Managing related data objects

• US 20060095466A1
• Filed: 11/02/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ab Initio Technology LLC (Ab Initio Software Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ab Initio Technology LLC (Ab Initio Software Corporation)
• Inventors: Stevens, Daniell, Beaudry, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 16/2445 Data retrieval commands; View definitions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases

Abstract

Information related to a first set of one or more data objects of a plurality of data objects in a database is determined. A composition of one or more actions is applied to determine the information related to the first set of one or more data objects. At least one of the actions includes a navigation action that maps a set of data objects to another set of data objects related according to a relationship type determined from a specification of the navigation action. Applying the composition of one or more actions may include recursive application of the navigation action. The actions may include a second action that performs a function based values associated with the data objects returned by the navigation action, where each value represents an attribute of the associated data object.

Claims

1. A method for determining information related to a first set of one or more data objects of a plurality of data objects in a database, including:

applying a composition of one or more actions to determine the information related to the first set of one or more data objects, at least one of the actions including a navigation action that maps a set of data objects to another set of data objects related according to a relationship type determined from a specification of the navigation action;

wherein applying the composition of one or more actions includes recursive application of the navigation action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein recursive application of the navigation action includes recursive application of a composition of navigation actions that includes said navigation action.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the composition of one or more actions further includes identifying data objects found in the recursive application of the navigation action.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the composition of one or more actions further includes identifying data objects found at the end of the recursive application of the navigation action.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

accepting a specification of a visual representation of information about data objects in the database, the specification including a specification of the composition of one or more actions; and

presenting to a user the visual representation including the information related to the first set of one or more data objects.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the specification of the navigation action includes a function whose arguments include a category of data objects and a name of an annotation rule specifying the relationship type.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship type corresponds to a first relationship type of a plurality of relationship types.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of relationship types correspond to a plurality of categories of data objects.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the relationship type identifies a value associated with a first data object that refers to a value associated with a second data object

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first data object is in a first category and the second data object is in a second category.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the value associated with the first data object is a foreign-key and the value associated with the second data object is a primary-key.

12. A method for determining information related to a first set of one or more objects of a plurality of data objects in a database, including:

applying a composition of actions to determine the information related to the first set of one or more data objects, the actions including

a first action that maps a set of data objects to another set of data objects related according to a relationship type determined from a specification of the first action; and

a second action that performs a function based values associated with the data objects returned by the first action, wherein each value represents an attribute of the associated data object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the function includes filtering the returned set of data objects based on the values to generate a subset of the returned set.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the function includes sorting the returned set of data objects.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the function includes an arithmetic function of at least some of the values.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the function includes a logical function of at least some of the values.

17. The method of claim 12, further including:

accepting a specification of a visual representation of information about data objects in the database, the specification including a specification of the composition of actions; and

presenting to a user the visual representation including the information related to the first set of one or more data objects.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the specification of the first action includes a function whose arguments include a category of data objects and a name of an annotation rule specifying the relationship type.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the relationship type corresponds to a first relationship type of a plurality of relationship types.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of relationship types correspond to a plurality of categories of data objects.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the relationship type identifies a value associated with a first data object that refers to a value associated with a second data object

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first data object is in a first category and the second data object is in a second category.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the value associated with the first data object is a foreign-key and the value associated with the second data object is a primary-key.

24. Software stored on a computer-readable medium for determining information related to a first set of one or more objects of a plurality of data objects in a database, including instructions for causing a computer system to:

apply a composition of one or more actions to determine the information related to the first set of one or more data objects, at least one of the actions including a navigation action that maps a set of data objects to another set of data objects related according to a relationship type determined from a specification of the navigation action;

wherein applying the composition of one or more actions includes recursive application of the navigation action.

25. The software of claim 24, wherein recursive application of the navigation action includes recursive application of a composition of navigation actions that includes said navigation action.

26. The software of claim 24, wherein the relationship type corresponds to a first relationship type of a plurality of relationship types.

27. Software stored on a computer-readable medium for determining information related to a first set of one or more objects of a plurality of data objects in a database, including instructions for causing a computer system to:

apply a composition of actions to determine the information related to the first set of one or more data objects, the actions including

a first action that maps a set of data objects to another set of data objects related according to a relationship type determined from a specification of the first action; and

a second action that performs a function based values associated with the data objects returned by the first action, wherein each value represents an attribute of the associated data object.

28. The software of claim 27, wherein the function includes filtering the returned set of data objects based on the values to generate a subset of the returned set.

29. The software of claim 27, wherein the function includes sorting the returned set of data objects.

30. The software of claim 27, wherein the function includes an arithmetic function of at least some of the values.

31. The software of claim 27, wherein the function includes a logical function of at least some of the values.

32. The software of claim 27, wherein the relationship type corresponds to a first relationship type of a plurality of relationship types.

33. A system for determining information related to a first set of one or more objects of a plurality of data objects in a database, including:

a repository storing the plurality of data objects; and

a computing system coupled to the repository configured to apply a composition of one or more actions to determine the information related to the first set of one or more data objects, at least one of the actions including a navigation action that maps a set of data objects to another set of data objects related according to a relationship type determined from a specification of the navigation action;

wherein applying the composition of one or more actions includes recursive application of the navigation action.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein recursive application of the navigation action includes recursive application of a composition of navigation actions that includes said navigation action.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the relationship type corresponds to a first relationship type of a plurality of relationship types.

36. A system for determining information related to a first set of one or more objects of a plurality of data objects in a database, including:

a repository storing the plurality of data objects; and

a computing system coupled to the repository configured to apply a composition of actions to determine the information related to the first set of one or more data objects, the actions including

a first action that maps a set of data objects to another set of data objects related according to a relationship type determined from a specification of the first action; and

a second action that performs a function based values associated with the data objects returned by the first action, wherein each value represents an attribute of the associated data object.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the function includes filtering the returned set of data objects based on the values to generate a subset of the returned set.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the function includes sorting the returned set of data objects.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the function includes an arithmetic function of at least some of the values.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the function includes a logical function of at least some of the values.

41. The system of claim 36, wherein the relationship type corresponds to a first relationship type of a plurality of relationship types.