We are in a conversation where one developer uses the term "Entity Bean" and one describes something relatively similar as a "Data Model".
Are these terms synonymous? Are there subtle differences the terms imply that should be considered?
The environment is PHP, with some ex-java experience relevant among the developers.
These are completely different.
An entity bean is a representation in memory of one item of data, usually from a database. The term is also used for the class that the entity bean belongs to.
A physical data model is a scheme for expressing a whole variety of different types of data in the tables of a database. A logical data model is a kind-of abstract version of this. But neither of these is anything like an entity bean.
Both are different.
Entity Bean :
It is a ORM model component , it is a part of EJB, which handels database transactions.
Data Model :
It is name given to operations which will take place on Database. There are many other ORM tools which comes under Data model programming like (Hibernate, springs and EJB)
Edit
Data Model is a collection of classes which is framed as framwork to perfrom Database operations.
Entity Bean and Data Model are not synonymous. The entity bean is a class that maps to a table (or set of tables) within a data model.
Typically the data model represents the data and relationships between data in order to support the persistence requirements for the application.
The application will typically be composed of classes that present and process data according to business rules defined within the methods of the classes.
The entity beans will be the classes used for maintaining persistent data and will typically map closely to the tables within the data model.
