pp108 : Create Class from Object Layout Interface

Create Class from Object Layout Interface
This topic describes the fields that you fill while creating a custom class using the object layout. It also provides the corresponding action that you should perform.


The interface supports filling details for the custom class. The following information is classified keeping in view the creation of different custom classes - pure custom class, derived custom class, inherited custom class, and nested classes (class within class) for pure custom class and derived custom class . Similarly, you can add different types of attributes - simple attribute, derived attribute, and aggregated attribute - to a class.

Add Class

Table 1. Pure Custom Class. Fill the following details to create a pure custom class.

Field

Description

Action

Name

The name of the pure custom class

Provide the name for the class

Type

The type of custom class

Select Custom for pure custom class

Table 2. Derived Custom Class. Fill the following details to create a derived custom class.

Field

Description

Action

Name

The name of the derived custom class

Provide the name for the class

Type

The type of the class

Select Derived

Package

The name of the package where this class will be created

Click to select the package

Derived From

The root class from which the new class is derived

Select the class from the list.

Table 3. Inherited Custom Class. Fill the following details to create an inherited custom class.

Field

Description

Action

Name

The name of the inherited custom class

Provide the name for the class

Type

The type of custom class

Select Inherits

Package

The name of the package where this class will be created

Click to select the package

Inherits

The class from which the new class is inherited

Select the class from the list

Add Nested Class

Table 4. Nested Custom Class. Fill the following details to create a nested custom class (a custom class within a pure custom class).

Field

Description

Action

Name

The name of the nested custom class

Provide the name for the class in the Prompt dialog box.

Occurrence

The occurrence of the nested custom class

Select:

  • 1 - for a single occurrence
  • * - for multiple occurrences

Table 5. Nested Derived Class. Fill the following details to create a nested derived class (a derived custom class within a derived custom class). You can create the nested derived class only if the root class is a derived class.

Field

Description

Action

Name

The name of the nested derived class

Provide the name for the class in the Prompt dialog box.

Derived From

The class from which the new class is derived

Select the class from the list.

Occurrence

The occurrence of the nested derived class

Select:

  • 1 - for a single occurrence
  • * - for multiple occurrences

Add Attribute to a Class

Table 6. Simple Attribute. The following details need to be filled while creating a simple attribute for a custom class.

Field

Description

Action

Name

The name of the simple attribute

Provide the name for the attribute in the Prompt dialog box.

Type

The type of the attribute

Select Simple

EISName

The name of the attribute as it exists in an external Enterprise Information System (EIS) that you want to refer and use in the custom class.
Note: This field is applicable only for the simple attributes of any custom class. The Object Layout displays the custom class containing an attribute with EISName value as:

<Classname>
    <attributename eisName="\[name\]">\[datatype\]</attributename>
    <attribute/>
</Classname>

The generated Java code displays this attribute in its BaseClass as part of AttributeInfo code. For more details about the methods, see package com.cordys.cpc.bsf.classinfo. AttributeInfo in WS-AppServer SDK.

Provide the EIS name of the attribute.
Note: This is not a mandatory field and needs to be filled only if you have references to data in external systems.

Data Type

Data type of the attribute

Select the data type from the list

Changeability

Indicates the changeability property of the attribute. The permissible values are:

  • Changeable - Value can be modified at any point of time
  • addOnly - Value can be assigned anytime (during insert or update operation) but only once, and cannot be modified subsequently
  • Frozen - Value assigned during creation of the object but cannot be modified subsequently

Select the changeability property from the drop-down list.

Persistence

Determines the mode of persistence. For a custom class, the value is always transient. It means, Attribute does not map to a database column and is not persisted. The value will remain in memory as long as the transaction requires it and will be removed from the memory the moment transaction is over.

-

Pattern

Indicates the pattern that the attribute must match, based on the type of attribute. In other words, it requires a regular expression in which strings of text such as words, numerals, or specific characters bind together. For example, if you want an e-mail id to be entered in a specific format, you will set the pattern to [a-z]+.+@.+.[a-z]+ (note the dot separator and @, which are a must for an e-mail id). During runtime, a check will be performed on the entered format against this pattern, and will result in an error if they do no match. Similarly, if an attribute must contain only alphabets a-z (case sensitive) representing a name, the pattern could be set to [a-z]+. This pattern will ensure that no other character such as a numeral is entered to fill that attribute.
Note: This property is applicable for all data types except ui1, dateTime, bin.base64, boolean, and guid.

Provide the pattern appropriate to the attribute you are adding.

Scale

Indicates the number of digits to the right of the decimal point. This property is not applicable if you select String as the data type.

Provide a numeric value

Precision

Indicates the total number of digits used

Provide a numeric value

Initial

Indicates the initial value of the attribute, applicable only for validate requests

Provide the initial value

Min Length

Indicates the minimum length of the attribute. This is applicable for string data type only.

Provide a numeric value

Max Length

Indicates the maximum length of the attribute. This is applicable for string data type only.

Provide a numeric value

Min Inclusive

Indicates the lower limit of the value, including the value. This is applicable for all data types excluding string.

Provide a numeric value

Min Exclusive

Indicates the lower limit of the value, excluding the value. This is applicable for all data types excluding string.

Provide a numeric value

Max Inclusive

Indicates the upper limit of the value, including the value. This is applicable for all data types excluding string.

Provide a numeric value

Max Exclusive

Indicates the upper limit of the value, excluding the value. This is applicable for all data types excluding string.

Provide a numeric value

Unique

Determines whether the attribute is unique or not. If an attribute is marked unique, it becomes an important entity in the execution of relevant Web service operations, for example GetObject.

Select to make it a unique attribute

Required

Indicates the necessity of providing a value for the attribute

Select to compulsorily provide a value for the attribute.

Table 7. Derived Attribute. The following details need to be filled while creating a derived attribute for a custom class.

Field

Description

Action

Name

The name of the derived attribute

Provide the name for the attribute

Type

The type of the attribute

Select Derived

Derived From Attribute

The attribute from which the new attribute is derived

Select the attribute from the list

Table 8. Aggregated Attribute. The following details need to be filled while creating an attribute of type aggregation, for a custom class.

Field

Description

Action

Name

The name of the attribute

Provide the name for the attribute

Type

The type of the attribute

Select Aggregation

Aggregation

The attribute with which this attribute is aggregated

Select the attribute from the list

Occurrence

The occurrence of the attribute

Select:

  • 1 - for a single occurrence
  • * - for multiple occurrences