Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-29
2001-06-05
Black, Thomas (Department: 2171)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243709
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The following identified U.S. patent applications are relied upon and are incorporated by reference in their entirety this application.
Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 60/068,415, entitled “System and Method for Mapping Between Objects and Databases”, filed on Dec. 22, 1997.
U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/106,186, entitled “Object Relational Mapping Tool That Processes Views”, filed on the same date herewith.
U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/106,189, entitled “Source Code Merging”, filed on the same date herewith.
U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/105,957, entitled “Integrating Both Modifications to an Object Model and Modifications to a Database into Source Code by an Object-Relational Mapping Tool”, filed on the same date herewith.
U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/106,210, entitled “Rule-Based Approach to Object-Relational Mapping Strategies”, filed on the same date herewith.
U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/106,212, entitled “User Interface for the Specification of Lock Groups”, filed on the same date herewith.
U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/106,119, entitled “A Fine-Grained Consistency Mechanism for Optimistic Concurrency Control Using Lock Groups”, filed on the same date herewith.
U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/106,211, entitled “User Interface for the Specification of Index Groups Over Classes”, and filed on the same date herewith.
U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/106,188, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Creating Indexes in a Relational Database Corresponding to Classes in an Object-Oriented Application”, filed on the same date herewith.
U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/106,046, entitled “An Integrated Graphical User Interface Method and Apparatus for Mapping Between Objects and Databases”, filed on the same date herewith.
U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/106,955, now abandoned entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Efficiently Splitting Query Execution Across Client and Server in an Object-Relational Mapping”, filed on the same date herewith.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to database systems for computers and, more particularly, to an apparatus and methods for loading stored procedures in a database corresponding to object-oriented data dependencies.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional object-database mapping tools receive class definitions from an object-oriented application and automatically generate code, typically stored in a database schema, to create tables and other structures for the database. The tables and structures in the database are used to hold data corresponding to objects in an object-oriented application. Differences in object-oriented applications and databases make it difficult to develop these object-database mapping tools.
In an object-oriented application the skeleton of an object is a class. The class may have a number of fields used to store values or parameters typically used by object instances of the class. The class may also include specific methods which define how objects instantiated from each class will interact with each other and hold certain information in each of the corresponding fields. A hierarchical class structure provides an organized framework for creating objects and their relationships.
The database typically organizes data using one or more tables having multiple rows and columns. A data relationship is defined by the manner in which data is stored in the various rows and columns of the tables. A single table or multiple tables can be used to hold every row or record of data. A primary key includes one or more columns in a table that uniquely define each row of data. If multiple tables are used to store a data, a foreign key associates rows of data in one table with another table. Stored procedures are used in databases to manipulate tables of data. These stored procedures are small compiled programs written in a database language such as Structured Query Language (SQL) and stored in the database.
Database developers create stored procedures to save time performing routine database functions. Stored procedures can be combined to perform complex operations by having one stored procedure call another stored procedure. Generally, database developers understand the data dependencies related to the stored procedures because they are developing the customized code. Specifically, if one stored procedure calls a second stored procedure, the second stored procedures must be declared or defined before the first stored procedure can call or invoke it. Thus, the developer makes sure all stored procedures are defined in the stored procedure area of a database before they are called by another stored procedure. A failure to do this results either in a compilation error or run-time error because the database can not resolve references and the calling stored procedure can not locate the called stored procedure.
Loading stored procedures in proper order is more difficult when they are used to manipulate data in a database corresponding to objects in an object-oriented application. The loading order depends on the relationships between objects, hierarchical class structure, and the order stored procedures are called. For example, deleting a subclass object requires deleting corresponding entries for the superclass object stored in the database. Assume a disk drive object is a subclass of a part object superclass. To delete a disk drive object, a corresponding relationship must be deleted from the part object superclass. In the database, a stored procedure deletes the disk drive entry in a table and calls another stored procedure to delete the corresponding relationship in the part table of the database. The latter stored procedure must be loaded in the database before the former stored procedure can call and reference it.
To avoid the complexities associated with using stored procedures, conventional object-database mapping tools use Structured Query Language (SQL) and do not even attempt to tackle the complexities of using stored procedures. Unlike SQL, stored procedures are generally not portable and must be developed, compiled, and loaded for each different type of database. These conventional object-database mapping tools prefer to support SQL over stored procedures even though stored procedures are faster and have more powerful programming constructions.
As a result, the user must develop, compile, and load stored procedures manually into the database. The object-oriented user or programmer must have a detailed understanding of both object-oriented and database concepts to develop and use stored procedures. The user must also be familiar with techniques for compiling and loading these stored procedures for each different database. Overall, this deters users from gaining the higher performance offered by using stored procedures on the databases.
Based on the above limitations found in conventional database and object-oriented systems, it is desirable to have an object-database mapping tool load the stored procedures in a database corresponding to object-oriented data dependencies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with methods and systems consistent with the present invention, an improved object-database mapping tool is provided that stores a series of stored procedures associated with a database and an object-oriented application. The tool accesses a plurality of stored procedures associated with a plurality of classes corresponding to an object-oriented application. The tool then determines a sequence of the stored procedures based on relationships between the classes. The tool loads the stored procedures based upon the sequence. In another aspect of the present invention, the tool uses several steps to sequence the stored procedures. The tool categorizes the stored procedures based on the classes they correspond to in the object-oriented application. The tool then loads the stored procedures corresponding to classes havi
Black Thomas
Finnegan, Henderson Farabow, Garrett and Dunner L.L.P.
Mizrahi Diane D.
Sun Microsystems Inc.
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