System and method for the storage, indexing and retrieval of XML documents using relational databases

• US 20060101320A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: Progress Software Corporation
• Inventors: Lindsey, William D., Kuo, Larry, Dodds, David, Sengupta, Soumitra, Soparkar, Nandit
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system and method for assigning attributes to XML document nodes to facilitate their storage in relational databases and the subsequent retrieval and re-construction of pertinent nodes and fragments in original document order is provided. Since these queries are performed using relational database query engines, the speed of their execution is significantly faster than that using more exotic systems such as object-oriented databases. Furthermore, this method is portable across all vendor platforms, and so can be deployed at client sites without additional investments in database software.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A computer-implemented method for manipulating a first XML document, the method comprising:

converting the first XML document into a table; and

storing the table in a relational database.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising searching the first XML document by querying the relational database.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein querying the relational database comprises transforming one of an XML Path (Xpath) expression and an XML query to a Structured Query Language (SQL) query.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising generating a search result.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the search result comprises a second XML document.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the first XML document comprises a root node and converting the first XML document into the table comprises:

identifying a node of the first XML document; and

storing data about the node in one or more columns of the table.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the first XML document further comprises one or more elements and data about the node comprises one of:

data that indicates a name of an element, the identified node instantiating the element;

data that indicates a first path from the root node to the identified node, the first path comprising one or more elements;

data that indicates, for an element in the first path, an order within the first XML document of a node that instantiates that element, the node of that element appearing between the root node and the identified node, inclusive; and

data that indicates a value of the identified node.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein data about the node may further comprise one of:

data that indicates a second path from the identified node to the root node, the second path comprising one or more elements; and

data that indicates, for an element in the second path, an order within the first XML document of a node that instantiates that element, the node of that element appearing between the root node and the identified node, inclusive.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein name data is stored in a hash table.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein name data is grouped together categorically stored in a hash table.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein name data is encoded using base-64 encoding.

37. A data structure for storing a node of an XML document, the data structure comprising:

data that indicates a name of an element, the identified node instantiating the element;

data that indicates a first path from the root node to the identified node, the first path comprising one or more elements;

data that indicates, for an element in the first path, an order within the first XML document of a node that instantiates that element, the node of that element appearing between the root node and the identified node, inclusive; and

data that indicates a value of the identified node.

38. The data structure of claim 37, further comprising:

data that indicates a second path from the identified node to the root node, the second path comprising one or more elements; and

data that indicates, for an element in the second path, an order within the first XML document of a node that instantiates that element, the node of that element appearing between the root node and the identified node, inclusive.

39. A data structure for storing an XML document, the data structure comprising a plurality of data structures of claim 37.