Understanding IDOs

An Intelligent Data Object (IDO) is a business object that encapsulates units of information and logic that are called from the client layer to interact with data in the database. The job of the IDO is to transport collections of data back and forth, with any validation or rules needed, between the client and the database.

An IDO consists of these elements:

• A set of one or more SQL tables. Each table contains the data for a specified part of the application and must include columns (properties) that Mongoose requires to work properly.
• A set of properties. A property may represent persistent data stored in the application database, derived data, or temporary data used to communicate information to the middle tier. A property may also represent a whole subcollection of data.
• A set of standard methods. All IDOs implement the methods LoadCollection, UpdateCollection, GetPropertyInfo, and Invoke:
  • LoadCollection retrieves a collection of rows from the database.
  • UpdateCollection takes a set of rows marked for insert, update, or delete, and executes the appropriate SQL code against the database.
  • GetPropertyInfo returns detailed information about the properties supported by the IDO.
  • Invoke allows you to execute a custom method.

Through configurations, application databases are linked with an objects database and a forms database.

IDO forms serve as a development environment for IDOs. IDO definitions are stored as metadata in the objects database. You can edit the metadata through the IDO forms.

Forms use IDOs in multiple ways.  Forms that interact with the application database data define collections based on IDOs. Many types of validators and list sources are built over IDOs.

The Application Event System (AES) leverages IDOs. Many of the framework AES events are generated as the application operates on IDOs. Many of the actions provided in AES operate on IDOs, allowing you to quickly define business processes, automation rules, or general server-side logic in your application.

Related Topics

Understanding Tables Used by IDOs

Understanding Properties

Understanding IDO Methods

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