Working with Serialized Object Mappings

Serialized object mappings are used to store large data objects, such as multimedia files and BLOBs, in the database. Serialization transforms these large objects as a stream of bits.

As with direct-to-field mappings, serialized object mappings require you to specify an attribute and field, as shown in the following illustration.

Figure 5-7 Serialized Object Mappings

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Creating Serialized Object Mappings

Use this procedure to create serialized object mappings.

To create a serialized object mapping:

In the Navigator pane, select the attribute to be mapped.
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Click the Serialized Mapping button on the mapping toolbar.

Figure 5-8 Serialized Object Mapping Properties

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Choose the appropriate database field in the Database Field drop-down list.

You can also specify:

Read-only attributes – See "Specifying Read-Only Settings" on page 4-72
Access methods – See "Specifying Direct Access and Method Access" on page 4-71