Visual creation of object/relational constructs
Visual controls such as drag and drop are utilized to create object-oriented constructs from corresponding relational constructs, for instance. Similarly, an object-relational map can be generated between the relational constructs and the created object-oriented constructs to facilitate interaction across disparate programmatic models.
1. A development system for facilitation the creation of object-oriented constructs from corresponding relational constructs from a relational database, the system comprising one or more computer processors and a plurality of components, each component comprising computer-executable instructions executing upon the one or more computer processors, the system comprising:
an interface component which provides a graphical user interface comprising a tool region, a workspace region and a data element region, the workspace region receiving a relational database construct from a representation of a relational database depicted in the data element region, the representation dragged from the data element region and dropped onto the workspace region;
a creation component that receives the relational database construct from the representation of the relational database, translates a schema corresponding to the relational database construct into an object-oriented programming language schema, and thereby creates a corresponding object-oriented construct from the relational database construct;
an alteration component which receives input from a user and alters attributes of the object-oriented construct created from the representation of the relational database construct dropped onto the workspace region base on the input from the user;
a map component that generates a map for an object-relational mapping between the relational database construct and the corresponding object-oriented construct, wherein the map facilitates interaction between the relational database construct and the corresponding object-oriented construct;
a construct definition component which creates definitions of the object-oriented construct such that the definitions are independent of any particular programming language; and
a code generation component which generates code corresponding to the definitions of the object-oriented construct in a target programming language.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the code generation component translates the object-oriented construct into the target programming language.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the creation component generates an XML document that defines the object-oriented construct.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein generating the map for the objet-relational mapping comprises mapping data members of the object-oriented construct to table elements of the relational database.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a component that identifies an existing construct to the map component for the map generation.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object-oriented construct is a class.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the relational database construct is one of a database, a database table, a stored procedure, a function and a database view.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a configuration component that singularizes a plural table name.
9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a component that displays the relational database construct or representation thereof.
10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising at least one component that facilitates selection of the relation database construct and deposit upon the workspace region.
11. A computer-implemented method of program development for facilitation the creation of object-oriented constructs from corresponding relational constructs from a relational database, the method performed by computer-executable instructions executing upon one or more computer processors, the method, comprising:
identifying a relational construct dragged from a data element region and deposited graphically upon a workspace region within a graphical user interface (UI), the relational database construct originating from a relational database schema;
translating the relational database schema into an object-oriented programming language schema, thereby creating a corresponding object-oriented construct from the relational database construct;
receiving input from a user and altering attributes of the object-oriented construct on the workspace region base on the input form the user;
generating a map for an object-relational mapping between the relational database construct and the corresponding object-oriented construct, wherein the map facilitates interactions between the relational database construct and the corresponding object-oriented construct;
creating definitions of the object-oriented construct such that the definitions are independent of any particular programming language; and
generating code corresponding to the definitions of the object-oriented construct in a target programming language.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein generating the map for the object-relational mapping comprises mapping data members of the object-oriented construct to table elements of the relational database.
13. The method of claim 11 , comprising generating a mapping between a database table and a class.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating code for the object-oriented construct in the target language from the definition.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising capturing an association between one or more existing object oriented constructs and the created object-oriented construct.
16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising modifying the object-oriented construct in accordance with user specification.
17. The method of claim 11 , comprising identifying a database table and creating a corresponding class including properties and methods.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising singularizing a plural table name.