System and method for data abstraction using formatted system variables

A method for data abstraction between a business logic layer and a data layer, comprising:

• invoking a first procedure from the business logic layer with at least one parameter identifying a formatted system variable, the first procedure being a data abstraction procedure preprogrammed for a particular data value;
• accessing, from the first procedure, a first database table in the data layer to retrieve a database package name and a database program name of a second procedure based upon the formatted system variable, the second procedure being a separate procedure from the first procedure;
• building, if the package name indicates that the second procedure is valid, a dynamic statement within the first procedure that, upon execution, invokes the second procedure within the data layer to retrieve and format a data value from the data layer procedure;
• retrieving, if the package name and program name does not indicate the valid procedure, an alternate fixed value from the first database table based upon the formatted system variable and assigning it to the formatted data value;
• and returning the formatted data value to the business logic layer,
• wherein the at least one parameter includes one or more of tag name, key value, return status, return value, subject key value, and image.

A software product comprising instructions, stored on physical computer-readable non-transitory media, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, perform steps for data abstraction between a business logic layer and a data layer, comprising:

• instructions for invoking a first procedure from the business logic layer with at least one parameter identifying a formatted system variable, the first procedure being a data abstraction procedure preprogrammed for a particular data value;
• instructions for accessing, from the first procedure, a first database table in the data layer to retrieve a package name and program name based upon the formatted system variable;
• instructions for building, if the package name indicates a valid package, a dynamic statement within the first procedure that, upon execution, invokes a second procedure within the data layer, identified by the program name and the package name, to retrieve a formatted data value from the data layer and return the formatted data value from the dynamic statement, the second procedure being a separate procedure from the first procedure;
• instructions for retrieving, if the package name does not indicate a valid package, an alternate fixed value for use as the formatted data value from the first database table based upon the formatted system variable;
• and instructions for returning the formatted data value to the business logic layer,
• wherein the at least one parameter includes one or more of tag name, key value, return status, return value, subject key value, and image.

A system stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for data abstraction between a business logic layer of an application server and a data layer of a database server, wherein the application server and the database server are implemented by a computer, comprising:

• means for invoking, within the application server, a formatted variable abstraction procedure from the business logic layer;
• means for passing, within the application server, at least one parameter to the formatted variable abstraction procedure, the at least one parameter identifying a formatted system variable;
• and
• means for building a dynamic statement based upon the formatted system variable such that execution of the dynamic statement within the application server:
• accesses a formatted variable table within the database server based upon the formatted system variable to locate information within the data layer relating to the formatted system variable;
• retrieves one or more data items from the database server based upon the information;
• formats the data items to form the formatted data value based upon the information;
• and
• returns the formatted data value to the business logic layer
• wherein the parameter includes one or more of tag name, key value, return status, return value, subject key value, and image, and
• means for returning a status indicating success or failure of returning the formatted data value.