configured to contain a result of the transaction performed by the service module;
• and
• subsequent to said constructing, creating at least one container in the generic service document, wherein each container of the at least one container is respectively associated with each service module attribute in each mapping of at least one mapping, wherein each container comprises a data value for each service module attribute of at least one service module attribute of the service module data structure, and wherein a mapping table of the service module data structure comprises the at least one mapping.