Specifying Class and Property Name Identifiers

When you have selected the tables that you want excluded from your external database schema, the Identifiers sheet of the External Schema Wizard, shown in the following image, then enables you to specify the identifiers that are automatically generated for new classes and properties, based on the identifiers used in the external relational database.

You can manually change these identifiers later in the schema transformation process, if required.

To specify class and property name identifiers for your external database schema

1. Check the Separate words with underscores check box in the Format group box if you want to insert an underscore character between words when constructing an identifier from several words.

   By default, underscore characters are not inserted; that is, this check box is unchecked. When you select this check box and an underscore character already exists in the identifier, no underscore character is inserted.

2. Check the Remove underscores from words check box in the Format group box if you want to remove underscore characters from identifiers in the relational database schema and change the letter following the removed underscore character to uppercase.

   By default, underscore characters are not removed; that is, this check box is unchecked.

3. Check the Convert all uppercase to mixedcase check box in the Format group box if you want to convert identifiers in the relational database schema that are all uppercase characters to a mixed-case representation. By default, no uppercase character identifiers are converted to a mixed case representation; that is, this check box is unchecked.

   As JADE enforces property names to start with a lowercase character, check this box when a relational database uses only uppercase characters for identifiers.

4. Check the Use singular table names for classes check box in the Format group box if you want to convert table names in the plural form in the relational database schema to the singular form before using them to construct class names. By default, the plural forms of table names are not converted to the singular form; that is, this check box is unchecked.

5. In the Attribute Name Prefix text box in the Property Name group box, specify an optional prefix for all attribute properties, if required. By default, no prefix is added to attribute names. The attribute prefix must start with a lowercase alpha character.

6. In the Reference Name Prefix text box in the Property Name group box, specify an optional prefix for all reference properties, if required. By default, no prefix is added to reference names. The reference prefix must start with a lowercase alpha character.

7. In the Class Name Prefix text box in the Class Names group box, specify an optional prefix for all class names including collection class names, if required. By default, no prefix is added to class names. The prefix must start with an uppercase alpha character.

   If you checked the Separate words with underscores check box, an underscore character is inserted between the prefix and the root of the class name.

   Use this feature to implement a naming convention to distinguish between JADE and external class names.

8. In the Array Name Suffix text box in the Class Names group box, specify an optional suffix for Array class names, if required. By default, a suffix of Array is appended to Array class names.

   If you checked the Separate words with underscores check box, an underscore character is inserted between the root of the array class name and the suffix.

9. In the Dictionary Name Suffix text box in the Class Names group box, specify an optional suffix for dictionary class names, if required. By default, a suffix of Dict is appended to dictionary class names.

   If you checked the Separate words with underscores check box, an underscore character is inserted between the root of the dictionary class name and the suffix.

10. Uncheck the Include Keys In Name check box in the Class Names group box if you do not want dictionary class names to include the names of properties used as keys for the dictionary. By default, dictionary class names include the names of properties used as keys; that is, this check box is checked.

11. In the Prefix Keys With text box in the Class Names group box, specify a prefix for the keys part of a dictionary class name, if required. By default, a prefix of By is added to dictionary class names that include the names of properties used as keys for the dictionary.

    This text box is enabled only when the Include Keys In Name check box is checked.

12. In the Set Name Suffix text box in the Class Names group box, specify an optional suffix for set class names, if required. By default, a suffix of Set is appended to set class names.

    If you checked the Separate words with underscores check box, an underscore character is inserted between the root of the set class name and the suffix.

13. Click the Next > button when you have specified your class and property name identifiers. Alternatively, click the Close button to close the wizard.

When you click the Next > button, the External Schema Wizard then enables you to define the classes that are to be created from relational database tables.