Reusable entity modeling systems and methods

A method of reusing an entity model, the method comprising:

• providing, by a computer having at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, an entity modeling tool having a plurality of components including a graphical user interface, an entity model import function, and an entity composition function;
• responsive to an instruction from a user via the graphical user interface, creating, by the entity model designer tool, a new entity model within an application development project which acts as a placeholder;
• determining a previously generated entity model available for reuse, the previously generated entity model representing a solution process and containing entities that are linked with each other by relationships, the entities comprising entity building block, the previously generated entity model having an associated entity model contract that specify dependencies and requirements between the entities in a particular problem domain;
• responsive to an instruction from the user via the graphical user interface, importing, via the entity model import function, the previously generated entity model into the placeholder such that settings for the entity building blocks are available for customization via the entity composition function of the graphical user interface;
• and
• responsive to an instruction from the user via the graphical user interface, changing at least one of the settings so as to customize the new entity model.

A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by at least one processor to perform:

• providing an entity modeling tool having a plurality of components including a graphical user interface, an entity model import function, and an entity composition function;
• responsive to an instruction from a user via the graphical user interface, creating, by the entity model designer tool, a new entity model within an application development project which acts as a placeholder;
• determining a previously generated entity model available for reuse, the previously generated entity model representing a solution process and containing entities that are linked with each other by relationships, the entities comprising entity building block, the previously generated entity model having an associated entity model contract that specify dependencies and requirements between the entities in a particular problem domain;
• responsive to an instruction from the user via the graphical user interface, importing, via the entity model import function, the previously generated entity model into the placeholder such that settings for the entity building blocks are available for customization via the entity composition function of the graphical user interface;
• and
• responsive to an instruction from the user via the graphical user interface, changing at least one of the settings so as to customize the new entity model.