1. A method for providing data services to an application, comprising acts of: providing data services by a computing platform, which allow an application to access and update data in a database, wherein providing data services comprises: generating a query view that expresses at least a portion of an application schema associated with said application in terms of a database schema associated with said database; generating an update view that expresses at least a portion of said database schema in terms of said application schema; in response to a query request from the application requesting access to data, processing the query request by utilizing said query view to query said database on behalf of said requesting application; in response to an update request from the application requesting an update to data, processing the update request by utilizing said update view to update said database on behalf of said requesting application.