Object-relational mapping with Java 5 as part of the project Digipark of the Gesäuse National Park realised with GIS-enabled databases and XML as an exchange format

Diploma thesis at the Rottenmann Rottenmann University Centre
The availability of mobile devices (PDAs) is constantly improving. The storage capacities and the speeds of processors are increasing very rapidly. The result of these developments is an ever-increasing range of uses. The aim of the thesis is to use these opportunities for daily work in the national park in the context of biodiversity detection.

The subject of this thesis was the theoretical and practical examination of the subject of object-relational mapping (ORM) in order to create a bridge between relational databases and the object-oriented programming language Java 5. In the theoretical part of the thesis, an overview of the topic ORM is given. The development of ORM is discussed and an overview of various ORMAnsets with Java is given. For these approaches, different ORM products are presented, whereby the suitability of such a product is assessed using comparative parameters. Finally, the future position and development of ORM in software development is discussed.

In the practical part of the thesis, the Digipark project for Gesäuse National Park aims to create an application to replace the old method of storing biodiversity data with Excel tables and to create a consistent data flow. The database connections are realised using ORM. The project is intended to be a modern and efficient tool for the collection of biodiversity data for employees. The GIS data connection makes it possible to establish a link between interesting topics and their location on a map in the web application and at the PDA. The continuous digital data flow accelerates the utilisation of observation data for statistical evaluations using the standard software BioOffice. In addition, a National Park Guide will be developed to provide visitors to the National Park with information on site.