The concept behind object-oriented development is that an application consists of object modules (Natural subprograms) and dialog modules (Natural programs or subprograms). The object module builds an object-level interface to a complex data structure, while the dialog module communicates with the end user and invokes methods (data actions) implemented by the object module.
Note:
For more information on object-oriented development, see
Design Methodology in Natural Construct
Generation.
Because object implementation is hidden in object-oriented development, applications:
Are simplified
Can use more complex data models
Are more reliable and easier to maintain because semantic integrity is enforced within the object
An important aspect of object orientation and component-based, client/server development is the granularity of application components. Components with coarse granularity tend to contain large-scale, complex operations that provide much functionality from a single request. However, they usually do not allow the calling program to fine-tune the object’s behavior or request additional functionality.
On the other hand, finely grained components allow greater control over how their functions are performed, but they often place an additional burden on the calling program as it has to call the object multiple times in a procedural fashion. Well-conceived objects strike a balance between these approaches to optimize ease-of-use and performance.
For maximum reusability, components should achieve a separation of dialog handling from business logic. This distinction allows for consistent handling of business rules, regardless of whether the rules are enforced from a GUI dialog, a browser, a mainframe screen, or through a batch process. Similarly, by distinctly separating business logic from database access, it is much easier to change the underlying database technology without affecting the business logic within applications.
This section covers the following topics:
An object is a group of related entities that must be maintained within a single transaction. This section discusses some of the characteristics all objects possess and describes how to define intra-object relationships (relationships that define the bounds of an object), and inter-object relationships (relationships between two objects) in Predict. The following diagram illustrates the difference between inter-object and intra-object relationships:
Customer object
Products object
Order object
In this example, Customer (1) and Products (2) are related to Order (3) via inter-object relationships. The Order object is defined by two intra-object relationships between all objects.
When defining the entities within an object, you should follow certain rules. These rules are described in the following sections:
All objects must have a single primary header file that contains a unique primary key field. Although you do not need to define the primary key with the unique option in the database (since the subprogram ensures its uniqueness), we recommend that you do. The primary key can be a descriptor or superdescriptor.
The primary file of a maintenance object must contain a hold field. This field is used internally by the object-maintenance subprogram to logically hold an occurrence of an object between a Get action and a corresponding Update or Delete action. The subprogram tests and updates this field to determine whether the object was updated or deleted by another user. The following table lists the valid data types for the hold field and the value assigned for each type:
| Hold Field Format | Value Assigned at Updating |
|---|---|
| T | *TIMX |
| A10 | *TIME |
| B8 | *TIMESTMP |
| N7 | *TIMN |
| A26 | *TIMX (DB2 timestamp format) |
| If format is none of the above, it must be numeric. | Increase current value by 1. |
The primary file can be related to multiple secondary files with cardinality 1:1, 1:C (1 to optionally 1), 1:N (1 to many), or 1:CN (1 to, optionally, many). Specify the maximum value for N.
The secondary files can be related to multiple tertiary files with cardinality 1:1, 1:C, 1:N, or 1:CN. Tertiary files cannot contain multiple-valued fields (MUs) within periodic groups (PEs).
The tertiary files can be related to multiple quaternary files with cardinality 1:1, 1:C, 1:N or 1:CN. Quaternary files cannot contain MUs or PEs.
Each sub-entity (any level under the primary file) must contain a key (descriptor or superdescriptor) that relates the entity to its parent entity. Because each primary key for a sub-entity (child entity) must be prefixed by the primary key of the parent entity and usually contains a suffix (used to return the sub-entities in sorted order), the primary key grows in length as you move down an object from the primary file to the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary files.
The following example shows the primary and secondary file keys for a Customer object:
| File | Key |
|---|---|
| Primary | Customer-Number |
| Secondary | Customer-Number + Contact-Name |
The following example shows the primary, secondary, and tertiary file keys for an Order object:
| File | Key |
|---|---|
| Primary | Order-Number |
| Secondary | Order-Number + Order-Line-Number |
| Tertiary | Order-Number + Order-Line-Number + Distribution-Line-Number |
Use the Predict Modify File Relation panel to define intra-object and inter-object relationships in Predict. The following topics are covered:
The following example shows the Predict Modify File Relation panel with information entered for an intra-object relationship:
16:44:22 ***** P r e d I c t *****
- Modify File Relation -
File relation ... NCST-ORDER-HAS-LINES Modified: 13-10-21 at 15:40
Type ...........* N Natural Construct by: DEVPM
Keys .. Zoom: N
Cardinality ..* 1 : N
File 1 Minimum ... 1
File ID ....* NCST-ORDER-HEADER Average ... 1.00
Field ID ...* ORDER-NUMBER Maximum ... 1
File 2 Minimum ...
File ID ....* NCST-ORDER-LINES Average ... 5.00
Field ID ...* ORDER-LINE-KEY Maximum ... 30
Constraint attributes
Update type .....* N re-Number suffix
Delete type .....* C Cascade
Constraint name ..
Usage ........* (none)
Abstract Zoom: N
EDIT: Owner: N Desc: N |
The following table describes the fields on this panel and the values specified or displayed in each field for an intra-object relationship:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| File relation | Relationship ID name. This name should not match the name of any entity within the object or any of their attributes. |
| Type | Relationship type. Natural
Construct models process type N (Natural Construct)
relationships.
Note: |
| Keys | Keywords. This is an optional field. |
| Cardinality | |
| File 1 | Cardinality of File 1. For an intra-object relationship, specify "1" in this field. |
| File-ID | Name of the file on the left side of the 1 to many (1:N) relationship. |
| Field-ID | Primary key for File 1. The key can be a
descriptor or superdescriptor.
Note: |
| Minimum | Minimum number of occurrences of a record in File 1. For an intra-object relationship, specify "1" in this field. |
| Average | Average number of occurrences of a record in File 1. For an intra-object relationship, specify "1" in this field. |
| Maximum | Maximum number of occurrences of a record in File 1. For an intra-object relationship, specify "1" in this field. |
| File 2 | Cardinality of File 2. For an intra-object
relationship, specify one of the following codes:
|
| File-ID | Name of the file on the right side of the 1 to many relationship. This file is always subordinate to File 1. |
| Field-ID | Primary key for File 2. The key can be a
descriptor or superdescriptor (or compound key).
The length of this key must be greater than or equal to the length of File 1. If the length is greater, the key must be either a superdescriptor or a redefined field. The sum of the lengths of the underlying fields that prefix the superdescriptor or redefinition must also match the length of File 1. |
| Minimum | Minimum number of occurrences of a record in
File 2 for each occurrence of a record in File 1. For an intra-object
relationship, specify one of the following:
The generated subprogram ensures that this minimum cardinality is satisfied. |
| Average | Average number of occurrences of a record in File 2 for each occurrence of a record in File 1. This value is not used by Natural Construct. |
| Maximum | Maximum number of occurrences of a record in
File 2 for each occurrence of a record in File 1. This value defines the upper
bounds of the object.
Note: |
| Update type | Rules for updating the primary keys for
sub-entities or testing for the existence or deletion of a sub-entity record.
In the following example, you do not have to specify the line number for each order line because line numbers are determined by the position of the line within the Order object: Object: Order
Primary File Key: Order-Number
Secondary File Key: Order-Number + Order-Line-
Number
Tertiary File Key: Order-Number + Order-Line-
Number + Distribution-Line-Number
In the following example, the secondary file contains contact names for the Customer object and has a key of Customer-Number + Contact-Name. Specify the suffix portion of the secondary file key: Object: Customer Primary File Key: Customer-Number Secondary File Key: Customer-Number + Contact-Name The distinction between the two types of relationships is identified by the Update constraint type. For an intra-object relationship, specify one of the following codes:
|
| Delete type | Delete constraint type. For intra-object relationships, specify "C" (Cascade), since one of the properties of an object is that all sub-entities must be deleted if the primary header file is deleted. |
| Constraint name | This field is not used by Natural Construct. |
In addition to defining relationships within objects, you can also define relationships and specify referential integrity constraints between objects. For example, you can prohibit the addition of an order for a customer who does not have a record in the Customer file (Customer object). Similarly, you can prevent the deletion of a customer who has outstanding orders in the Order file (Order object).
All referential integrity relationships must relate a foreign key of one object to a primary key of another object. The following example shows the Predict Modify File relation panel with information entered for an inter-object relationship:
16:54:26 ***** P r e d I c t *****
- Modify File relation -
File relation ... NCST-CUSTOMER-ORDER-HEADER Modified: 13-10-21 at 13:29
Type ...........* N Natural Construct by: DEVNG
Keys .. Zoom: N
Cardinality ..* 1 : CN
File 1 Minimum ...
File ID ....* NCST-CUSTOMER Average ... 1.00
Field ID ...* CUSTOMER-NUMBER Maximum ... 1
File 2 Minimum ...
File ID ....* NCST-ORDER-HEADER Average ... 50.00
Field ID ...* ORDER-CUSTOMER-NUMBER Maximum ...
Constraint attributes
Update type .....* R Restrict
Delete type .....* R Restrict
Constraint name ..
Usage ........* (none)
Abstract Zoom: N
EDIT: Owner: N Desc: N |
The following table describes the fields on this panel and the values specified or displayed in each field for an inter-object relationship:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| File relation | Relationship ID name. This name should not match the name of any entity within the object or any of their attributes. |
| Type | Relationship type. Natural
Construct models process type N (Natural Construct)
relationships.
Note: |
| Keys | Keywords. This is an optional field. |
| Cardinality | |
| File 1 | Cardinality for File 1. For inter-object
relationships, specify one of the following codes:
For example, for C:N cardinality for the NCST-CUSTOMER file, it is not necessary to specify a value in the ORDER-CUSTOMER-NUMBER field in the NCST-ORDER-HEADER file. However, if a value is specified, it must have a corresponding value in the CUSTOMER-NUMBER field in the NCST-CUSTOMER file. An order does not require a customer (perhaps to signify an internal order), but if a customer is specified, it must be a valid customer. Note: |
| File-ID | Name of the primary file for the object to which the foreign key in File 2 is related. |
| Field-ID | Primary key for File 1. The key can be a
descriptor or superdescriptor.
Note: |
| Minimum | Minimum number of occurrences of a record in File 1. For an inter-object relationship, specify "1" or "0" (based on the value specified for the cardinality of File 1). |
| Average | Average number of occurrences of a record in File 1. For an inter-object relationship, specify "1". This value is not used by Natural Construct during code generation. |
| Maximum | Maximum number of occurrences of a record in File 1. For an inter-object relationship, specify "1". |
| File 2 | Cardinality of File 2. For an intra-object
relationship, specify one of the following codes:
|
| File-ID | Name of the secondary file that has a foreign key related to File 1. |
| Field-ID | Foreign key for File 2. The length of this key must be equal to the length of the key for File 1. |
| Minimum | Minimum number of occurrences of a record in File 2 for each occurrence of a record in File 1. For an inter-object relationship, specify "0" in this field. |
| Average | This value is not used by Natural Construct. |
| Maximum | For an inter-object relationship, specify the
maximum number of occurrences of a record in File 2 for each occurrence of a
record in File 1.
Note: |
| Constraint attributes | |
| Update type | For an inter-object relationship, specify "R" (Restrict). |
| Delete type | For an inter-object relationship, specify "R" (Restrict) to enforce the Restricted Delete rule (for information, see Support for Foreign Referential Constraints). |
| Constraint name | This field is not used by Natural Construct. |
Natural Construct supports two types of foreign referential constraints (inter-object relationships):
Restricted Update for Insertion (RUI) rule
When adding or updating an object entity with a foreign key related to the primary key for a related object, the action is allowed only when the value of the foreign key is either null or equal to the value of the primary key for the related object.
Restricted Delete (RD) rule
When deleting an object entity with a primary key that is used as a foreign key in a related object, the action is allowed only when the value of the primary key does not match any values of the foreign key for the related object.
Object-oriented methodology makes a distinction between data access and dialog. All data is validated and manipulated within the object-maintenance subprogram, whereas the object-maintenance dialog program communicates with the object by sending messages and parameters through the interface provided by the object parameter data area (PDA).
Since maps used by the object-maintenance dialog program do not refer to data fields directly, Natural cannot incorporate Predict automatic rules into the fields on these maps. To support object-oriented methodology, the object-maintenance subprogram incorporates the Predict automatic rules in its generated code.
When an error occurs, the rule should assign either the message text or number to MSG-INFO.##MSG or MSG-INFO.##MSG-NR, respectively. Optionally, the rule should also assign dynamic substitution data to MSG-INFO.##MSG-DATA(*) and then perform an ESCAPE ROUTINE. Natural Construct generates the code required to handle the error processing.
Within the rule, specify the field name attached to the rule as "&1&".
Note:
Only Predict verification rules with
VE-STATUS = "N" (Natural Construct) are
included.
You can attach a rule to any field, including a multiple-valued field (MU), a periodic group (PE), or an MU within a PE. No reference to occurrences of the array is required since the rule should not have any knowledge of what type of field it is attached to. When the rule is attached to an MU or PE, Natural Construct generates additional code to handle the array.
A rule can declare and use external local data areas (LDAs). These LDAs can be used by another rule or by the host subprogram, since Natural Construct recognizes such usage and only generates the declaration for the LDA once.
If a rule needs inline local data, that data must belong to a level 1 structure called #PRD-rulename, where rulename is the name of the Predict rule. This is necessary to avoid naming conflicts.
If you want to maintain all data semantic processing within Predict and reuse any generic data processing that can be shared by multiple fields within an application, automatic rules can eliminate the need for user exit routines.