Text-file based relational database

• US 20030105745A1
• Filed: 12/05/2001
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Davidson, Jason A., Aundhe, Shirish
• Application Number:
  US10/008,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105745A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases

Abstract

A text-based relational database system is disclosed. Tags specifying data semantics may be used to store data in a text file using a relational database model. An application program interface may be provided that allows the text file data to be accessed as though it were a relational database. A text-based relational database management system may be provided that enables multiple operations on a text-file based relational database. The text file may be an Extensible Markup Language file and the operations may conform to a relational database query protocol standard, such as an Structure Query Language (SQL) standard (e.g., International Standard 9075:1992).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

designating tags that specify data semantics to be used in storing information in a text file using a relational database model; and

creating a programming interface that enables access to the text file as a relational database, the programming interface including a procedure call format representing a declarative statement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tags comprise data domain generic tags.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tags comprise data domain specific tags.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the procedure call format specifies a plurality of inputs of a character string type for a procedure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the inputs comprise a subset of the tags, and output data from the procedure does not include the tags.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the procedure call format supports one or more relational database operations, which include a select operation, an update operation, an add operation, an insert operation, and a delete operation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the represented declarative statement corresponds to a relational database query protocol standard.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the text file comprises plain text in American Standard Code for Information Interchange format.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plain text conforms to version 1.0 of Extensible Markup Language.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the relational database query protocol standard is International Standard 9075:

1992.

11. A machine-implemented method comprising:

managing a text file as a relational database, the text file comprising tags specifying data semantics; and

providing an application program interface including a procedure call for accessing the relational database.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the tags comprise data domain specific tags.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the procedure call comprises a high-level language procedure call having a procedure call format representing a declarative statement.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the procedure call format specifies a plurality of inputs of a character string type for a procedure.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the inputs comprise a subset of the tags, and output data from the procedure does not include the tags.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the procedure call supports one or more relational database operations, which include a select operation, an update operation, an add operation, an insert operation, and a delete operation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the procedure call has a format corresponding to a relational database query protocol standard.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the text file comprises plain text in American Standard Code for Information Interchange format.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plain text conforms to version 1.0 of Extensible Markup Language.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the relational database query protocol standard is International Standard 9075:

1992.

21. A machine-readable medium embodying information indicative of instructions for causing one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

making information stored in a text file comprising tags specifying data semantics corresponding to a relational database model available through a procedure call interface;

receiving from an application a relational database request using the procedure call interface; and

returning data from the text file corresponding to the relational database request.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the procedure call interface comprises a high-level language procedure call having a procedure call format representing a declarative statement.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the procedure call interface supports one or more relational database operations, which include a select operation, an update operation, an add operation, an insert operation, and a delete operation.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the procedure call has a format corresponding to a relational database query protocol standard.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the text file comprises plain text in American Standard Code for Information Interchange format, and wherein the plain text conforms to version 1.0 of Extensible Markup Language.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the relational database query protocol standard is International Standard 9075:

1992.

27. A system comprising:

a text file to store data using tags specifying data semantics corresponding to a relational database model; and

an application program interface that enables a database aware application to access data stored in the text file using one or more relational database operations including a select operation, an update operation, an add operation, an insert operation, and a delete operation.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the one or more relational database operations conform to a relational database query protocol standard, and wherein the text file conforms to version 1.0 of Extensible Markup Language.

29. A system comprising:

means for storing data in a text file using tags specifying data semantics corresponding to a relational database model; and

means for enabling a database aware application to access data stored in the text file using one or more relational database operations including a select operation, an update operation, an add operation, an insert operation, and a delete operation.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the one or more relational database operations conform to a relational database query protocol standard, and wherein the text file conforms to version 1.0 of Extensible Markup Language.