repositorymodel

Repositorymodel is a software design concept that describes an architectural abstraction for managing domain objects and their persistence. It combines the repository pattern with the domain model to provide a collection-like interface for accessing and manipulating aggregates without exposing storage details to the domain layer. A repositorymodel typically exposes operations for creating, retrieving, updating, and deleting entities, as well as query methods that return domain objects rather than data transfer representations.

Key components include a repository interface, concrete repository implementations, domain entities or aggregates, and the data sources used for storage (such as relational databases, document stores, or external services). Implementations may employ an object-relational mapper, a data mapper, or service adapters, and are often coordinated with a unit of work or transactional boundary to group changes.

The repositorymodel sits between the domain layer and data sources, mapping between in-memory domain objects and their storage representation while keeping the domain model persistence-ignorant. This separation supports testability, maintainability, and a clear boundary between business logic and data access concerns. Variants and related patterns often associated with a repositorymodel include generic repositories, the specification pattern for complex queries, and the command-query responsibility segregation (CQRS) approach.

Advantages include decoupling business logic from data access, facilitating unit testing, and enabling data-store independence. Potential drawbacks involve over-abstraction, leakage of persistence concerns in the domain model if not carefully implemented, and added complexity for simple scenarios or for handling complex queries efficiently. It is commonly used in domain-driven design and enterprise applications that require clean separation of concerns and flexible data access strategies. See also repository pattern, domain-driven design, unit of work, and CQRS.