eclipse-dtp/index.php - www.eclipse.org/proposals - Git at Google

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 generate_header("Data Tools Top-Level");
 ?>

 			<h1>Data
 			Tools Project</h1>

 <P><FONT FACE="Arial, sans-serif">This project proposal is in the
 </FONT><A HREF="/org/documents/Eclipse Development Process 2003_11_09 FINAL.pdf"><FONT FACE="Arial, sans-serif">Proposal
 Phase</FONT></A> <FONT FACE="Arial, sans-serif">and is posted here to
 solicit community feedback, additional project participation, and
 ways the project can be leveraged from the Eclipse
 membership-at-large. You are invited to comment on and/or join the
 project. Please send all feedback to the
 </FONT><A HREF="http://www.eclipse.org/newsportal/thread.php?group=eclipse.dtp"><FONT FACE="Arial, sans-serif">http://www.eclipse.org/newsportal/thread.php?group=eclipse.dtp</FONT></A>
 <FONT FACE="Arial, sans-serif">newsgroup.</FONT></P>


 		<h2>Project
 			Organization</h2>


 			<P>The Data Tools Project (DTP) is
 			a proposed open-source Top Level Project of eclipse.org. <a href="charter.html"> The
 			Charter</a> describes the scope, the organization of the project,
             the roles and
 			responsibilities of the participants, and the top-level development
 			process for the project.</P>


 		<h2>Overview</h2>


 			<P>&ldquo;Data Tools&rdquo;
 			is a vast domain, yet there are a fairly small number of
 			foundational requirements when developing with or managing
 			data-centric systems. A developer is interested in an environment
 			that is easy to configure, one in which the challenges of
 			application development are due to the problem domain, not the
 			complexity of the tools employed. Data management, whether by a
 			developer working on an application, or an administrator
 			maintaining or monitoring a production system, should also provide
 			a consistent, highly usable environment that works well with
 			associated technologies.</P>
 			<P>Such an environment
 			starts with key frameworks designed both for use and
 			extensibility. Examples include location and management of data
 			source drivers, and configurations for access to particular data
 			source instances. Once a connection is successfully made, the next
 			task often is to explore the data source, making changes as
 			required. Some of these operations might be carried out by GUI
 			actions, others directly through commands. For example, users &ndash;
 			both developers and administrators &ndash; typically will create,
 			edit, and test SQL for these commands. Assistance in editing SQL
 			through code completion, formatting, and dialect specialization,
 			greatly enhances productivity. Further, the ability to execute or
 			debug commands, both SQL and stored procedures, rounds out the
 			rapid development process that Eclipse supports so well. Finally,
 			bridging chasms, whether between relational, object, or other
 			structures, presents challenges that data management tooling
 			should address.
 			</P>


 		<h2>Project
 			Principles</h2>


 			<P CLASS="text-body-indent">Founded
 			in the spirit of open-source, community-driven principles guiding
 			eclipse.org itself, this project will concentrate on several key
 			ideals:</P>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P><I>Vendor neutrality: </I>We
 				intend to provide data management frameworks and tools not biased
 				toward any vendor. Our intention is that DTP be leveraged to
 				provide the Eclipse community with the widest range of choices
 				possible. To this end, we seek community involvement in
 				formulating key framework interfaces, so that the largest
 				possible constituency is represented.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P><I>Extensibility:</I> We
 				recognize both the common need for data tooling infrastructure
 				and the desire to extend the offerings in new and innovative
 				ways. To support these efforts, our components will be designed
 				for, and make good use of, extensibility mechanisms supported by
 				Eclipse.
 				</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P><I>Community Involvement:
 				</I>Success for DTP, as with other eclipse.org projects, is as
 				much a factor of community involvement as the technical merit of
 				its components. We strongly believe that DTP will achieve its
 				full potential only as the result of deep and broad cooperation
 				with the Eclipse membership-at-large. Thus, we will make every
 				effort to accommodate collaboration, reach acceptable
 				compromises, and provide a project management infrastructure that
 				includes all contributors, regardless of their affiliation,
 				location, interests, or level of involvement. Regular meetings
 				covering all aspects of DTP, open communication channels, and
 				equal access to process will be key areas in driving successful
 				community involvement.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P><I>Transparency: </I>As
 				with all projects under the eclipse.org banner, key information
 				and discussions at every level &ndash; such as requirements,
 				design, implementation, and testing &ndash; will be easily
 				accessible to the Eclipse membership-at-large.
 				</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P><I>Agile development </I>We
 				will strive to incorporate into our planning process innovations
 				that arise once a project is underway, and the feedback from our
 				user community on our achievements to date. We think an agile
 				planning and development process, in which progress is
 				incremental, near-term deliverables are focused, and long-term
 				planning is flexible, will be the best way to achieve this.</P>
 			</UL>


 		<h2>Project
 			Scope </h2>


 			<P>Data-centric
 			applications are those having a connection to a data source, and a
 			mapping from a data source to an in-memory model. The
 			distinguishing characteristic of such applications is that their
 			domain of capabilities is no more specific than <I>data-centric</I>.
 			For instance, while a Java source file and its in-memory
 			representation could be considered data, the domain of Java
 			development is clearly present, and is more specific than just
 			&ldquo;data.&rdquo; Thus, <I>data-centric</I> delineates an
 			abstract, foundational domain, which is superseded by more
 			specific domains when the application manipulates something more
 			than just &ldquo;data.&rdquo; An application with a more specific
 			domain is <I>data-dependent</I> rather than <I>data-centric</I>.
 			<I>Data-dependent</I> applications are not within the scope of
 			this project.</P>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Using a
 				model-driven approach, the Data Tools Project (DTP) consists of
 				extensible frameworks and exemplary tools for data-centric
 				applications. These include:</P>
 				<LI><P>In-memory representation:
 				Models providing a domain-based interaction with data, such as
 				database definitions, query models, result sets, and objects.
 				These models provide the basis upon which all other DTP
 				components are constructed.</P>
 				<LI><P>Connectivity: Specification
 				and configuration of data source drivers.
 				</P>
 				<LI><P>Management: Administration
 				of data sources including both generic and vendor-specific
 				configuration options. Examples include adding and removing
 				tables from a database, setting type information for contained
 				data, and setting performance parameters.</P>
 				<LI><P>Data-centric model
 				transformation: Changing data from one format to another is a
 				common task in data-centric application development. For example,
 				there are several popular dialects of the SQL standard. A query
 				using vendor-specific-dialect extensions is useless when used
 				with another vendor&rsquo;s data source. Hence, there is a need
 				to translate between the two dialects.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<P>In addition to
 			these areas, we expect that future versions of DTP will include:</P>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Extract-Transform-Load:
 				Obtaining data from and supplying data to data sources, typically
 				using large-scale batch movements and involving data checking and
 				validation. Often includes some operations on data obtained
 				before loading into target data source.</P>
 				<LI><P>Data Mapping: Mapping
 				between data source and in-memory representation, used for
 				bridging between domains such as object, relational,
 				hierarchical, and multi-dimensional data structures.
 				</P>
 			</UL>
 			<P>Although the scope
 			of DTP includes exemplary connectors for popular open source and
 			commercial data sources, these are not necessarily intended to be
 			the definitive connectors. Instead, they are intended to serve two
 			purposes. First, they are intended to enable users to immediately
 			use these data sources, although possibly with not exploiting all
 			their features. Second, they are intended to serve as examples to
 			both commercial and open source developers who want to integrate
 			data sources into Eclipse. It is consistent with the goals of this
 			project that the exemplary connectors become superseded by more
 			complete implementations provided by third parties, both
 			commercial and open source.</P>


 			<P><BR>
 			</P>


 		<h2>Projects
 			</h2>


 			<P>Initially DTP will
 			contain the following three projects, and emphasize relational
 			data sources and structures. Since the core frameworks and tools
 			are data source agnostic, this initial emphasis on relational data
 			does not preclude contributions in later releases of DTP or from
 			the community of support for other data source types.</P>
 			<H3 CLASS="western">Model
 			Base</h4>
 			<P>The Model Base
 			project provides the foundation for DTP. Using industry best
 			practices such as model-driven development with UML, and taking
 			advantage of the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF), initially
 			included are models for:</P>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Driver
 				definition</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Database
 				definition</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>SQL</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>SQL Query
 				</P>
 			</UL>
 			<P>Key features
 			supported and benefits provided include:
 			</P>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Support for
 				change management: Models can be version controlled through
 				Eclipse team support.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Broad editing
 				support: Visual and other means of model editing, integrated with
 				EMF, enabling seamless editing and EMF model generation.
 				</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Published
 				models with documentation (Java Doc) to support DTP consumers.
 				</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Extensible and
 				database-agnostic models.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Complied with
 				the latest standards, such as SQL.
 				</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Supporting
 				JDBC and other connectivity standards</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Sample
 				code/plug-ins: To demonstrate model usage.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<H3 CLASS="western">Connectivity</h4>
 			<P>The Connectivity
 			project includes components for defining, connecting to, and
 			working with data sources. These include:</P>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Driver
 				Management Framework<BR><BR>Access to the appropriate drivers is
 				a prerequisite for programmatic interaction with data sources.
 				The Driver Management Framework (DMF) supplies an Eclipse
 				preference page enabling users to create driver definitions based
 				on supplied templates. A number of templates are provided in the
 				base installation, and additional templates can be added by
 				component developers contributing to DMF extension points.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Connection
 				Management Framework<BR><BR>The Connection Management Framework
 				(CMF) is the foundation upon which specific connection types are
 				created. The connection types, called <I>Connection Profiles</I>
 				(CP), are contributed to the CMF through extension points. Users
 				then connect to data source instances by creating and configuring
 				a CP for that data source type. Data source-standard
 				configuration parameters, such as the connection URL, user name,
 				and password, are provided on CP instance creation and stored as
 				secure meta-data for the CP. CP allow for host connectivity
 				checks (&ldquo;ping&rdquo;), connection, auto-connect on CP
 				startup, and disconnect. Further, CP Extensions enable additional
 				functionality and content to be added to a CP. For reuse of CP
 				instance configuration, base export/export functionality is
 				provided by CPF and surfaced in tools such as the DTP Explorer
 				(see below). Data source CP then become the connection providers
 				through which other DTP tooling accesses data source instances.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>JDBC
 				connection support<BR><BR>DTP will include a JDBC driver template
 				and CP, as a means of enabling database connectivity, and serving
 				as an example for further CP development. Database-specific
 				capabilities can then be surfaced as CP extensions, allowing for
 				specialization and presentation of differentiating database
 				functionality directly in that database's CP.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Data Source
 				Explorer<BR><BR>The Data Source Explorer (DSE) is an Eclipse view
 				housing CP instances. From this view, CP capabilities are
 				surfaced, and data source content is presented. The type and
 				level of detail for any one instance is constrained only by the
 				CP itself. DSE also is a provider of CP instance data to clients,
 				such as drag and drop and API calls. This allows data tooling
 				requiring connection management to interact with the DSE as a
 				mediator to CP instances.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Open Data
 				Access<BR><BR>The Open Data Access (ODA) component is an open and
 				flexible data access framework that allows applications to access
 				data from both standard and custom data sources. It enables data
 				connectivity between data consumers and data source providers
 				through published run-time and design-time interfaces. In
 				addition, the framework also includes an ODA driver management
 				package that helps an ODA consumer application to manage diverse
 				behavior of individual ODA data drivers. <BR><BR>A data driver is
 				created simply by implementing the run-time interfaces defined by
 				the framework. The run-time interfaces include support for
 				establishing a connection, accessing meta-data, and executing
 				queries to retrieve data.&nbsp; A driver can define internal data
 				source connection profiles and/or work with the CMF's Connection
 				Profiles extensions. Once developed, the driver can be registered
 				through an extension point with individual ODA consumer
 				components to enable data connectivity. The framework also
 				provides design-time interfaces to integrate custom query
 				builders within an application designer tool.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<H3 CLASS="western">SQL
 			Development Tools</h4>
 			<P>The SQL Development Tools
 			project provides frameworks and tools for deep and broad SQL
 			support. The frameworks include:</P>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Routines Editor Framework<BR><BR>An
 				extensible framework for editing database routines and SQL
 				statements. Vender-specific extensions enable specialized support
 				for particular databases.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Routines Debugger Framework<BR><BR>While
 				routine debug support varies widely in existing database
 				offerings, the Routines Debugger Framework will provide an
 				extensible base enabling debug support for specific cases in a
 				manner consistent with existing Eclipse debug infrastructure.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>SQL Query Parser<BR><BR>Although SQL is
 				defined by a standard, several major dialects exist. Thus, while
 				the standard must be supported, practicality also demands
 				flexibility in adjustment to dialects. The SQL Query Parser meets
 				these needs by providing an extensible framework, enabling
 				dialect-aware SQL components and tools.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>SQL Execution Plan Framework<BR><BR>The
 				ability to understand how a SQL evaluation engine will execute a
 				given query is vital in tuning queries to optimize performance.
 				The SQL Execution Plan Framework will provide a means for
 				capturing and presenting execution plans in a generic fashion,
 				enabling extends to customize support for specific SQL execution
 				engines.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<P>The tools include:</P>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>SQL Editor<BR><BR>The SQL Editor will
 				provide an exemplary tool for standard text-based editing of SQL
 				statements. Providing content assist tied to the SQL Model,
 				syntax colorization, and multiple statement support, this editor
 				will provide an essential tool for data-centric development.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Visual SQL Builder<BR><BR>The Visual
 				SQL Builder allows for graphical editing of SQL, raising the
 				level of abstraction, increasing developer productivity, and
 				making query construction possible for a wider user base.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Results View<BR><BR>The Results View
 				displays the output of routine or SQL statement execution in a
 				tabular form typical of SQL result sets. These results can be
 				exported to persistent storage in a variety of formats and
 				reloaded at a later time into the results view.</P>
 			</UL>
 			<UL>
 				<LI><P>Script History<BR><BR>Typically a
 				number of scripts will be executed repeatedly during the course
 				data-centric development. The ability to retain a history of
 				these queries and thereby quickly repeat execution of them and
 				view results increases productivity. The Script History is a view
 				meeting these needs, based on a development session.</P>
 			</UL>


 			<P><BR>
 			</P>


 <P><BR><BR>
 </P>
 </div>
 </div>
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	?>

	<h1>Data
	Tools Project</h1>

	<P><FONT FACE="Arial, sans-serif">This project proposal is in the
	</FONT><A HREF="/org/documents/Eclipse Development Process 2003_11_09 FINAL.pdf"><FONT FACE="Arial, sans-serif">Proposal
	Phase</FONT></A> <FONT FACE="Arial, sans-serif">and is posted here to
	solicit community feedback, additional project participation, and
	ways the project can be leveraged from the Eclipse
	membership-at-large. You are invited to comment on and/or join the
	project. Please send all feedback to the
	</FONT><A HREF="http://www.eclipse.org/newsportal/thread.php?group=eclipse.dtp"><FONT FACE="Arial, sans-serif">http://www.eclipse.org/newsportal/thread.php?group=eclipse.dtp</FONT></A>
	<FONT FACE="Arial, sans-serif">newsgroup.</FONT></P>



	<h2>Project
	Organization</h2>



	<P>The Data Tools Project (DTP) is
	a proposed open-source Top Level Project of eclipse.org. <a href="charter.html"> The
	Charter</a> describes the scope, the organization of the project,
	the roles and
	responsibilities of the participants, and the top-level development
	process for the project.</P>






	<h2>Overview</h2>



	<P>“Data Tools”
	is a vast domain, yet there are a fairly small number of
	foundational requirements when developing with or managing
	data-centric systems. A developer is interested in an environment
	that is easy to configure, one in which the challenges of
	application development are due to the problem domain, not the
	complexity of the tools employed. Data management, whether by a
	developer working on an application, or an administrator
	maintaining or monitoring a production system, should also provide
	a consistent, highly usable environment that works well with
	associated technologies.</P>
	<P>Such an environment
	starts with key frameworks designed both for use and
	extensibility. Examples include location and management of data
	source drivers, and configurations for access to particular data
	source instances. Once a connection is successfully made, the next
	task often is to explore the data source, making changes as
	required. Some of these operations might be carried out by GUI
	actions, others directly through commands. For example, users –
	both developers and administrators – typically will create,
	edit, and test SQL for these commands. Assistance in editing SQL
	through code completion, formatting, and dialect specialization,
	greatly enhances productivity. Further, the ability to execute or
	debug commands, both SQL and stored procedures, rounds out the
	rapid development process that Eclipse supports so well. Finally,
	bridging chasms, whether between relational, object, or other
	structures, presents challenges that data management tooling
	should address.
	</P>





	<h2>Project
	Principles</h2>



	<P CLASS="text-body-indent">Founded
	in the spirit of open-source, community-driven principles guiding
	eclipse.org itself, this project will concentrate on several key
	ideals:</P>
	<UL>
	<LI><P><I>Vendor neutrality: </I>We
	intend to provide data management frameworks and tools not biased
	toward any vendor. Our intention is that DTP be leveraged to
	provide the Eclipse community with the widest range of choices
	possible. To this end, we seek community involvement in
	formulating key framework interfaces, so that the largest
	possible constituency is represented.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P><I>Extensibility:</I> We
	recognize both the common need for data tooling infrastructure
	and the desire to extend the offerings in new and innovative
	ways. To support these efforts, our components will be designed
	for, and make good use of, extensibility mechanisms supported by
	Eclipse.
	</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P><I>Community Involvement:
	</I>Success for DTP, as with other eclipse.org projects, is as
	much a factor of community involvement as the technical merit of
	its components. We strongly believe that DTP will achieve its
	full potential only as the result of deep and broad cooperation
	with the Eclipse membership-at-large. Thus, we will make every
	effort to accommodate collaboration, reach acceptable
	compromises, and provide a project management infrastructure that
	includes all contributors, regardless of their affiliation,
	location, interests, or level of involvement. Regular meetings
	covering all aspects of DTP, open communication channels, and
	equal access to process will be key areas in driving successful
	community involvement.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P><I>Transparency: </I>As
	with all projects under the eclipse.org banner, key information
	and discussions at every level – such as requirements,
	design, implementation, and testing – will be easily
	accessible to the Eclipse membership-at-large.
	</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P><I>Agile development </I>We
	will strive to incorporate into our planning process innovations
	that arise once a project is underway, and the feedback from our
	user community on our achievements to date. We think an agile
	planning and development process, in which progress is
	incremental, near-term deliverables are focused, and long-term
	planning is flexible, will be the best way to achieve this.</P>
	</UL>






	<h2>Project
	Scope </h2>



	<P>Data-centric
	applications are those having a connection to a data source, and a
	mapping from a data source to an in-memory model. The
	distinguishing characteristic of such applications is that their
	domain of capabilities is no more specific than <I>data-centric</I>.
	For instance, while a Java source file and its in-memory
	representation could be considered data, the domain of Java
	development is clearly present, and is more specific than just
	“data.” Thus, <I>data-centric</I> delineates an
	abstract, foundational domain, which is superseded by more
	specific domains when the application manipulates something more
	than just “data.” An application with a more specific
	domain is <I>data-dependent</I> rather than <I>data-centric</I>.
	<I>Data-dependent</I> applications are not within the scope of
	this project.</P>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Using a
	model-driven approach, the Data Tools Project (DTP) consists of
	extensible frameworks and exemplary tools for data-centric
	applications. These include:</P>
	<LI><P>In-memory representation:
	Models providing a domain-based interaction with data, such as
	database definitions, query models, result sets, and objects.
	These models provide the basis upon which all other DTP
	components are constructed.</P>
	<LI><P>Connectivity: Specification
	and configuration of data source drivers.
	</P>
	<LI><P>Management: Administration
	of data sources including both generic and vendor-specific
	configuration options. Examples include adding and removing
	tables from a database, setting type information for contained
	data, and setting performance parameters.</P>
	<LI><P>Data-centric model
	transformation: Changing data from one format to another is a
	common task in data-centric application development. For example,
	there are several popular dialects of the SQL standard. A query
	using vendor-specific-dialect extensions is useless when used
	with another vendor’s data source. Hence, there is a need
	to translate between the two dialects.</P>
	</UL>
	<P>In addition to
	these areas, we expect that future versions of DTP will include:</P>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Extract-Transform-Load:
	Obtaining data from and supplying data to data sources, typically
	using large-scale batch movements and involving data checking and
	validation. Often includes some operations on data obtained
	before loading into target data source.</P>
	<LI><P>Data Mapping: Mapping
	between data source and in-memory representation, used for
	bridging between domains such as object, relational,
	hierarchical, and multi-dimensional data structures.
	</P>
	</UL>
	<P>Although the scope
	of DTP includes exemplary connectors for popular open source and
	commercial data sources, these are not necessarily intended to be
	the definitive connectors. Instead, they are intended to serve two
	purposes. First, they are intended to enable users to immediately
	use these data sources, although possibly with not exploiting all
	their features. Second, they are intended to serve as examples to
	both commercial and open source developers who want to integrate
	data sources into Eclipse. It is consistent with the goals of this
	project that the exemplary connectors become superseded by more
	complete implementations provided by third parties, both
	commercial and open source.</P>







	<P><BR>
	</P>






	<h2>Projects
	</h2>



	<P>Initially DTP will
	contain the following three projects, and emphasize relational
	data sources and structures. Since the core frameworks and tools
	are data source agnostic, this initial emphasis on relational data
	does not preclude contributions in later releases of DTP or from
	the community of support for other data source types.</P>
	<H3 CLASS="western">Model
	Base</h4>
	<P>The Model Base
	project provides the foundation for DTP. Using industry best
	practices such as model-driven development with UML, and taking
	advantage of the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF), initially
	included are models for:</P>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Driver
	definition</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Database
	definition</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>SQL</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>SQL Query
	</P>
	</UL>
	<P>Key features
	supported and benefits provided include:
	</P>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Support for
	change management: Models can be version controlled through
	Eclipse team support.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Broad editing
	support: Visual and other means of model editing, integrated with
	EMF, enabling seamless editing and EMF model generation.
	</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Published
	models with documentation (Java Doc) to support DTP consumers.
	</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Extensible and
	database-agnostic models.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Complied with
	the latest standards, such as SQL.
	</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Supporting
	JDBC and other connectivity standards</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Sample
	code/plug-ins: To demonstrate model usage.</P>
	</UL>
	<H3 CLASS="western">Connectivity</h4>
	<P>The Connectivity
	project includes components for defining, connecting to, and
	working with data sources. These include:</P>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Driver
	Management Framework<BR><BR>Access to the appropriate drivers is
	a prerequisite for programmatic interaction with data sources.
	The Driver Management Framework (DMF) supplies an Eclipse
	preference page enabling users to create driver definitions based
	on supplied templates. A number of templates are provided in the
	base installation, and additional templates can be added by
	component developers contributing to DMF extension points.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Connection
	Management Framework<BR><BR>The Connection Management Framework
	(CMF) is the foundation upon which specific connection types are
	created. The connection types, called <I>Connection Profiles</I>
	(CP), are contributed to the CMF through extension points. Users
	then connect to data source instances by creating and configuring
	a CP for that data source type. Data source-standard
	configuration parameters, such as the connection URL, user name,
	and password, are provided on CP instance creation and stored as
	secure meta-data for the CP. CP allow for host connectivity
	checks (“ping”), connection, auto-connect on CP
	startup, and disconnect. Further, CP Extensions enable additional
	functionality and content to be added to a CP. For reuse of CP
	instance configuration, base export/export functionality is
	provided by CPF and surfaced in tools such as the DTP Explorer
	(see below). Data source CP then become the connection providers
	through which other DTP tooling accesses data source instances.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>JDBC
	connection support<BR><BR>DTP will include a JDBC driver template
	and CP, as a means of enabling database connectivity, and serving
	as an example for further CP development. Database-specific
	capabilities can then be surfaced as CP extensions, allowing for
	specialization and presentation of differentiating database
	functionality directly in that database's CP.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Data Source
	Explorer<BR><BR>The Data Source Explorer (DSE) is an Eclipse view
	housing CP instances. From this view, CP capabilities are
	surfaced, and data source content is presented. The type and
	level of detail for any one instance is constrained only by the
	CP itself. DSE also is a provider of CP instance data to clients,
	such as drag and drop and API calls. This allows data tooling
	requiring connection management to interact with the DSE as a
	mediator to CP instances.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Open Data
	Access<BR><BR>The Open Data Access (ODA) component is an open and
	flexible data access framework that allows applications to access
	data from both standard and custom data sources. It enables data
	connectivity between data consumers and data source providers
	through published run-time and design-time interfaces. In
	addition, the framework also includes an ODA driver management
	package that helps an ODA consumer application to manage diverse
	behavior of individual ODA data drivers. <BR><BR>A data driver is
	created simply by implementing the run-time interfaces defined by
	the framework. The run-time interfaces include support for
	establishing a connection, accessing meta-data, and executing
	queries to retrieve data.  A driver can define internal data
	source connection profiles and/or work with the CMF's Connection
	Profiles extensions. Once developed, the driver can be registered
	through an extension point with individual ODA consumer
	components to enable data connectivity. The framework also
	provides design-time interfaces to integrate custom query
	builders within an application designer tool.</P>
	</UL>
	<H3 CLASS="western">SQL
	Development Tools</h4>
	<P>The SQL Development Tools
	project provides frameworks and tools for deep and broad SQL
	support. The frameworks include:</P>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Routines Editor Framework<BR><BR>An
	extensible framework for editing database routines and SQL
	statements. Vender-specific extensions enable specialized support
	for particular databases.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Routines Debugger Framework<BR><BR>While
	routine debug support varies widely in existing database
	offerings, the Routines Debugger Framework will provide an
	extensible base enabling debug support for specific cases in a
	manner consistent with existing Eclipse debug infrastructure.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>SQL Query Parser<BR><BR>Although SQL is
	defined by a standard, several major dialects exist. Thus, while
	the standard must be supported, practicality also demands
	flexibility in adjustment to dialects. The SQL Query Parser meets
	these needs by providing an extensible framework, enabling
	dialect-aware SQL components and tools.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>SQL Execution Plan Framework<BR><BR>The
	ability to understand how a SQL evaluation engine will execute a
	given query is vital in tuning queries to optimize performance.
	The SQL Execution Plan Framework will provide a means for
	capturing and presenting execution plans in a generic fashion,
	enabling extends to customize support for specific SQL execution
	engines.</P>
	</UL>
	<P>The tools include:</P>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>SQL Editor<BR><BR>The SQL Editor will
	provide an exemplary tool for standard text-based editing of SQL
	statements. Providing content assist tied to the SQL Model,
	syntax colorization, and multiple statement support, this editor
	will provide an essential tool for data-centric development.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Visual SQL Builder<BR><BR>The Visual
	SQL Builder allows for graphical editing of SQL, raising the
	level of abstraction, increasing developer productivity, and
	making query construction possible for a wider user base.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Results View<BR><BR>The Results View
	displays the output of routine or SQL statement execution in a
	tabular form typical of SQL result sets. These results can be
	exported to persistent storage in a variety of formats and
	reloaded at a later time into the results view.</P>
	</UL>
	<UL>
	<LI><P>Script History<BR><BR>Typically a
	number of scripts will be executed repeatedly during the course
	data-centric development. The ability to retain a history of
	these queries and thereby quickly repeat execution of them and
	view results increases productivity. The Script History is a view
	meeting these needs, based on a development session.</P>
	</UL>




	<P><BR>
	</P>



	<P><BR><BR>
	</P>
	</div>
	</div>
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