DBI Warehouse Shipments Scheduling Framework - Glossary of Terms

Business Rules - A class built to allow for the processing of enterprise wide business rules against the various dbiWSF objects regardless of the UI being used.

CMAP - Not to be confused with the MFC commands, the CMAP in the dbiWSF Source refers to column mapping wherein the developer can create direct mappings between database column names and object properties. By default if the property shares the same name as the column, the reflection used in the dbiWSF will automatically map the two without developer intervention.

Cross-Docking - An occurrence where the contents of one container are directly transferred to another container without impacting the stock levels in the warehouse.

Customer - The end user of goods for outbound shipments. This is used primarily as a point of integration into existing Order Entry/Invoicing systems.

dbiWSF - The DBI Warehouse Shipments Framework product.

Exceptions - Not to be confused with .NET exceptions, the WSF exceptions are objects which can be used to temporarily block access to a loading dock (such as maintenance or lunch times).

GUIDs - Globally Unique Identifiers - The dbiWSF is designed from the ground up as a single user application, however the databases are structured such that it can be used in multi-user environments without the worry of duplicate keys and the ability to easily manage concurrency issues. The GUID based keys allow for quick access to the objects in memory using LINQ as there is then no worry of crossing over index values. This is integral to the data binding used in the dbiWSF.

Loading Dock - A loading dock is the second layer of the dbiWSF resource tree. This object is where the shipments reside. A loading dock can be anything the developer needs it to be, from a fixed loading dock to a mobile crane in a shipyard. The dbiWSF has the ability to transfer loading docks between warehouses while keeping the data synchronized.
 
Point(s) of Integration - Throughout the sample application, movies and source code, we reference Point(s) of Integration. This refers to properties, events and methods that can be used to tie the dbiWSF to other applications or databases. This can be handled in several ways from base integration at the databinding layer all the way through to the UI events for more contextual updates or loads.

Recurrences - A class built to allow for recurring exceptions or other objects (such as recurring shipments).

Shipment - A shipment is the base unit of transfer, it represents a collection of OrderHeader objects. This can be made up of one to many cargo manifests (order headers) which then can have zero to many order details which make up the items on that shipment. A shipment is designed to be flexible in that it can represent a trailer load, cargo container, train car, airplane, overseas carrier, etc.

Vendor - A supplier of goods for inbound shipments. This is used primarily as a point of integration.

Warehouse - The parent item in the dbiWSF resource tree. There can be one to many warehouses so there is great flexibility in how the software is setup. Each warehouse will have one to many loading docks (see Loading Dock).