Business Components: More GeneXus Power

Database updates are one of the most bothersome tasks in application development. GeneXus has a very powerful solution to this problem: GeneXus transactions. GeneXus transactions provide all the validation rules, data integrity controls, and other transactional components needed to update the database - in just a few lines of code.

But can we use all the power of this GeneXus object in a different scenario, such as batch processes or Web Services? Yes! And the way to do it is called Business Components, a transaction feature released with GeneXus Yi beta 2.

Each GeneXus transaction (TRN) has a feature called "Is Business Component". When selected, a transaction can be invoked from another GeneXus object silently through a new data type, without requiring any additional lines of code. In addition, a BC can be defined as a Web Service; that is, invoking the transactions as a Web service, which enables database updates via SOAP.

This feature provides higher quality:

Higher quality and security because data is managed through the BC, ensuring not only data integrity but also its validity regarding business rules.

Higher developer productivity because it is developer-friendly. Multiple user interfaces can be defined on the same data, ensuring its integrity in every case.

Lower maintenance costs because new rules are added just in the BC, not in every program that manages the data.

Let's see some examples of BC use:

1- Database updates using a procedure. Instead of using the commands New or For Each, a BC can directly update the database. In that way, the same transaction controls are applied without duplicating code.

2- Provide a more sophisticated way of interaction (interface) than the one offered by the transaction object. For example, to update two different TRN in the same form. In this case, the use of a BC in a Work Panel or Web Panel makes the implementation of the business logic very easy, as all these rules and controls are encapsulated in each one of the BCs invoked.

3- Third-party integration using transactions. Thanks to the combination of Web Services and BC this is very easy to implement.

4- Solving complex scenarios, such as when users are only occasionally connected. This user may execute a transaction locally on his/her PDA, PC, or local DBMS. The transaction is executed in the central DBMS as soon as s/he is back online.

The Business Components can be used in both the Java and .Net generators for Windows or Web platforms.