Interfacing between a caller application and a service module

A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, said method comprising:

• said processor 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, said processor building a service module data structure pursuant to the 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 need not manipulate the at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction;
• subsequent to said building, said processor storing each service module attribute of the at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;
• subsequent to said storing, said processor servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document;
• and
• subsequent to said servicing, said processor returning the generic service document to the caller application;
• said service module being executed by the processor to perform said receiving the request, said building the service module data structure, said storing each service module attribute, said servicing the request, and said returning the generic service document;
• said storing comprising:
• determining a category of a first service module attribute of the at least one service module attribute, wherein a configuration table comprises a respective category of each service module attribute, wherein the category is either an extended-category that is recognized only by the caller application or a basic-category that is recognized by both the caller application and the service module;
• subsequent to said determining the category, determining a level of the first service module attribute, wherein the configuration table further comprises a respective level of each service module attribute, wherein the level is either a header-level that is applicable for all service module attributes represented in the generic service document or an item-level that is applicable only for the first service module attribute;
• subsequent to said determining the level, storing in the relational table a first container of at least one container, said first container being pursuant to the category and the level of the first service module attribute that is associated with the first container, wherein the relational table is selected from the group consisting of a first table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the header-level, a second table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the item-level, a third table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the header-level, and a fourth table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the item-level;
• and
• subsequent to said storing the first container, repeating to perform said determining the category, said determining the level, and said storing the first container after setting the first container with a next container in the relational table until all containers are stored in the relational table.

A computer system comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer readable storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device containing program code configured to be executed by the processor via the memory to implement a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, said method comprising:

• said processor 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, said processor building a service module data structure pursuant to the 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 need not manipulate the at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction;
• subsequent to said building, said processor storing each service module attribute of the at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;
• subsequent to said storing, said processor servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document;
• and
• subsequent to said servicing, said processor returning the generic service document to the caller application;
• said service module being executed by the processor to perform said receiving the request, said building the service module data structure, said storing each service module attribute, said servicing the request, and said returning the generic service document;
• said storing comprising:
• determining a category of a first service module attribute of the at least one service module attribute, wherein a configuration table comprises a respective category of each service module attribute, wherein the category is either an extended-category that is recognized only by the caller application or a basic-category that is recognized by both the caller application and the service module;
• subsequent to said determining the category, determining a level of the first service module attribute, wherein the configuration table further comprises a respective level of each service module attribute, wherein the level is either a header-level that is applicable for all service module attributes represented in the generic service document or an item-level that is applicable only for the first service module attribute;
• subsequent to said determining the level, storing in the relational table a first container of at least one container, said first container being pursuant to the category and the level of the first service module attribute that is associated with the first container, wherein the relational table is selected from the group consisting of a first table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the header-level, a second table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the item-level, a third table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the header-level, and a fourth table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the item-level;
• and
• subsequent to said storing the first container, repeating to perform said determining the category, said determining the level, and said storing the first container after setting the first container with a next container in the relational table until all containers are stored in the relational table.

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 computer system, wherein the code in combination with the computer system is configured to perform a method for interfacing between a caller application and a service module, said method comprising:

• receiving, by a processor of the computer system, 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, said processor building a service module data structure pursuant to the 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 need not manipulate the at least one caller application attribute in performing the transaction;
• subsequent to said building, said processor storing each service module attribute of the at least one service module attribute in a relational table of the service module data structure;
• subsequent to said storing, said processor servicing the request within the service module data structure, wherein said servicing results in instantiating the generic service document;
• and
• subsequent to said servicing, said processor returning the generic service document to the caller application;
• said service module being executed by the processor to perform said receiving the request, said building the service module data structure, said storing each service module attribute, said servicing the request, and said returning the generic service document;
• said storing comprising:
• determining a category of a first service module attribute of the at least one service module attribute, wherein a configuration table comprises a respective category of each service module attribute, wherein the category is either an extended-category that is recognized only by the caller application or a basic-category that is recognized by both the caller application and the service module;
• subsequent to said determining the category, determining a level of the first service module attribute, wherein the configuration table further comprises a respective level of each service module attribute, wherein the level is either a header-level that is applicable for all service module attributes represented in the generic service document or an item-level that is applicable only for the first service module attribute;
• subsequent to said determining the level, storing in the relational table a first container of at least one container, said first container being pursuant to the category and the level of the first service module attribute that is associated with the first container, wherein the relational table is selected from the group consisting of a first table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the header-level, a second table for service module attributes determined to be in the basic-category and in the item-level, a third table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the header-level, and a fourth table for service module attributes determined to be in the extended-category and in the item-level;
• and
• subsequent to said storing the first container, repeating to perform said determining the category, said determining the level, and said storing the first container after setting the first container with a next container in the relational table until all containers are stored in the relational table.