System and method for viewing relational data using a hierarchical schema

• US 20030204511A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Suver, Chris A., Ari, Bertan, Burugapalli, Srinivasa R., Conrad, Andrew, Vaschillo, Alexander E., Brundage, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Users and programmers view relational database tables using an schema such as an SQL-annotated XML schema. The schema describes how XML data maps into base tables and fields, including complex one-to-many and many-to-many relationships.

Claims

1. A method for mapping hierarchical data from a relational table comprising:

providing a schema for a hierarchical data structure wherein the schema defines a hierarchical relationship of data elements;

identifying from the schema a node within the hierarchical data structure corresponding to a column in the relational table;

copying data from the relational table to the hierarchical data structure when the schema indicates that the mapping is not hidden.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises an extensible markup language (XML) document.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the relational table comprises a table in a structured query language (SQL) database.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the schema comprises an XML schema definition (XSD).

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the copying act is performed in response to an XPath query.

6. A computer readable medium bearing computer readable instructions for carrying out the method recited in claim 1.

7. A system for mapping hierarchical data from a relational table comprising:

a schema for a hierarchical data structure wherein the schema defines a hierarchical relationship of data elements;

processing means for identifying from the schema a node within the hierarchical data structure corresponding to a column in the relational table;

processing means for copying data from the relational table to the hierarchical data structure when the schema indicates that the mapping is not hidden.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises an extensible markup language (XML) document.

9. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the relational table comprises a table in a structured query language (SQL) database.

10. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the schema comprises an XML schema definition (XSD).

11. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the copying act is performed in response to an XPath query.

12. A method for mapping hierarchical data from a relational table comprising:

providing a schema for a hierarchical data structure wherein the schema defines a hierarchical relationship of data elements;

identifying from the schema a node within the hierarchical data structure corresponding to a column in the relational table;

copying a predefined number of data values from the relational table to the hierarchical data structure wherein the predefined number of data values are from the same column of the relational table and each data value has a child relationship with another one of the data values and wherein the predefined number is determined from the schema.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises an extensible markup language (XML) document.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the relational table comprises a table in a structured query language (SQL) database.

15. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the schema comprises an XML schema definition (XSD).

16. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the copying act is performed in response to an XPath query.

17. A computer readable medium bearing computer readable instructions for carrying out the method recited in claim 12.

18. A system for mapping hierarchical data from a relational table comprising:

a schema for a hierarchical data structure wherein the schema defines a hierarchical relationship of data elements;

processing means for identifying from the schema a node within the hierarchical data structure corresponding to a column in the relational table;

processing means for copying a predefined number of data values from the relational table to the hierarchical data structure wherein the predefined number of data values are from the same column of the relational table and each data value has a child relationship with another one of the data value and wherein the predefined number is determined from the schema.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises an extensible markup language (XML) document.

20. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein the relational table comprises a table in a structured query language (SQL) database.

21. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein the schema comprises an XML schema definition (XSD).

22. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein the copying act is performed in response to an XPath query.

23. A method for inserting hierarchical data into a relational table, comprising:

providing a schema for a hierarchical data structure wherein the schema defines a hierarchical relationship of data elements;

inserting data from a hierarchical data structure into a row of the relational table in a relational database; and

generating an identification number and inserting the identification number into a field in the row of the relational table.

24. The method as recited in claim 23 wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises an extensible markup language (XML) document.

25. The method as recited in claim 23 wherein the relational table comprises a table in a structured query language (SQL) database.

26. The method as recited in claim 23 wherein the schema comprises an XML schema definition (XSD).

27. A computer readable medium bearing computer readable instructions for carrying out the method recited in claim 23.

28. A system for inserting hierarchical data into a relational table, comprising:

a schema for a hierarchical data structure wherein the schema defines a hierarchical relationship of data elements;

processing means for inserting data from a hierarchical data structure into a row of a relational table in a relational database; and

processing means for generating an identification number and inserting the identification number into a field in the row of the relational table.

29. The system as recited in claim 28 wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises an extensible markup language (XML) document.

30. The system as recited in claim 28 wherein the relational table comprises a table in a structured query language (SQL) database.

31. The system as recited in claim 28 wherein the schema comprises an XML schema definition (XSD).

32. A method for mapping hierarchical data from a first relational table comprising:

providing a schema for a hierarchical data structure wherein the schema defines a hierarchical relationship of data elements;

identifying from the schema a first node within the hierarchical data structure corresponding to a first column in the relational table; and

copying a first data value data from the relational table to the hierarchical data structure wherein the data is selected from the table in a sort order specified by the schema.

33. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises an extensible markup language (XML) document.

34. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the relational table comprises a table in a structured query language (SQL) database.

35. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the schema comprises an XML schema definition (XSD).

36. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein the copying act is performed in response to an XPath query.

37. A computer readable medium bearing computer readable instructions for carrying out the method recited in claim 32.

38. A system for mapping hierarchical data from a relational table comprising:

a schema for a hierarchical data structure wherein the schema defines a hierarchical relationship of data elements;

processing means for identifying from the schema a node within the hierarchical data structure corresponding to a column in the relational table; and

processing means for copying a data value data from the relational table to the hierarchical data structure wherein the data is selected from the table in a sort order specified by the schema.

39. The system as recited in claim 38 wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises an extensible markup language (XML) document.

40. The system as recited in claim 38 wherein the relational table comprises a table in a structured query language (SQL) database.

41. The system as recited in claim 38 wherein the schema comprises an XML schema definition (XSD).

42. The system as recited in claim 38 wherein the copying act is performed in response to an XPath query.