System and method for extensible data interface for shared service module

A computer program product, comprising a computer usable storage medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code containing instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer system implement a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for performing a transaction from the caller application, wherein the request comprises at least one caller application attribute describing the request;
• subsequent to said receiving, building a service module data structure pursuant to said received request, wherein the service module data structure comprises a generic service document and at least one service module attribute, wherein the service module uses only the service module data structure such that the service module needs not manipulate said at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction, wherein said building comprising:
• defining said at least one service module attribute of the service module data structure, wherein each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute either corresponds to one of said at least one caller application attribute or is created by the service module;
• subsequent to said defining, configuring a caller identifier that uniquely identifies the caller application which had sent the request and the service module data structure corresponding to the request;
• subsequent to said configuring, constructing the generic service document, wherein the generic service document is configured to contain a result of the transaction performed by the service module;
• subsequent to said constructing, creating at least one container in the generic service document, wherein each container of said 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 said at least one service module attribute, wherein a mapping table of the service module data structure comprises said at least one mapping;
• and
• subsequent to said creating, naming each container of said at least one container in the generic service document after each mapping of said at least one mapping in the mapping table;
• subsequent to said building, storing each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;
• subsequent to said storing, servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document;
• and
• subsequent to said servicing, returning the generic service document to the caller application,
• wherein said receiving, said building, said storing, said servicing, and said returning are performed by the service module.

A computer system comprising a processor and a computer readable memory unit coupled to the processor, said memory unit containing instructions that when executed by the processor implement a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for performing a transaction from the caller application, wherein the request comprises at least one caller application attribute describing the transaction;
• subsequent to said receiving, building a service module data structure pursuant to said received request, wherein the service module data structure comprises a generic service document and at least one service module attribute, wherein the service module uses only the service module data structure such that the service module needs not manipulate said at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction, wherein said building comprising:
• defining said at least one service module attribute of the service module data structure, wherein each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute either corresponds to one of said at least one caller application attribute or is created by the service module;
• subsequent to said defining, configuring a caller identifier that uniquely identifies the caller application which had sent the request and the service module data structure corresponding to the request;
• subsequent to said configuring, constructing the generic service document, wherein the generic service document is configured to contain a result of the transaction performed by the service module;
• subsequent to said constructing, creating at least one container in the generic service document, wherein each container of said 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 said at least one service module attribute, wherein a mapping table of the service module data structure comprises said at least one mapping;
• and
• subsequent to said creating, naming each container of said at least one container in the generic service document after each mapping of said at least one mapping in the mapping table;
• subsequent to said building, storing each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;
• subsequent to said storing, servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document;
• and
• subsequent to said servicing, returning the generic service document to the caller application,
• wherein said receiving, said building, said storing, said servicing, and said returning are performed by the service module.

A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for performing a transaction from the caller application, wherein the request comprises at least one caller application attribute describing the transaction;
• subsequent to said receiving, building a service module data structure pursuant to said received request, wherein the service module data structure comprises a generic service document and at least one service module attribute, wherein the service module uses only the service module data structure such that the service module needs not manipulate said at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction, wherein said building comprising:
• defining said at least one service module attribute of the service module data structure, wherein each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute either corresponds to one of said at least one caller application attribute or is created by the service module;
• subsequent to said defining, configuring a caller identifier that uniquely identifies the caller application which had sent the request and the service module data structure corresponding to the request;
• subsequent to said configuring, constructing the generic service document, wherein the generic service document is configured to contain a result of the transaction performed by the service module;
• subsequent to said constructing, creating at least one container in the generic service document, wherein each container of said 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 said at least one service module attribute, wherein a mapping table of the service module data structure comprises said at least one mapping;
• and
• subsequent to said creating, naming each container of said at least one container in the generic service document after each mapping of said at least one mapping in the mapping table;
• subsequent to said building, storing each service module attribute of said at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;
• subsequent to said storing, servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document;
• and
• subsequent to said servicing, returning the generic service document to the caller application,
• wherein said receiving, said building, said storing, said servicing, and said returning are performed by the service module.