Query abstraction high level parameters for reuse and trend analysis

• US 20040073539A1
• Filed: 10/10/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dettinger, Richard D., Stevens, Richard J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,188,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2438 Embedded query languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24539 using cached or materialised query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to a method, article of manufacture, and system for generating and executing queries with high level parameter markers having one or more associated query conditions. In contrast to conventional parameter markers that are limited to association with simple values of a query condition, high level parameter markers may be associated with a set of entire query conditions.

Claims

1. A method for accessing data, comprising:

building a query with at least one parameter marker embedded therein;

associating one or more query conditions with the parameter marker; and

programmatically, for each query condition,

building a complete query by substituting the query condition for the parameter marker,

executing the complete query against a data source,

receiving results from executing the complete query, and

storing the results from executing the complete query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating one or more query condition with the parameter marker comprises associating at least one reusable query component with the parameter marker, wherein one or more query conditions are associated with the reusable query component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

associating at least one reusable query component with the parameter marker comprises saving a link to the reusable query component; and

building the complete query comprises accessing the one or more query conditions associated with the reusable query component via the link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter marker is associated with a particular category and associating one or more query conditions with the parameter marker comprises associating only conditions based on logical fields related to the particular category.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing an initial query and wherein the complete query built for each query condition is executed against the results received from executing the initial query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the initial query is generated by removing the at least one parameter marker from the query built with at least one parameter marker embedded therein.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving the one or more query conditions associated with the parameter marker for later reuse.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting results from executing the complete queries to a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting results from executing the complete queries to the user comprises displaying a table listing a number of results returned for each query condition substituted for the parameter marker.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions associated with the parameter marker are defined by logical fields and the method further comprises mapping the logical fields to physical entities of data.

11. A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs operations comprising:

receiving a query with one or more parameter markers embedded therein, wherein a set of query conditions are associated with each parameter marker;

generating combinations of query conditions, wherein each combination comprises a query condition from each set of query conditions; and

for each combination of query conditions,

building a complete query by substituting the combination of query conditions for the parameter markers,

executing the complete query,

receiving results from executing the complete query, and

storing the results from executing the complete query.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise providing a user one or more graphical user interface (GUI) screens for generating the query with one or more parameter markers embedded therein.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise providing the user one or more graphical user interface (GUI) screens for associating query conditions with the one or more parameter markers.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more graphical user interface (GUI) screens for associating query conditions with the one or more parameter markers allow the user to associate query conditions with the one or more parameter markers by specifying a reusable query component associated with one or more query component.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise executing an initial query, receiving results from executing the initial query, and wherein the complete query built for each combination of query conditions is executed against results received from executing the initial query.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the initial query is generated by removing the at least one parameter marker from the received query.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising presenting results from executing the complete queries to a user.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein presenting results from executing the complete queries to the user comprises displaying a table listing a number of results returned for each query condition substituted for the parameter marker.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more conditions associated with each parameter marker are defined by one or more logical fields and the operations further comprise mapping the one or more logical fields to physical entities of data.

20. A database system, comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to receive, from a user, a query including at least one parameter marker and one or more query conditions associated with the parameter marker;

a query building component configured to build complete queries based on the received query by substituting, for the parameter marker, the one or more query conditions associated with the parameter marker; and

a query executing component configured to execute the complete queries.

21. The database system of claim 20, wherein the query executing component is further configured to determine if a statement containing the parameter marker is logically ANDed in the received query and, if so, to:

generate a base query by removing the statement including the parameter marker from the received query;

execute the base query against a data source;

receive results from executing the base query; and

execute the complete queries against the results received from executing the base query.

22. The database system of claim 20, wherein the one or more query conditions associated with the parameter marker are abstract query conditions defined by one or more logical fields and the complete queries are abstract queries.

23. The database system of claim 22, further comprising:

a data repository abstraction component comprising mapping rules which map the one or more logical fields to physical entities of data; and

a runtime component for transforming the abstract queries into queries consistent with the physical entities of data according to the mapping rules.