Method and apparatus for automatic generation of object oriented code for mapping relational data to objects

A method for automatically mapping information of an object comprising the object attributes, relationships, and inheritances between an object-oriented application and a structured database, said method being carried out using a digital computing system comprising a processor, said method comprising the steps of:

• executing instructions on said processor to load into temporary storage an object model, said object model comprising a plurality of semantic elements, said semantic elements being less complex than object class source code definitions, representing a plurality of object classes and a plurality of relationships between said plurality of object classes within said object-oriented application, each of said plurality of semantic elements comprising relationships between object classes, inheritances between object classes, and attributes of an object class comprising at least one object ID attribute;
• executing instructions on said processor to load into temporary storage for processing a database schema that represents the structure of data in said structured database, said structured database comprising tables, columns, primary keys, foreign keys, and join tables;
• executing instructions on said processor to load into temporary storage for processing a transform that represents a mapping between said object model and said database schema, said transform having the further capability of being modified;
• executing instructions on said processor to automatically generate code by parsing said object model to identify the object classes and their relationships for which said code is generated, parsing said database schema to identify the database tables used to store the object class instances, and parsing said transform to identify the mapping of said object classes, and relationships between said database tables and said object classes, said code being suitable for conversion to an executable form that when executed automatically maps said information between said object-oriented application and said structured database;
• executing instructions on said processor to generate code for each object class, including code for four routines associated with said object class, said four routines being:
• a routine to create an instance of said object class;
• a routine to retrieve an instance of said object class;
• a routine to update an instance of said object class;
• and
• a routine to delete an instance of said object class, each of said four routines based on said semantic elements of said object model;
• and
• executing instructions on said processor to output to persistent storage said code.

A method for automatically mapping information between an object-oriented application and a plurality of structured databases, each of said structured databases comprising tables, columns, primary keys, foreign keys, and join tables, said method being carried out by executing instructions on a digital computing system comprising at least one processor, said method comprising the steps of:

• executing instructions on a processor of said digital computing system to load into temporary storage an object model, said object model comprising a plurality of semantic elements, said semantic elements being less complex than object class source code definitions, representing a plurality of object classes and a plurality of relationships between said plurality of object classes within said object-oriented application, each of said plurality of semantic elements comprising relationships between object classes, inheritances between object classes, and attributes of an object class comprising at least one object ID attribute;
• executing instructions on said processor to automatically generate code, said code being suitable for conversion to an executable form that when executed automatically maps said information between said object-oriented application and the structured databases of said plurality;
• executing instructions on said processor to generate code for each object class, including code for four routines associated with said object class, said four routines being:
• a routine to create an instance of said object class;
• a routine to retrieve an instance of said object class;
• a routine to update an instance of said object class;
• and
• a routine to delete an instance of said object class, each of said four routines based on said semantic elements of said object model;
• and
• executing instructions on said processor to output to persistent storage said code.

A method for automatically generating code to support an object-oriented application that interacts transparently with a field-delimited database, said method performed by a processor coupled to an input means and an output means, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) executing instructions on said processor to enable a user to dynamically specify an object model to load into temporary storage by using said input means to select from a plurality of input fields representing said object model, said object model comprising a plurality of semantic elements, said semantic elements being less complex than object class source code definitions, representing a plurality of object classes and a plurality of relationships between said plurality of object classes within said object-oriented application, each of said plurality of semantic elements comprising relationships between object classes, inheritances between object classes, and attributes of an object class comprising at least one object ID attribute;
• (b) executing instructions on said processor to load into temporary storage a database schema;
• (c) executing instructions on said processor to load into temporary storage a transform, said transform representing a mapping between said object model and said schema;
• (d) for each object class in said object model, executing instructions on said processor to generate code for each object class, including code for four routines associated with said object class, said four routines being:
• a routine to create an instance of said object class;
• a routine to retrieve an instance of said object class;
• a routine to update an instance of said object class;
• and
• a routine to delete an instance of said object class, each of said four routines based on said semantic elements of said object model;
• and
• executing instructions on said processor and outputting to persistent storage the code thus generated.

An apparatus for automatically mapping information between an object-oriented application and a structured database, said apparatus comprising a digital computing system, said digital computing system comprising a first processor, a memory coupled to said processor, a user interface coupled to said processor, a storage device coupled to said processor, a network coupled to said processor, a second processor dedicated to a structured database coupled to said network and supporting said structured database, and:

• means for executing instructions on said first processor to load into temporary storage an object model, said object model comprising a plurality of semantic elements, said semantic elements being less complex than object class source code definitions, representing a plurality of object classes and a plurality of relationships between said plurality of object classes within said object-oriented application, each of said plurality of semantic elements comprising relationships between object classes, inheritances between object classes, and attributes of an object class comprising at least one object ID attribute;
• means for executing instructions on said processor to automatically generate code that when executed automatically maps said information between said object-oriented application and said structured database;
• executing instructions on said processor to generate code for each object class, including code for four routines associated with said object class, said four routines being:
• a routine to create an instance of said object class;
• a routine to retrieve an instance of said object class;
• a routine to update an instance of said object class;
• and
• a routine to delete an instance of said object class, each of said four routines based on said semantic elements of said object model;
• and
• means associated with said first processor for outputting said code to persistent storage.