Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for a commerce system having a service oriented architecture (SOA). The SOA commerce system of the present invention can include a component logic container exposing an interface to one or more accessing clients and having a configuration for hosting one or more business components. The SOA commerce system also can include a business context engine disposed with the container and exposing an interface to the accessing clients. Finally, the SOA commerce system can include a business component facade disposed within the container and having a configuration for both invoking selected ones of the business components and for communicating with the business context engine.

Abstract: A system and method of composing a query object for application against a database is provided. The method composes a selection clause for the query. Next, a criteria clause for the query is generated, with the criteria clause comprising input criteria related to the query, additional criteria specified against the query, and generated criteria based on a joint relationship. Next a source clause utilizing elements in the database accessed by the query is generated. A database traversal system and method is provided. The method identifies all tables directly accessible by each table and creates a data structure comprising an entry for each table. The entry comprises an identification field for each table and a link field identifying all tables directly accessible by each table. The data structure is traversed and an optimum path of the traversal paths utilizing data obtained from traversing the data structure is identified.

Abstract: A method, system, architecture and apparatus for deploying multiple e-commerce systems in a single computing platform. In accordance with the present invention, an e-commerce systems architecture can include an instantiable owning business logic component derived from an abstract business definition and one or more instantiable business element components configured for aggregation under the control of a business facility instance. The business facility instance can include a coupling to an instance of the owning business logic component. Finally, the architecture can include an instantiable partner business component derived from the abstract business definition. In particular, the instantiable partner business component can include a configuration for limited access to selected ones of the instantiable business element components aggregated under the control of the business facility instance.

Abstract: A vertical first stream of molten metal flows from a ladle into the tundish of a continuous casting apparatus. A second stream composed of solid, particulate alloying ingredient and a non-oxidizing carrier gas is directed into the first stream with a nozzle. The two streams each have unenclosed parts exposed to the atmosphere surrounding the ladle and the tundish. The nozzle is cooled with a non-oxidizing gas flowing through a nozzle cooling jacket and exhausted at the outlet end of the nozzle. The nozzle interior has a converging downstream end portion for converging the second stream just before it leaves the nozzle.