Business object change management using release status codes

A computer-implemented system comprising:

• a system including hardware and comprising:
• a data store to store business data;
• an application platform comprising:
• a repository to store first metadata associated with a first release of an application platform and defining a plurality of business objects, each of the business objects comprising a respective model of data and associated logic, each business object associated with respective business object entities;
• and
• a framework in communication with the repository to provide access to the business data;
• and
• a business application to access the data via the framework and based on the metadata,
• wherein the metadata associates a first plurality of the business object entities with a RELEASED release status code,
• wherein the metadata associates a second plurality of the business object entities with a DEPRECATED release status code;
• and
• wherein the metadata associates a third plurality of the business object entities with a DELETED release status code that is different than the DEPRECATED release status code;
• the application platform further to:
• determine that a cardinality of a business object node action has changed while the business object node action is associated with the RELEASED release status code or that a cardinality of a business object node association has changed while the business object node association is associated with the RELEASED release status code;
• and
• in response to the determination that the cardinality of the business object node action has changed while the business object node action is associated with the RELEASED release status code or that the cardinality of the business object node association has changed while the business object node association is associated with the RELEASED release status code, raise a flag in a business application development environment to indicate that a constraint has been violated.

A non-transitory medium having an electronic data structure stored thereon, the electronic data structure comprising:

• metadata defining business object entities, each business object entity associated with a respective one of a plurality of business objects,
• wherein the metadata associates a first plurality of the business object entities with a RELEASED release status code,
• wherein the metadata associates a second plurality of the business object entities with a DEPRECATED release status code, and
• wherein the metadata associates a third plurality of the business object entities with a DELETED release status code that is different than the DEPRECATED release status code;
• the non-transitory medium further having computer-readable program code stored thereon, the computer-readable program code executable by a computer processor to result in a method comprising:
• determining that a cardinality of a business object node action has changed while the business object node action is associated with the RELEASED release status code or that a cardinality of a business object node association has changed while the business object node association is associated with the RELEASED release status code;
• and
• in response to the determining that the cardinality of the business object node action has changed while the business object node action is associated with the RELEASED release status code or that the cardinality of the business object node association has changed while the business object node association is associated with the RELEASED release status code, raising a flag in a business application development environment to indicate that a constraint has been violated.

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• providing first metadata associated with an application platform and defining business object entities, each business object entity associated with a respective one of a plurality of business objects, the first metadata associating a first plurality of the business object entities with a RELEASED release status code, and the first metadata associating a second plurality of the business object entities with a DEPRECATED release status code;
• and
• providing second metadata associated with the application platform and defining the business object entities, the second metadata associating one or more of the first plurality of the business object entities with a DEPRECATED release status code, and the second metadata associating one or more of the second plurality of the business object entities with a DELETED release status code;
• wherein the DEPRECATED release status code indicates that the application platform supports the associated business object entity in a current release of the application platform and will not support the associated business object entity in a next software release of the application platform;
• the computer-implemented method further comprising:
• determining that a cardinality of a business object node action has changed while the business object node action is associated with the RELEASED release status code or that a cardinality of a business object node association has changed while the business object node association is associated with the RELEASED release status code;
• and
• in response to the determining that the cardinality of the business object node action has changed while the business object node action is associated with the RELEASED release status code or that the cardinality of the business object node association has changed while the business object node association is associated with the RELEASED release status code, raising a flag in a business application development environment to indicate that a constraint has been violated.

A computer-implemented system comprising:

• a system including hardware and comprising:
• a data store to store business data;
• an application platform comprising:
• a repository to store metadata defining a plurality of business objects, each of the business objects comprising a respective model of data and associated logic, each business object associated with respective business object entities;
• and
• a framework in communication with the repository to provide access to the business data;
• and
• a business application to access the data via the framework and based on the metadata;
• wherein the metadata associates a first plurality of the business object entities with a RELEASED release status code;
• wherein the metadata associates a second plurality of the business object entities with a DEPRECATED release status code;
• and
• wherein the DEPRECATED release status code indicates that the application platform supports the associated business object entity in a current release of the application platform and will not support the associated business object entity in a next software release of the application platform;
• the application platform further to:
• determine that a cardinality of a business object node action has changed while the business object node action is associated with the RELEASED release status code or that a cardinality of a business object node association has changed while the business object node association is associated with the RELEASED release status code;
• and
• in response to the determination that the cardinality of the business object node action has changed while the business object node action is associated with the RELEASED release status code or that the cardinality of the business object node association has changed while the business object node association is associated with the RELEASED release status code, raise a flag in a business application development environment to indicate that a constraint has been violated.

A non-transitory medium having an electronic data structure stored thereon, the electronic data structure comprising:

• metadata defining business object entities, each business object entity associated with a respective one of a plurality of business objects;
• wherein the metadata associates a first plurality of the business object entities with a RELEASED release status code;
• wherein the metadata associates a second plurality of the business object entities with a DEPRECATED release status code;
• and
• wherein the DEPRECATED release status code indicates that the application platform supports the associated business object entity in a current release of the application platform and will not support the associated business object entity in a next software release of the application platform;
• the non-transitory medium further having computer-readable program code stored thereon, the computer-readable program code executable by a computer processor to result in a method comprising:
• determining that a cardinality of a business object node action has changed while the business object node action is associated with the RELEASED release status code or that a cardinality of a business object node association has changed while the business object node association is associated with the RELEASED release status code;
• and
• in response to the determining that the cardinality of the business object node action has changed while the business object node action is associated with the RELEASED release status code or that the cardinality of the business object node association has changed while the business object node association is associated with the RELEASED release status code, raising a flag in a business application development environment to indicate that a constraint has been violated.