Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for collecting sets of related data with minimal redundancy, at a mainframe, and for transferring the collected data to a local workstation for processing. The mainframe remotely executes a utility application to construct an object model describing a desired structure of database elements. The object model is encoded into a single descriptive stream, such as XML, and converted to a metadata class for subsequent transfer to the local workstation. At the local workstation, the metadata class is decoded into a reconstructed object model for further processing.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for collecting sets of related data with minimal redundancy, at a mainframe, and for transferring the collected data to a local workstation for processing. The mainframe remotely executes a utility application to construct an object model describing a desired structure of database elements. The object model is encoded into a single descriptive stream, such as XML, and converted to a metadata class for subsequent transfer to the local workstation. At the local workstation, the metadata class is decoded into a reconstructed object model for further processing.

Abstract: A program product is described in which a class library is provided to permit object oriented applications to access and to manipulate, in accordance with the object model, nontraditional data values of a relational table. Nontraditional datatypes of a relational table include multimedia and large object datatypes. The data is manipulable by virtue of extended data objects that each represent a cell of a relational row, and that each inherit type-specific behaviors from the class library. Special handling is provided for large objects.

Abstract: A program product is described in which a particularly advantageous hierarchical class library is provided to permit object oriented applications to instantiate objects to access and to manipulate, in accordance with the object model, nontraditional data values of a relational table. Nontraditional datatypes of a relational table include multimedia and large object datatypes. The data is manipulable by virtue of extended data objects that each represent a cell of a relational row, and that each inherit type-specific behaviors from the class library. The class library is advantageously structured into a hierarchy that ensures the availability of certain member functions for extended data objects.

Abstract: A program product is described in which a class library is provided to permit object oriented applications flexibly to access and to manipulate, in accordance with the object model, nontraditional data values of a relational table. Nontraditional datatypes of a relational table include multimedia and large object datatypes. The data is manipulable by virtue of extended data objects that each represent particular cells of a relational table, and that inherit type-specific behaviors from the class library.

Abstract: A program product is described in which a class library is provided to permit object oriented applications to access and to manipulate, in accordance with the object model, nontraditional data values of a relational table and, in particular, large objects. The data is manipulable by virtue of extended data objects that each represent a cell of a relational row, and that each inherit type-specific behaviors from the class library. Special handling for large objects is provided so as to avoid undue burdens on performance.