Home > Data Model Assistant

Getting Started

Introduction

Data Model Assistant (DMA) is a light-weight editor that allows the user to create and edit, directly in EBX.Manager, a data model complying with XML Schema. It is an easy way to define complex data models using the technologies of EBX.Platform, and create one or more element declarations that define the structure of the data model. Element declarations contain the basic properties of XML Schema elements, as well as the advanced properties of EBX.Platform. Working with this level of abstraction enables to focus on the target domain instead of the XML Schema terminology and the somewhat verbose XML syntax.

As it is possible to define the data model inside the DMA, the generation of the corresponding XML Schema is accessible by a built-in service. The generated XML Schema document is fully compliant with XML Schema technology and can be directly reused to create an other adaptation tree inside EBX.Platform.

Execution Environment

Deployment Constraints

Since Data Model Assistant modifies the data structure, it should be only deployed on development environments, so as to allow testing cycles, data preparation, etc. Only when the development is finalized and validated, the target module (Web application) that contains the generated schema along with other resources (Java classes) can be packaged in a 'war' file (Web application archive) and deployed to other environments. Anyway, like for other development resources, it is strongly recommended not to deploy Data Model Assistant on Production environments . For example, the generation from an erroneous schema could lead to loss of Master Data in production.

Furthermore, a J2EE application server can implement a deployment mode that do not expand 'war' files on the file system. In such a case, the Data Model Assistant will not be able to generate the schema. The tool hence requires the target Web application to be expanded on file system.

Installation

The Data Model Assistant module must have been deployed on your application server used as the development environment (see above constraint), along with EBX.Platform installation. This is the case if product has been installed by means of the Windows installer.

See also:

• Deployment and Configuration Examples

Create a new Master Data Model

Each data model matches an adaptation in the branch Data Models . 

To create a new data model, go in this branch and click on the 'create' link. You must then type a name for the data model adaptation. This name identifies the adaptation in the current EBX.Platform repository, in a unique and persistent way.

Structure of the Meta-model

A DMA adaptation is composed of five parts:

• Model configuration : defines the properties of the model to be designed, such as the name of the module which will contain the generated model.

• Data types : a table holding the reusable types.

• Data structure : holds the definition of the data model, using a hierarchy view.

• Services : describes the services available in the model.

• Business Objects and Rules : defines the business objects and rules usable in the model.

• Java bindings: defines the properties of the Java types to be generated from the current model.

Define model Properties

Defining model properties is optional. Indeed, there are default values for mandatory properties.

• Module name is the target module which will contain the generated model.

• Module path is the physical location of the module on the server's file system. This value is automatically generated when a module is selected.

• Model path in module defines the location of the generated model in the module.

• Sources location is used for configuring "Business Objects and Rules". If this path is relative, it will be resolved from the module path (see above).

• Special extensions defines a java class with programmatic rules which specify the access permissions,

Home > Data Model Assistant