Data Table to Business Object Mapping.

[MikeB]

In the past while I have looked into several techniques adopted for mapping relational data to business object. In O/R mappers, there seems to be two main methods, using XML files or Attributes.

I am just curious, why not just use static methods?

public interface IBaseBusinessObject
{
      string GetTable();
      Dictionary<string,string> GetMapping();
}

public class MyBusinessObject : IBaseBusinessObject
{
      static string tableName = "MyTableName";
      static Dictionary<string, string> mapping = new Dictionary<string,string>
      {
           {"PropertyA", "ColumnA"},
           {"PropertyB", "ColumnB"},
           {"PropertyC", "ColumnC"}
      }

      public static string GetTable()
     { 
           return tableName;
     }

     public static Dictionary<string,string> GetMapping()
     {
          return mapping;
     }
}

To me it seems to make more sence mapping using this method then having to deal with reading attributes. But, I have yet to see an O/R Mapper implemented in this way and I am wondering why not?

Any thoughts?

Mike B