Method, system, and program for optimizing processing of nested functions

• US 20040122795A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Fen-Ling, Wang, Yun, Zhang, Guogen, Cu, Jason Alexander, Cai, Mengchu, Lee, Li-Mey, Chen, Yao Ching Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,124,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Disclosed is a method, system, and program for processing a function. A set of nested functions are received. A composite function is generated for the set of nested functions. A tagging template is generated for the set of nested functions that corresponds to the composite function. A result is produced by evaluating the composite function using the tagging template.

Claims

1. A method for processing a function, comprising:

receiving a set of nested functions;

generating a composite function for the set of nested functions;

generating a tagging template for the set of nested functions that corresponds to the composite function; and

producing a result by evaluating the composite function using the tagging template.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tagging template comprises a structure of nodes for XML elements and XML attributes for the set of nested functions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tagging template is part of a composite structure that includes an argument list for arguments in the set of nested functions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLATTRIBUTES function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLATTRIBUTES node corresponding to the XMLATTRIBUTES function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLFOREST function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLELEMENT node for each XML element generated by evaluating the XMLFOREST function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite function is generated for the set of nested functions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite function receives as input a reference to the tagging template and a list of arguments.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite function and tagging template are generated at bind time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at execution time, generating an intermediate result structure that includes a reference to the tagging template and one or more argument input values, wherein the intermediate result structure is used to produce the result.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

performing serialization by traversing the tagging template and the intermediate result structure.

11. A system for processing a function, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

at least one program executed by the processor in the memory to cause the processor to perform;

(i) receiving a set of nested functions;

(ii) generating a composite function for the set of nested functions;

(iii) generating a tagging template for the set of nested functions that corresponds to the composite function; and

(iv) producing a result by evaluating the composite function using the tagging template.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the tagging template comprises a structure of nodes for XML elements and XML attributes for the set of nested functions.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the tagging template is part of a composite structure that includes an argument list for arguments in the set of nested functions.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLATTRIBUTES function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLATTRIBUTES node corresponding to the XMLATTRIBUTES function.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLFOREST function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLELEMENT node for each XML element generated by evaluating the XMLFOREST function.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the composite function is generated for the set of nested functions.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the composite function receives as input a reference to the tagging template and a list of arguments.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the composite function and tagging template are generated at bind time.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one program further causes the processor to perform:

at execution time, generating an intermediate result structure that includes a reference to the tagging template and one or more argument input values, wherein the intermediate result structure is used to produce the result.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one program further causes the processor to perform:

serialization by traversing the tagging template and the intermediate result structure.

21. An article of manufacture including a program for processing a function, wherein the program causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

receiving a set of nested functions;

generating a composite function for the set of nested functions;

generating a tagging template for the set of nested functions that corresponds to the composite function; and

producing a result by evaluating the composite function using the tagging template.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the tagging template comprises a structure of nodes for XML elements and XML attributes for the set of nested functions.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the tagging template is part of a composite structure that includes an argument list for arguments in the set of nested functions.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLATTRIBUTES function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLATTRIBUTES node corresponding to the XMLATTRIBUTES function.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLFOREST function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLELEMENT node for each XML element generated by evaluating the XMLFOREST function.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the composite function is generated for the set of nested functions.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the composite function receives as input a reference to the tagging template and a list of arguments.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the composite function and tagging template are generated at bind time.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 21, the operations further comprising:

at execution time, generating an intermediate result structure that includes a reference to the tagging template and one or more argument input values, wherein the intermediate result structure is used to produce the result.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, the operations further comprising:

performing serialization by traversing the tagging template and the intermediate result structure.