Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
ADM and SmartObjects

SmartDataObject features and operating characteristics

Progress applications require an object that can manage a database query and the associated data update logic. The SmartDataObject serves this purpose. It is designed to meet several key ADM goals:

User-interface-independence—SmartObjects that manage the user interface do not manage data and, conversely, SmartDataObjects that manage data do not manage the user interface.
Open interface—SmartDataObjects can function in an Open4GL environment with non-Progress objects and applications.
Distributed—SmartDataObjects can function appropriately and efficiently “close to the user interface” or “close to the data”; that is, they can function competently at any location within a distributed application.

The SmartDataObject provides the following features:

A basic database query definition that can be refined at run time.
Query management logic such as open query, repositions, key finds, and sending rows or batches of rows between client and server.
Formatting and other logic in support of one visualization or many separately defined visualizations.
Validation and other data-checking code and business rules.
Database update logic.

You can associate business rules or any other required logic with the SmartDataObject.

The operating characteristics of the SmartDataObject make it suitable for heterogeneous environments:

The SmartDataObject is the only SmartObject that connects directly to the database.
The SmartDataObject takes a database query and turns it into a temp-table representation used by all other SmartObjects.
The SmartDataObject can be transparently and efficiently distributed using the AppServer.
The SmartDataObject handles batching rows, performing updates, and reporting errors.