Method and system for storing self-descriptive tabular data with alphanumeric and binary values

• US 20050262109A1
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexandrescu, Maxim A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions

Abstract

A method and system for storing and retrieving alphanumeric (83) and binary data values (78) includes storing in a tabular data archive (60) an open tabular format XML file (62) containing a plurality of alphanumeric data values (83) and meta-information (84). Meta-information (84 and 80) describes a predetermined set of characteristics of the alphanumeric data values (83) and binary data values (78). The method and system store in the tabular data archive (60) a plurality of individual binary files (64) each comprising exactly one binary data value (163, 164, 165, 166) and further describe the binary files (64) using the predetermined set of characteristics (80). The method further includes storing in the open tabular format XML file (62) a plurality of references (90) to the individual binary files (64). Thereafter, the open tabular format XML file (62) may be parsed for selectably retrieving at least one predetermined subset of the plurality of alphanumeric data values (83) and of the plurality of binary data values stored in individual binary files (64).

Claims

1. A method for storing and retrieving self-descriptive tabular data with alphanumeric and binary values, comprising the steps of:

storing in an open tabular format a plurality of alphanumeric data values and meta-information, said meta-information describing a predetermined set of characteristics of said open tabular format and said alphanumeric data values;

storing in a plurality of individual binary files a plurality of binary values;

describing said binary files using said predetermined set of characteristics;

storing further in said open tabular format a plurality of references to said individual binary files; and

parsing said open tabular format for selectably retrieving at least one predetermined subset of said plurality of alphanumeric data values and said plurality of references to said individual binary files.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of expressing said open tabular format as a markup language file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of associating with said alphanumeric data values and said binary reference values a set of row values and associated row meta-information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of forming said open tabular format to comprise document information values and associated document meta-information and field information values and associated field meta-information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of forming said open tabular format to comprise series data values and associated series meta-information for describing alphanumeric data values appearing repetitively in said open tabular format.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of forming said open tabular format to gap data values and associated gap meta-information for describing gaps in alphanumeric data values appearing in said open tabular format.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of forming said open tabular format to comprise series data values and associated series meta-information for describing binary reference values appearing repetitively in said open tabular format.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of forming said open tabular format to gap data values and associated gap meta-information for describing gaps in binary reference data values appearing in said open tabular format.

9. A system for storing and retrieving self-descriptive tabular data with alphanumeric and binary values, comprising:

instructions for storing in an open tabular format a plurality of alphanumeric data values and meta-information, said meta-information describing a predetermined set of characteristics of said open tabular format and said alphanumeric data values;

instructions for storing in a plurality of individual binary files a plurality of binary values;

instructions for describing said binary files using said predetermined set of characteristics;

instructions for storing further in said open tabular format a plurality of references to said individual binary files; and

instructions for parsing said open tabular format for selectably retrieving at least one predetermined subset of said plurality of alphanumeric data values and said plurality of references to said individual binary files.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for expressing said open tabular format as a markup language file.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for associating with said alphanumeric data values and said binary reference values a set of row values and associated row meta-information.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for forming said open tabular format to comprise document information values and associated document meta-information and field information values and associated field meta-information.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for forming said open tabular format to comprise series data values and associated series meta-information for describing alphanumeric data values appearing repetitively in said open tabular format.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for forming said open tabular format to gap data values and associated gap meta-information for describing gaps in alphanumeric data values appearing in said open tabular format.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for forming said open tabular format to comprise series data values and associated series meta-information for describing binary reference values appearing repetitively in said open tabular format.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for forming said open tabular format to gap data values and associated gap meta-information for describing gaps in binary reference data values appearing in said open tabular format.

17. A storage medium comprising a system for storing and retrieving self-descriptive tabular data with alphanumeric and binary values, said system comprised within said storage medium comprising:

instructions for storing in an open tabular format a plurality of alphanumeric data values and meta-information, said meta-information describing a predetermined set of characteristics of said open tabular format and said alphanumeric data values;

instructions for storing in a plurality of individual binary files a plurality of binary values;

instructions for describing said binary files using said predetermined set of characteristics;

instructions for storing further in said open tabular format a plurality of references to said individual binary files; and

instructions for parsing said open tabular format for selectably retrieving at least one predetermined subset of said plurality of alphanumeric data values and said plurality of references to said individual binary files.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for expressing said open tabular format as a markup language file.

19. The storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for associating with said alphanumeric data values and said binary reference values a set of row values and associated row meta-information.

20. The storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for forming said open tabular format to comprise document information values and associated document meta-information and field information values and associated field meta-information.