Patent ID: 7058651

Claim:
A computer implemented method for automatically generating and customizing a class to facilitate access to an Information Management System (IMS) database from an application comprising: (a) accessing a database definition, comprising a DataBase Definition (DBD) for an IMS database; (b) accessing a logical database view, comprising a Program Specification Block (PSB) for the IMS database; (c) accessing an extended field definition; (d) accessing control statement information; (e) building an in-memory representation of selective information obtained from steps (a) through (d); (f) automatically generating and customizing a class in a first form utilizing said in-memory representation wherein the class is configured to access the IMS database responsive to a hierarchical database access request from a first application, the class encapsulating hierarchical database metadata required to access the associated IMS database; and (g) automatically generating a stream of metadata compatible with an eXtensible Markup Language Metadata Interchange (XMI) format, wherein the stream of metadata is configured for use in regeneration of the class in a second form compatible with a second application accessing the associated IMS database.