Object-Oriented Modeling for Business Application Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Legacy business application systems face difficulties due to the physical separation of business data and rules, making it challenging to understand, create, debug, and modify these applications without causing unexpected effects, as the relationships between configuration data and rules are not clearly defined.
Innovation Solution
The system transforms business applications into object-oriented programming (OOP) models, allowing for the creation, improvement, and maintenance of business applications by receiving logic entities, generating models in different programming formats, and processing these models to facilitate easier understanding and modification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If business data and rules are stored in physically separate table data structures, then data storage and processing can be simplified, but understanding, creating, debugging, and modifying the application becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines physically separate table data structures into a unified object-oriented model where configuration data and rules are integrated within business objects. This merging allows users to understand and modify applications by working with cohesive objects rather than navigating multiple separate tables, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining organized data storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an object-oriented model as an intermediary layer between the physical table data structures and the user interface. This intermediary presents a unified, user-friendly view of business objects that encapsulates the complexity of underlying separate tables, allowing users to interact with integrated concepts without directly managing the fragmented data structures.
2Device complexity
If configuration data and rules are stored in separate tables, then data management can be simplified, but the relationships between them become difficult to understand and determine
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges configuration data and rules into integrated business objects where both elements coexist within the same object structure. This integration preserves the relationships between configuration data and rules by embedding them together, allowing users to understand how they interact without needing to trace connections across separate tables.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional table structure to a multi-dimensional object-oriented structure that incorporates both data and rules within business objects. This dimensional change allows relationships between configuration data and rules to be represented in multiple contexts (object attributes, methods, and associations), making these relationships more visible and understandable.
3Device complexity
If business objects are defined across multiple database tables, then data can be organized by function, but accessing and displaying them together becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges data from multiple database tables into unified business objects that present a consolidated view. Users can access and display complete business objects with all their attributes and associated rules in a single interface, eliminating the need to navigate across multiple tables while maintaining the functional organization of the underlying data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates object-oriented copies or representations of the data stored in multiple database tables. These object models replicate the essential structure and relationships of the distributed table data, allowing users to work with integrated representations without directly querying or displaying the fragmented table structures.
4Ease of manufacture
If table-driven systems are used, then implementation can be straightforward, but debugging and modification without unexpected effects becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges related configuration data and rules into integrated business objects, allowing developers to debug and modify applications by working with cohesive units. Changes can be made to complete business objects with all their dependencies visible, reducing the risk of unexpected effects compared to modifying separate tables where relationships may not be apparent.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods consistent with the invention may analyze a business application's data, operations, and relationships and create a corresponding object oriented programming (OOP) model corresponding to the business application entities. In one embodiment the OOP model may be realized in the Java programming language and may include OOP objects, functions, and operators. Each OOP model accurately represents the data, relationships, and rules associated with the corresponding business entity. Once converted to an OOP model, systems and methods consistent with the invention may use standard OOP tools to understand, manipulate, design, redesign, analyze, and modify the business application. This can be done independently of the native business application system, as the OOP model is separate and independent from the business application entities. Modifications made to the OOP model may then be converted back into business application entities and installed in the native system.