How ODS Works

Adding a database to your application couldn't be easier

ODS is different!

ODS is unlike any other DAL source code generator. The starting point for most DAL generators and Entity Relationship Mapping applications is an existing database from which a DAL is then generated. Some use reflection to derive a DAL from an existing assembly.

Rather than simply mapping between existing databases and assemblies, ODS is a fully fledged, self contained, all in one DAL designer. ODS does not require existing databases or assemblies and does not rely on external design tools such as SQL Enterprise Manager.

ODS is a source code generator. ODS is not a framework that must be distributed with your application. ODS generates the entire DAL as source code. The generated source code does not require ODS and there are absolutely no run-time components or licenses.

How ODS Design Studio works

ODS Design Studio provides an easy to use, highly productive environment to design classes for the objects to be stored in a database. Each class consists of properties and Add, Update and Delete style data access methods.

Once you've designed your classes, you can generate DAL source code and use it in your application. ODS automatically designs a database that can hold your objects. Source code is generated that can create a new database from scratch as well as implementing the data access methods.

ODS Design Studio tracks subsequent design changes that you make to your classes. When you generate source code, ODS automatically works out how to upgrade the database schema and generates upgrade source code accordingly.

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How the DAL works

ODS Design Studio can generate DAL source code that supports multiple database types. It does this through a series of plug-ins, where each plug-in generates source code for a specific database type. Currently, ODS ships with plug-ins for SQL Server, SQLite 3, MySQL and MS Jet 4.

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