System and method for context-sensitive decomposition of XML documents based on schemas with reusable element/attribute declarations

• US 20060136435A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pradhan, Mayank, Nguyen, Dung Kim
• Granted Patent: US 7,620,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database

Abstract

A system and computer-based method is provided for context-sensitive decomposition of a markup based document into a relational database, based on schemas with reusable item declarations. User creates a mapping document from a schema of a markup based document with at least one reusable item declaration defining an item being mapped to different tables/columns pairs, depending on the item'"'"'s ancestry. Mapping document is then annotated with the item ancestry mapping annotation having a location path of the item. Each item is decomposed into a corresponding table column. Preferably, the mapping document is an annotated XML Schema.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for context-sensitive decomposition of a markup based document into a relational database, based on schemas with reusable item declarations, comprising:

(a) creating a mapping document from a schema of a markup based document with at least one reusable item declaration defining an item being mapped to different tables/columns pairs, depending on the item'"'"'s ancestry;

(b) annotating the mapping document with the item ancestry mapping annotation having a location path of the item; and

(c) decomposing each said item into a corresponding database table column.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reusable item declarations being chosen from the group comprising global items declarations, named model groups declarations, named attribute groups declarations and named complex types declarations.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mapping document is an annotated XML Schema represented by a directed graph, wherein each said item ancestry mapping annotation is represented by a graph node having the item ancestry path mapping data and an ancestry path is a location path from a root of the directed graph to the node itself.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the location path specifies an absolute path, from a root of the directed graph to the item, being specified as:

location path;

=‘

/’

(locationstep ‘

/’

)* lastlocationstep;

locationstep;

=(namespace prefix ‘

;

’

)? item name;

lastlocationstep;

=locationstep|‘

@’

item name, and wherein the namespace prefixes, used in the location path, have been associated with a namespace in the mapping document.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the markup based document being an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document and the mapping document being an annotated XML Schema.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method being incorporated in a DB2 product.

7. A computer-based system for context-sensitive decomposition of a markup based document into a relational database, based on schemas with reusable item declarations, comprising means for:

(a) creating a mapping document from a schema of a markup based document with at least one reusable item declaration defining an item being mapped to different tables/columns pairs, depending on the item'"'"'s ancestry;

(b) annotating the mapping document with the item ancestry mapping annotation having a location path of the item; and

(c) decomposing each said item into a corresponding database table column.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the reusable item declarations being chosen from the group comprising global items declarations, named model groups declarations, named attribute groups declarations and named complex types declarations.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the mapping document is an annotated XML Schema represented by a directed graph, wherein each said item ancestry mapping annotation is represented by a graph node having the item ancestry path mapping data and an ancestry path is a location path from a root of the directed graph to the node itself.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the location path specifies an absolute path, from a root of the directed graph to the item, being specified as:

location path;

=‘

/’

(locationstep‘

/’

)* lastlocationstep;

locationstep;

=(namespace prefix ‘

;

’

)? item name;

lastlocationstep;

=locationstep|‘

@’

item name, and wherein the namespace prefixes, used in the location path, have been associated with a namespace in the mapping document.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the markup based document being an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document and the mapping document being an annotated XML Schema.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the method being incorporated in a DB2 product.

13. A computer usable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a computer-based method for context-sensitive decomposition of a markup based document into a relational database, based on schemas with reusable item declarations, comprising:

(a) creating a mapping document from a schema of a markup based document with at least one reusable item declaration defining an item being mapped to different tables/columns pairs, depending on the item'"'"'s ancestry;

(b) annotating the mapping document with the item ancestry mapping annotation having a location path of the item; and

(c) decomposing each said item into a corresponding database table column.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the reusable item declarations being chosen from the group comprising global items declarations, named model groups declarations, named attribute groups declarations and named complex types declarations.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the mapping document is an annotated XML Schema represented by a directed graph, wherein each said item ancestry mapping annotation is represented by a graph node having the item ancestry path mapping data and an ancestry path is a location path from a root of the directed graph to the node itself.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the location path specifies an absolute path, from a root of the directed graph to the item, being specified as:

location path;

=‘

/’

(locationstep ‘

/’

)* lastlocationstep;

locationstep;

=(namespace prefix ‘

;

’

)? item name;

lastlocationstep;

=locationstep|‘

@’

item name, and wherein the namespace prefixes, used in the location path, have been associated with a namespace in the mapping document.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the markup based document being an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document and the mapping document being an annotated XML Schema.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the method being incorporated in a DB2 product.