Adaptive Object Models

The Adaptive Object-Model Architectural Style

Joseph W. Yoder & Ralph Johnson

Abstract: We have noticed a common architecture in many systems that emphasize flexibility and run-time configuration. In these systems, business rules are stored externally to the program such as in a database or XML files. The object model that the user cares about is part of the database, and the object model of the code is just an interpreter of the users’ object model. We call these systems “Adaptive Object-Models”, because the users’ object model is interpreted at runtime and can be changed with immediate (but controlled) effects on the system interpreting it. The real power in Adaptive Object-Models is that the definition of a domain model and rules for its integrity can be configured by domain experts external to the execution of the program. These systems are important when flexibility and dynamic runtime configuration is needed, but their architectures have yet to be described in detail. This paper describes the Adaptive Object-Model architecture style along with its strengths and weaknesses. It illustrates the Adaptive Object-Model architectural style by outlining examples of production systems.

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