BUFFERED DATABASE TABLE INTERFACE OBJECT SYSTEM

A program object providing an interface between a computer database manager and a client application program external to the interface object. The interface object includes associations between columns of the table and associated editing styles, a retrieve method, and an update method. Each editing style specifies a display format for data of the associated column. The column/style associations specify modifying methods for modifying data of respective columns of the table. The interface object is programmed to allow an applications programmer using the interface object to tailor the column/style associations to the database table without access to source code of the interface object. The retrieve method accepts an invocation message from the client program, and uses the column/style associations to issue commands to the database manager to retrieve data from the database into a buffer maintained by and within the interface object. The modifying methods accept directives to modify the retrieved data in the buffer and store a transcript of corresponding modification directives. The update method uses the column/style associations and the modification directives of the transcript to issue commands to the database manager to update the data of the database table in accordance with the modification directives.