METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONDUCTING ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

A generic interface between an electronic commerce frontend and a business management backend is provided via an object oriented computer product. In operation, the program creates one or more specific business objects (107) from a plurality of specific business object classes (103-111). The program also provides a framework within which the business objects travel. A first framework instance (101) is coupled to the frontend, and a second framework instance is coupled to the backend. In response to a request from the fronte nd or backend, the framework instance coupled to the requesting end creates a specific business object to perform the requested operation. Specific Busine ss Objects (103-111) are derived from a common class containing the methods required by the framework, a specific business function (e.g., order, provid e production information, etc.), a frontend adapter class containing the metho ds for mapping data from the frontend to the business object, and a backend adapter class containing the methods for mapping data from the business obje ct to a backend.