| PATH |
EOModel
Inherits from: Object
Package: com.webobjects.eoaccess
Class Description
An EOModel represents a mapping between a database schema and a set of classes based on the entity-relationship model. The model contains a number of EOEntity objects representing the entities (tables) of the database schema. Each EOEntity object has a number of EOAttribute and EORelationship objects representing the properties (columns or fields) of the entity in the database schema. For more information on attributes and relationships, see their respective class specifications.
An EOModel maintains a mapping between each of its EOEntity objects and a corresponding enterprise object class for use with the database level of the Enterprise Objects Framework. You can determine the EOEntity for a particular enterprise object with the entityForObject method.
An EOModel is specific to a particular database server, and stores information needed to connect to that server. This includes the name of an adaptor framework to load so that the Enterprise Objects Framework can communicate with the database. Models are stored in the file system in a manner similar to adaptor framework. EOModel objects are usually loaded from model files built with the EOModeler application rather than built programmatically. If you need to programmatically load a model file, see the section "Loading a Model File" (page 249).
Models can have relationships that reference other models in the same model group. The other models may map to different databases and types of servers.
Models are organized into model groups; see the EOModelGroup class specification for more information.
Creating an EOModel Programmatically
The EOAdaptorChannel class declares methods for reading basic schema information from a relational database. You can use this information to build up an EOModel programmatically, and then enhance that model by defining extra relationships, flattening attributes, and so on. See the class description in the EOAdaptorChannel class specification for information on reading basic schema information, and see the other modeling classes' specifications for information on creating additional attributes and relationships.
Constants
EOModel defines a String constant for the name of the notification it posts. For more information, see "Notifications" (page 247).
Method Types
Constructors
Saving a model
encodeTableOfContentsIntoPropertyList
Loading a model's objects
Working with entities
Naming a model's components
Accessing the model's name
Checking references
Getting an object's entity
Accessing the adaptor bundle
Accessing the connection dictionary
Accessing the user dictionary
Working with stored procedures
Accessing the model's group
Accessing prototype attributes
Constructors
EOModel
public EOModel()
Description forthcoming.
public EOModel(String path)
Creates a new EOModel object by reading the contents of the file identified by path as a model archive. Sets the EOModel's name and path from the context of the model archive. Throws an exception if for any reason it cannot initialize the model from the file specified by path.
protected EOModel( NSDictionary tableOfContents, String path)
Creates a new EOModel object from tableOfContents, which is the property list representation of a EOModel). Sets the EOModel's name and path using path.
See Also: name, path, encodeTableOfContentsIntoPropertyList
Instance Methods
adaptorName
public String adaptorName()
Returns the name of the adaptor for the receiver. This name can be used with EOAdaptor's adaptorWithName static method to create an adaptor.
addEntity
public void addEntity(EOEntity anEntity)
Adds anEntity to the receiver. Throws an exception if an error occurs (for example, if anEntity doesn't exist, if the entity belongs to another model, or if an entity of the same name is already in the receiver).
See Also: entities, removeEntity, removeEntityAndReferences
addStoredProcedure
public void addStoredProcedure(EOStoredProcedure storedProcedure)
Adds storedProcedure to the receiver. Throws an exception if an error occurs (for example, if a stored procedure of the same name is already in the receiver).
See Also: removeStoredProcedure, storedProcedures, storedProcedureNamed
availablePrototypeAttributeNames
public NSArray availablePrototypeAttributeNames()
Returns a list of available prototype names.
See Also: prototypeAttributeNamed
beautifyNames
public void beautifyNames()
Makes all of the receiver's named components conform to a standard convention. Names that conform to this style are all lower-case except for the initial letter of each embedded word other than the first, which is upper case. Thus, "NAME" becomes "name", and "FIRST_NAME" becomes "firstName".
See Also: nameForExternalName (EOEntity), beautifyName (EOEntity, EOAttribute, EORelationship, EOStoredProcedure), name
connectionDictionary
public NSDictionary connectionDictionary()
Returns a dictionary containing information used to connect to the database server. The connection dictionary is the place to specify default login information for applications using the model. See the EOAdaptor class specification for more information.
dispose
public void dispose()
Conformance to NSDisposable.
encodeTableOfContentsIntoPropertyList
public void encodeTableOfContentsIntoPropertyList(NSMutableDictionary propertyList)
Encodes the receiver into propertyList. This method is used to get an ASCII representation of an EOModel in property list format.
See Also: EOModel constructors
entities
public NSArray entities()
Returns an array containing the receiver's entities. Note that this method loads every entity, and thus defeats the benefits of incremental model loading.
See Also: entityNames
entitiesWithSharedObjects
public NSArray entitiesWithSharedObjects()
Returns an array of entities that have objects to load into a shared editing context.
entityForObject
public EOEntity entityForObject( com.webobjects.eocontrol.EOEnterpriseObject anEO)
Returns the entity associated with anEO, whether anEO is an instance of an enterprise object class, an instance of EOGenericRecord, or a fault . Returns null if anEO has no associated entity.
entityNamed
public EOEntity entityNamed(String name)
Returns the entity named name, or null if no such entity exists. Posts an EntityLoadedNotification when the entity is loaded.
See Also: entityNames, entities
entityNames
public NSArray entityNames()
Returns an array containing the names of the EOModel's entities.
See Also: entities, entityNamed
externalModelsReferenced
public NSArray externalModelsReferenced()
Returns an array containing those models that are referenced by this model.
See Also: referencesToProperty
loadAllModelObjects
public void loadAllModelObjects()
Loads any of the receiver's entities, stored procedures, attributes, and relationships that have not yet been loaded.
See Also: attributes (EOEntity), entities, relationships (EOEntity), storedProcedures
modelGroup
public EOModelGroup modelGroup()
Returns the model group of which the receiver is a part.
See Also: setModelGroup
name
public String name()
Returns the receiver's name.
See Also: path, EOModel constructors
path
public String path()
Returns the name of the EOModel file used to create the receiver, or null if the model wasn't initialized from a file.
See Also: name, EOModel constructors
prototypeAttributeNamed
public EOAttribute prototypeAttributeNamed(String attributeName)
Returns the prototype attribute for the given attributeName. It first looks for the prototype in an entity named EOadaptorNamePrototypes (which can be in any model in the receiver's model group). If the prototype isn't found there or if the EOadaptorNamePrototypes entity doesn't exist, it then looks in an entity named EOPrototypes (in any model in the model group). If the search is still unsuccessful, this method finally looks for the prototype in the list of prototypes provided by the adaptor itself.
See Also: availablePrototypeAttributeNames
referencesToProperty
public NSArray referencesToProperty(Object aProperty)
Returns an array of all properties in the receiver that reference aProperty, whether derived attributes, relationships that reference aProperty, and so on. Returns null if aProperty isn't referenced by any of the properties in the model.
See Also: externalModelsReferenced
removeEntity
public void removeEntity(EOEntity name)
Removes the entity with the given name without performing any referential integrity checking.
See Also: addEntity, removeEntityAndReferences
removeEntityAndReferences
public void removeEntityAndReferences(EOEntity entity)
Removes entity and any attributes or relationships in other entities that reference entity.
See Also: removeEntity, addEntity
removeStoredProcedure
public void removeStoredProcedure(EOStoredProcedure storedProcedure)
Removes storedProcedure without checking to see if an entity uses it.
See Also: addStoredProcedure, storedProcedures
setAdaptorName
public void setAdaptorName(String adaptorName)
Sets the name of the receiver's adaptor to adaptorName.
setConnectionDictionary
public void setConnectionDictionary(NSDictionary connectionDictionary)
Sets the dictionary containing information used to connect to the database to connectionDictionary. See the EOAdaptor class specification for more information on working with connection dictionaries.
See Also: adaptorWithModel (EOAdaptor)
setModelGroup
public void setModelGroup(EOModelGroup group)
Sets the model group of which the receiver should be a part. Note that you shouldn't change an EOModel's model group after it has been bound to other models in its group.
See Also: modelGroup
setName
public void setName(String name)
Sets the name of the receiver to name.
setUserInfo
public void setUserInfo(NSDictionary dictionary)
Sets the dictionary of auxiliary data, which your application can use for whatever it needs. dictionary can only contain property list data types-that is, String, NSDictionary, NSArray, and NSData.
storedProcedureNamed
public EOStoredProcedure storedProcedureNamed(String name)
Returns the stored procedure named name, or null if the model doesn't contain a stored procedure with the given name.
See Also: storedProcedureNames, storedProcedures
storedProcedureNames
public NSArray storedProcedureNames()
Returns an array containing the names of all of the model's stored procedures.
See Also: storedProcedureNamed, storedProcedures
storedProcedures
public NSArray storedProcedures()
Returns an array containing all of the model's stored procedures. Note that this method loads each of the model's stored procedures, thus defeating the benefits of incremental model loading.
See Also: storedProcedureNames, storedProcedureNamed
toString
public String toString()
Returns a String representation of the receiver.
userInfo
public NSDictionary userInfo()
Returns a dictionary of user data. You can use this to store any auxiliary information it needs.
See Also: setUserInfo
writeToFile
public void writeToFile(String path)
Saves the receiver in the directory specified by path. If the file specified by path already exists, a backup copy is first created (using path with a "~" character appended). As a side-effect, this method resets the current path.
Throws an exception on any error which prevents the file from being written.
See Also: path
Notifications
EOModel declares and posts the following notification.
EntityLoadedNotification
Posted after an EOEntity is loaded into memory. The notification contains:
| Notification Object | The entity that was loaded. |
| Userinfo | None |
© 2001 Apple Computer, Inc. (Last Published April 13, 2001)