Patent ID: 7158982

Claim:
A method for handling data in a client-server computing environment, comprising the steps of: accepting the data from a user of a client in an opaque bag, wherein said bag comprises client data and self-contained manipulation code, wherein the client data comprises a key value pair having a key component and a value component provided by said client, wherein a value of said key value pair comprises current state of each datum, wherein said self-contained manipulation code uses a common vocabulary known to said client and a database; mapping an attribute of the client data to an owning model object using said common vocabulary; and storing the client data as database data in said database, wherein a server serving documents on a global telecommunications network to and from said client to said database; a middleware, being part of said server, acting as a blind conduit between said client and said database, wherein said middleware comprises both a data transfer component and a data manipulation component; and said data manipulation component of said middleware accepting commands from said client to operate on said data, said data transfer component of said middleware acting as said blind conduit, said data manipulation component having no knowledge of type or structure of said client data.