Here is my definition of the two terms, though I'm not sure if it is a complete one:
A persistent object is an instance of a class in the domain model
that represents some information extracted from the database. A
transient object is an instance of a class in the domain model, which is created in memory
a) I assume the terms persistent and transient are used only for objects in the domain model, but not also for objects in business layer that live outside the domain model?
b) Do we also use the two terms for Data-Transfer-Objects?
c) Are the two terms also used for Value Objects?
Thank you
Persistent means that the object has been saved to the database whereas transient means that it hasn't been saved yet. So for example when you get an entity from a repository, that entity is persistent. When you create a new entity, it is transient until persisted.
a) These terms are more affiliated with ORMs than they are with DDD so they apply to anything that is not DDD. Within DDD persisted/transient apply to entities and aggregate roots because these are the objects that are persisted with repositories.
b) No, DTOs are designed to carry data across process boundaries and don't have a life-cycle that objects that you wish to persist to a database do.
c) No because value objects don't have an identity and can only be persisted as part of an entity or aggregate root. A value object is just a value, sort like 1 is a integer value and it doesn't make sense to speak about whether it is persisted or not.
Transient means unprocessed object or the object which is instantiated or newly created. Once the object is being submitting for any other operation than the object state is known an persistent
An object typically has two components: state (value) and behavior (operations).It can have a complex data structure as well as specific operations defined by the programmer.9 Objects in an OOPL exist only during program execution; therefore, they are called transient objects. An OO database can extend the existence of objects so that they are stored permanently in a database, and hence the objects become persistent objects that exist beyond program termination and can be retrieved later and shared by other programs. In other words, OO databases store persistent objects permanently in secondary storage, and allow the sharing of these objects among multiple programs and applications.
Related
Assume I have an class with nested properties: root.propA.propB.propC, where each prop is represented by an class: propA by classA, propB by classB, propC by classC and root = aggregate.
Assume that several objects correlate to each other: root1 --> (root2, root3), root2 --> root4, root4 --> root1.
In DDD the “validation logic” / “business rules” should be in each class. I want to full context in each class for executing rules. For example: propC is represented by classC – there I want a context with:
root1, root2, root3, root4 (since they are related): For example, I want to ensure, that only 1 propC has a certain value
I want the parent of propC: For example, I want to check that the parent has a certain value (should be possible with entity framework as navigation property?)
How can that be solved?
Inject a context in CTR of every class and set the properties of related root objects afterwards?
Every class has a List of related root objects?
I couldnt find examples with DDD and related objects
root1, root2, root3, root4 (since they are related): For example, I want to ensure, that only 1 propC has a certain value
In DDD, an aggregate is a collection of related objects that are validated atomically by the business layer. The validation logic code is split across all classes (root, classA, classB, classC) for easier implementation, but the command ultimately makes updates to the aggregate's state and then validates that this target state does not violate any business rule. Once validated, it delegates the state persistence to the infrastructure layer, that will update storage in a transaction.
The root aggregate instance is a boundary that cannot be crossed inside the transaction or for business rule validation. If you need to enforce any business rules across multiple aggregate instances, then you may:
make a wider aggregate that contains all related root objects
use a two-phase commit distributed transaction
use a saga pattern
I want the parent of propC: For example, I want to check that the parent has a certain value (should be possible with entity framework as navigation property?)
The aggregate is atomic, so you always manipulate the root object and all dependent properties. The parent of root.propA.propB.propC is root.propA.propB so you can access that. You may add a navigation property to ClassC so you can access propB from propC if you want.
A word of warning though: Entity Framework is an ORM, it is used for persistence in the infrastructure layer, and is a unit of work pattern implementation. It does not apply to domain modeling, because persisting your domain state to a RDBMS with EF rather that storing the state in an event sourcing repository, an xml file accessed through FTPS, or a nosql document database, is an infrastructure implementation detail.
Matching your domain model and your persistence model works only for very simple applications. You will quickly need to restrain the complexity of your business model to smaller polysemic designs instead of reading your whole persistence store.
It's up to you to choose where you draw the limit between merging overlapping aggregates data into a shared storage, and splitting them into different database-per-service. This limit is called a bounded context.
[ Follow up from this question & comments: Should entity have methods and if so how to prevent them from being called outside aggregate ]
As the title says: i am not clear about what is the actual/precise purpose of entity as a child in aggregate?
According to what i've read on many places, these are the properties of entity that is a child of aggregate:
It has identity local to aggregate
It cannot be accessed directly but through aggregate root only
It should have methods
It should not be exposed from aggregate
In my mind, that translates to several problems:
Entity should be private to aggregate
We need a read only copy Value-Object to expose information from an entity (at least for a repository to be able to read it in order to save to db, for example)
Methods that we have on entity are duplicated on Aggregate (or, vice versa, methods we have to have on Aggregate that handle entity are duplicated on entity)
So, why do we have an entity at all instead of Value Objects only? It seams much more convenient to have only value objects, all methods on aggregate and expose value objects (which we already do copying entity infos).
PS.
I would like to focus to child entity on aggregate, not collections of entities.
[UPDATE in response to Constantin Galbenu answer & comments]
So, effectively, you would have something like this?
public class Aggregate {
...
private _someNestedEntity;
public SomeNestedEntityImmutableState EntityState {
get {
return this._someNestedEntity.getState();
}
}
public ChangeSomethingOnNestedEntity(params) {
this._someNestedEntity.someCommandMethod(params);
}
}
You are thinking about data. Stop that. :) Entities and value objects are not data. They are objects that you can use to model your problem domain. Entities and Value Objects are just a classification of things that naturally arise if you just model a problem.
Entity should be private to aggregate
Yes. Furthermore all state in an object should be private and inaccessible from the outside.
We need a read only copy Value-Object to expose information from an entity (at least for a repository to be able to read it in order to save to db, for example)
No. We don't expose information that is already available. If the information is already available, that means somebody is already responsible for it. So contact that object to do things for you, you don't need the data! This is essentially what the Law of Demeter tells us.
"Repositories" as often implemented do need access to the data, you're right. They are a bad pattern. They are often coupled with ORM, which is even worse in this context, because you lose all control over your data.
Methods that we have on entity are duplicated on Aggregate (or, vice versa, methods we have to have on Aggregate that handle entity are duplicated on entity)
The trick is, you don't have to. Every object (class) you create is there for a reason. As described previously to create an additional abstraction, model a part of the domain. If you do that, an "aggregate" object, that exist on a higher level of abstraction will never want to offer the same methods as objects below. That would mean that there is no abstraction whatsoever.
This use-case only arises when creating data-oriented objects that do little else than holding data. Obviously you would wonder how you could do anything with these if you can't get the data out. It is however a good indicator that your design is not yet complete.
Entity should be private to aggregate
Yes. And I do not think it is a problem. Continue reading to understand why.
We need a read only copy Value-Object to expose information from an entity (at least for a repository to be able to read it in order to
save to db, for example)
No. Make your aggregates return the data that needs to be persisted and/or need to be raised in a event on every method of the aggregate.
Raw example. Real world would need more finegrained response and maybe performMove function need to use the output of game.performMove to build propper structures for persistence and eventPublisher:
public void performMove(String gameId, String playerId, Move move) {
Game game = this.gameRepository.load(gameId); //Game is the AR
List<event> events = game.performMove(playerId, move); //Do something
persistence.apply(events) //events contains ID's of entities so the persistence is able to apply the event and save changes usign the ID's and changed data wich comes in the event too.
this.eventPublisher.publish(events); //notify that something happens to the rest of the system
}
Do the same with inner entities. Let the entity return the data that changed because its method call, including its ID, capture this data in the AR and build propper output for persistence and eventPublisher. This way you do not need even to expose public readonly property with entity ID to the AR and the AR neither about its internal data to the application service. This is the way to get rid of Getter/Setters bag objects.
Methods that we have on entity are duplicated on Aggregate (or, vice versa, methods we have to have on Aggregate that handle entity
are duplicated on entity)
Sometimes the business rules, to check and apply, belongs exclusively to one entity and its internal state and AR just act as gateway. It is Ok but if you find this patter too much then it is a sign about wrong AR design. Maybe the inner entity should be the AR instead a inner entity, maybe you need to split the AR into serveral AR's (inand one the them is the old ner entity), etc... Do not be affraid about having classes that just have one or two methods.
In response of dee zg comments:
What does persistance.apply(events) precisely do? does it save whole
aggregate or entities only?
Neither. Aggregates and entities are domain concepts, not persistence concepts; you can have document store, column store, relational, etc that does not need to match 1 to 1 your domain concepts. You do not read Aggregates and entities from persitence; you build aggregates and entities in memory with data readed from persistence. The aggregate itself does not need to be persisted, this is just a possible implementation detail. Remember that the aggregate is just a construct to organize business rules, it's not a meant to be a representation of state.
Your events have context (user intents) and the data that have been changed (along with the ID's needed to identify things in persistence) so it is incredible easy to write an apply function in the persistence layer that knows, i.e. what sql instruction in case of relational DB, what to execute in order to apply the event and persist the changes.
Could you please provide example when&why its better (or even
inevitable?) to use child entity instead of separate AR referenced by
its Id as value object?
Why do you design and model a class with state and behaviour?
To abstract, encapsulate, reuse, etc. Basic SOLID design. If the entity has everything needed to ensure domain rules and invariants for a operation then the entity is the AR for that operation. If you need extra domain rules checkings that can not be done by the entity (i.e. the entity does not have enough inner state to accomplish the check or does not naturaly fit into the entity and what represents) then you have to redesign; some times could be to model an aggregate that does the extra domain rules checkings and delegate the other domain rules checking to the inner entity, some times could be change the entity to include the new things. It is too domain context dependant so I can not say that there is a fixed redesign strategy.
Keep in mind that you do not model aggregates and entities in your code. You model just classes with behaviour to check domain rules and the state needed to do that checkings and response whith the changes. These classes can act as aggregates or entities for different operations. These terms are used just to help to comunicate and understand the role of the class on each operation context. Of course, you can be in the situation that the operation does not fit into a entity and you could model an aggregate with a V.O. persistence ID and it is OK (sadly, in DDD, without knowing domain context almost everything is OK by default).
Do you wanna some more enlightment from someone that explains things much better than me? (not being native english speaker is a handicap for theese complex issues) Take a look here:
https://blog.sapiensworks.com/post/2016/07/14/DDD-Aggregate-Decoded-1
http://blog.sapiensworks.com/post/2016/07/14/DDD-Aggregate-Decoded-2
http://blog.sapiensworks.com/post/2016/07/14/DDD-Aggregate-Decoded-3
It has identity local to aggregate
In a logical sense, probably, but concretely implementing this with the persistence means we have is often unnecessarily complex.
We need a read only copy Value-Object to expose information from an
entity (at least for a repository to be able to read it in order to
save to db, for example)
Not necessarily, you could have read-only entities for instance.
The repository part of the problem was already addressed in another question. Reads aren't an issue, and there are multiple techniques to prevent write access from the outside world but still allow the persistence layer to populate an entity directly or indirectly.
So, why do we have an entity at all instead of Value Objects only?
You might be somewhat hastily putting concerns in the same basket which really are slightly different
Encapsulation of operations
Aggregate level invariant enforcement
Read access
Write access
Entity or VO data integrity
Just because Value Objects are best made immutable and don't enforce aggregate-level invariants (they do enforce their own data integrity though) doesn't mean Entities can't have a fine-tuned combination of some of the same characteristics.
These questions that you have do not exist in a CQRS architecture, where the Write model (the Aggregate) is different from a Read model. In a flat architecture, the Aggregate must expose read/query methods, otherwise it would be pointless.
Entity should be private to aggregate
Yes, in this way you are clearly expressing the fact that they are not for external use.
We need a read only copy Value-Object to expose information from an entity (at least for a repository to be able to read it in order to save to db, for example)
The Repositories are a special case and should not be see in the same way as Application/Presentation code. They could be part of the same package/module, in other words they should be able to access the nested entities.
The entities can be viewed/implemented as object with an immutable ID and a Value object representing its state, something like this (in pseudocode):
class SomeNestedEntity
{
private readonly ID;
private SomeNestedEntityImmutableState state;
public getState(){ return state; }
public someCommandMethod(){ state = state.mutateSomehow(); }
}
So you see? You could safely return the state of the nested entity, as it is immutable. There would be some problem with the Law of Demeter but this is a decision that you would have to make; if you break it by returning the state you make the code simpler to write for the first time but the coupling increases.
Methods that we have on entity are duplicated on Aggregate (or, vice versa, methods we have to have on Aggregate that handle entity are duplicated on entity)
Yes, this protect the Aggregate's encapsulation and also permits the Aggregate to protect it's invariants.
I won't write too much. Just an example. A car and a gear. The car is the aggregate root. The gear is a child entity
I've read countless posts on differences between Entities and Value objects and while I do think that at least conceptually I understand how the two differ, it appears that in some of these posts authors consider a particular domain concept to be a VO simply because it is immutable ( thus its state will never change, at least within that particular domain model ).
Do you agree that if the state of an object will never change within particular domain model, then this object should never be an entity? Why?
thank you
Do you agree that if the state of an object will never change within
particular domain model, then this object should never be an entity?
Why?
I'd say 90+% of entities will change at some point in their lifetime. But some entities might be unchangeable because of their nature in the domain - a PrepaidPhoneCard, a TransferOrder in a banking system for instance.
Some also like to make their Entities immutable by default because it helps shaping a design that preserves invariants and makes domain operations explicit : http://www.jefclaes.be/2013/04/designing-entities-immutability-first.html
The object could be an entity if you need to identify it.
According to the DDD book, if an object has identity and lifecycle but will not change over time, you could also consider the object as an event.
In two words: yes, they can.
Eric Evans in his book tells about a "thread of continuity" inherent to entities. In layman terms, an entity can be POSTed by a front-end as JSON, get converted into a DTO by a framework, then into a domain object, then into a DTO again and then finally get stored in a database table. During all these transformations the entity will be easily distinguishable because it possesses one or more unique business ids.
With this in mind, aren't some forms of immutability a form of another thread of continuity? Imagine copy-on-write: all of the immutable object's copies are formally different objects representing it at different points of its lifetime. Yet, there is a unique id allowing us to say it's the same entity.
Now, let's talk about the "extreme" form of immutability: read-only objects. Can an entity be a read-only object? Sure, a good example is a credit card statement.
Summing up:
One entity can exist in many forms. In fact, you will almost always have multiple representations of your entity in a program without being aware about it.
A true requirement an entity is an existence of a unique business identity (not a surrogate id that is used for technical purposes) that makes it distinguishable from other entities.
Entities can be immutable, whether we talk about COW or read-only objects.
Quotes are from DDD: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software ( pg. 150 )
a)
global search access to a VALUE is often meaningles, because finding a
VALUE by its properties would be equivalent to creating a new instance
with those properties. There are exceptions. For example, when I am
planning travel online, I sometimes save a few prospective itineraries
and return later to select one to book. Those itineraries are VALUES
(if there were two made up of the same flights, I would not care which
was which), but they have been associated with my user name and
retrieved for me intact.
I don't understand author's reasoning as for why it would be more appropriate to make Itinierary Value Object globally accessible instead of clients having to globally search for Customer root entity and then traverse from it to this Itinierary object?
b)
A subset of persistent objects must be globaly accessible through a
search based on object attributes ... They are usualy ENTITIES,
sometimes VALUE OBJECTS with complex internal structure ...
Why is it more common for Values Objects with complex internal structure to be globally accesible rather than simpler Value Objects?
c) Anyways, are there some general guidelines on how to determine whether a particular Value Object should be made globally accessible?
UPDATE:
a)
There is no domain reason to make an itinerary traverse-able through
the customer entity. Why load the customer entity if it isn't needed
for any behavior? Queries are usually best handled without
complicating the behavioral domain.
I'm probably wrong about this, but isn't it common that when user ( Ie Customer root entity ) logs in, domain model retrieves user's Customer Aggregate?
And if users have an option to book flights, then it would also be common for them to check from time to time the Itineraries ( though English isn't my first language so the term Itinerary may actually mean something a bit different than I think it means ) they have selected or booked.
And since Customer Aggregate is already retrieved from the DB, why issue another global search for Itinerary ( which will probably search for it in DB ) when it was already retrieved together with Customer Aggregate?
c)
The rule is quite simple IMO - if there is a need for it. It doesn't
depend on the structure of the VO itself but on whether an instance of
a particular VO is needed for a use case.
But this VO instance has to be related to some entity ( ie Itinerary is related to particular Customer ), else as the author pointed out, instead of searching for VO by its properties, we could simply create a new VO instance with those properties?
SECOND UPDATE:
a) From your link:
Another method for expressing relationships is with a repository.
When relationship is expressed via repository, do you implement a SalesOrder.LineItems property ( which I doubt, since you advise against entities calling repositories directly ), which in turns calls a repository, or do you implement something like SalesOrder.MyLineItems(IOrderRepository repo)? If the latter, then I assume there is no need for SalesOrder.LineItems property?
b)
The important thing to remember is that aggregates aren't meant to be
used for displaying data.
True that domain model doesn't care what upper layers will do with the data, but if not using DTO's between Application and UI layers, then I'd assume UI will extract the data to display from an aggregate ( assuming we sent to UI whole aggregate and not just some entity residing within it )?
Thank you
a) There is no domain reason to make an itinerary traverse-able through the customer entity. Why load the customer entity if it isn't needed for any behavior? Queries are usually best handled without complicating the behavioral domain.
b) I assume that his reasoning is that complex value objects are those that you want to query since you can't easily recreate them. This issue and all query related issues can be addressed with the read-model pattern.
c) The rule is quite simple IMO - if there is a need for it. It doesn't depend on the structure of the VO itself but on whether an instance of a particular VO is needed for a use case.
UPDATE
a) It is unlikely that a customer aggregate would have references to the customer's itineraries. The reason is that I don't see how an itinerary would be related to behaviors that would exist in the customer aggregate. It is also unnecessary to load the customer aggregate at all if all that is needed is some data to display. However, if you do load the aggregate and it does contain reference data that you need you may as well display it. The important thing to remember is that aggregates aren't meant to be used for displaying data.
c) The relationship between customer and itinerary could be expressed by a shared ID - each itinerary would have a customerId. This would allow lookup as required. However, just because these two things are related it does not mean that you need to traverse customer to get to the related entities or value objects for viewing purposes. More generally, associations can be implemented either as direct references or via repository search. There are trade-offs either way.
UPDATE 2
a) If implemented with a repository, there is no LineItems property - no direct references. Instead, to obtain a list of line items a repository is called.
b) Or you can create a DTO-like object, a read-model, which would be returned directly from the repository. The repository can in turn execute a simple SQL query to get all required data. This allows you to get to data that isn't part of the aggregate but is related. If an aggregate does have all the data needed for a view, then use that aggregate. But as soon as you have a need for more data that doesn't concern the aggregate, switch to a read-model.
In Domain Driven Design there is an Aggregate Root that has reference to internal entities.
Aggregate Root is an entity with global identity (everyone able to use its id). Aggregate root has links to local objects (entities).
Assuming here that Entities are the Hibernate #Entities (let's say)
Let's say we have Aggregate Root "User" that has "Address" entity in it as an object (which is actually an entity as well)
The question is:
How is it possible to make local entities to be with local identity only. I mean, there is no any barriers that could prevent anyone to use local entities (like Address) by its IDs. (so then this identity is not local at all, but global). Then, what is the way to make it local?
Well i don't think this is a matter of a public field or property or some access restriction mechanism, the way i see it "local identity" means that objects outside of the aggregate boundary can't use that local identity in a meaningful or useful way (e.g. they can't use that identity to retrieve that object or persist it to the database or any other operation). That identity doesn't mean anything to the outside world and it is only unique within that aggregate. Another example, what guarantees you that objects outside of an aggregate boundary won't hold references to objects within (which violates one of the principles of aggregates), well nothing unless those objects are VALUE OBJECTS which might not be the case every time. If i want to put that in a few words: Don't create any public APIs that use identities of objects within an aggregate , this way you will make it clear to the developer not to use those IDs.
All entities, including the root, have an identity. The fact that only the identity of the aggregate root should be used "globally" is something that cannot be easily enforced by the code itself. In a relational database in particular, every table record will have some key, regardless of whether that record stores an aggregate root, and entity or a value object. As such, it is up to the developer to discern which database identities are part of the domain and which are not.
Entities within an aggregate root are supposed to only have local identity. For all intents and purposes the database table need not have a primary key. When the aggregate is hydrated the entities within the AR should be fetched based on their link to the AR. But even that FK need not be represented in the local entity since the connection is obvious based on the containment of the local entities with the AR.
Since most database systems will moan if there is no PK on a table so you could add one for the sake thereof but you can just ignore it in your entity design. So there would be no property for the PK in the entity. The only way someone could then get to that entity is by way of the DB since there should be no way in your code to do so.