Feature Function Benefit
GUI-based object builder GUI-based tool for designing a data access model Improves developer productivity by working in a GUI-based tool environment
Eclipse plug-ins Enable O-R mapping and code generation within the Eclipse IDE or WebSphere Studio Provide a comprehensive programming environment that speeds application development
Rational Rose add-ins Graphically specify O-R mapping annotations directly within the UML object model Integrate naturally with the UML modeling tool, enabling model-driven development
Database schema explorer Defines an initial object model by directly importing information from an existing database schema Speeds development for applications built with an existing RDBMS schema
Iterative code generation Custom modifications to code are preserved when code is regenerated Facilitates an iterative development process
Multiple data sources Application can simultaneously read data that originates from multiple physical data sources Enables application to access data regardless of its underlying data source
Multiple programming languages Identical object model can be mapped to multiple languages: Java, C++, C# Provides consistent persistent data layer across multiple environments
Table A. Developer Productivity Tools
A DSA should provide model-driven tools to automate the definition of the persistent data layer.