Object-Relational mapping library for Microsoft™ Visual FoxPro™

 

   

 

 

FoxDataObjects™ (FDO) is a high performance Visual FoxPro object-relational extension library that enables developers to create fully scalable business classes that are persistent to relational databases. Scalable business object classes can be deployed in local (native and client-server) or in distributed (client-server/n-tier) configurations with no modifications to source code.

FDO is made up of two main components:

 

• a supporting core library that provides the runtime services of the persistence layer
• a GUI based mapping tool

 

The core library, written in C++ as a Visual FoxPro Link Library (FLL), provides a natural and high performance extension to the Visual FoxPro language, and includes a set of class wrappers that form a complete, robust and easy to use persistence services object model.

The mapping tool allows you to map business classes to database tables and columns, and to specify object relationships at development time. It also can be used to define server side custom SQL, validity checks, and customized database configurations.

FoxDataObjects can jump start application development by reading the structure of existing Visual FoxPro classes, or existing database tables, and generating a default mapping strategy. This default mapping strategy can then be visually modified for further customization.

The mapping strategy is saved to a schema file that is used by the supporting core library at runtime. The core library provides the necessary API to allow your business objects to be persisted in the database. This guide introduces object-relational mapping strategies, explains how FoxDataObjects mapping services maps your object model into a fully optimized relational model and how to use the API library to access persistence services. 

 

This guide includes the following main sections:

 

Installation
	This section covers system requirements and installation procedure.
Documentation Manual
	This section covers all Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) concepts and how FoxDataObjects implements them. It explains  what is ORM, why Mapping, and how FoxDataObjects provides the solution. It also covers runtime Persistence Services basic and advanced use.
API Reference Guide
	This chapter describes the Persistence Services API classes and members. It shows detailed information on every class, property and method provided by the Persistence Layer.

 

 

Other Resources:

 

The FoxDataObjects product web site is plenty of useful information and more is added every week.

It features a Developer Forum where you can share information with other developers using FoxDataObjects and access to the community support services.
 

It also contains nice and quick tutorials in Macromedia (R) Flash format. Movies are added in a regular basis, so you may want to check it often.

 

The Schema Manager mapping tool help file is installed as a separate resource and bound to the GUI application.  If you have not installed FoxDataObjects yet, you can download the Schema Manager Help file or browse it online.