METHOD, SYSTEM, PROGRAM AND DATA STRUCTURE FOR CLEANING A DATABASE TABLE
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for performing a clean operation on an input table having an input table name, comprising:
- receiving at least one rule definition, wherein each rule definition indicates a find criteria, a replacement value, and an input data column in the input table, wherein the rule definition comprises a type of rule that is a member of the set of rules consisting of;
find and replace, discretization, and numeric clip, and wherein at least two rule definitions are comprised of different rule types;
searching, for each rule definition, the input data column for any fields that match the find criteria;
determining whether the rule definition specifies an output table; and
in response to determining that the rule definition does not specify an output table, directly inserting, for each rule definition, the replacement value in the fields in the input data column that match the find criteria, wherein subsequent applications of additional rule definitions applied to the same input data column operate on replacement values inserted in the input data column in previously applied rule definitions.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a method, system, program, and data structure for performing a clean operation on an input table. The input table to clean is indicated in an input data table name. At least one rule definition is processed to clean the input table. Each rule definition indicates a find criteria, a replacement value, and an input data column in the input table. The rule definition comprises a type of rule that is a member of the set of rules consisting of: find and replace, discretization, and numeric clip, and at least two rule definitions are comprised of different rule types. For each rule definition, the input data column is searched for any fields that match the find criteria. The replacement value for the particular rule definition is inserted in the fields in the input data column that match the find criteria. Subsequent applications of additional rule definitions applied to the same input data column operate on replacement values inserted in the input data column during previously applied rule definitions.
63 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A computer implemented method for performing a clean operation on an input table having an input table name, comprising:
-
receiving at least one rule definition, wherein each rule definition indicates a find criteria, a replacement value, and an input data column in the input table, wherein the rule definition comprises a type of rule that is a member of the set of rules consisting of;
find and replace, discretization, and numeric clip, and wherein at least two rule definitions are comprised of different rule types;
searching, for each rule definition, the input data column for any fields that match the find criteria;
determining whether the rule definition specifies an output table; and
in response to determining that the rule definition does not specify an output table, directly inserting, for each rule definition, the replacement value in the fields in the input data column that match the find criteria, wherein subsequent applications of additional rule definitions applied to the same input data column operate on replacement values inserted in the input data column in previously applied rule definitions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A computer implemented system for performing a clean operation on an input table having an input data table name, comprising;
-
means for receiving at least one rule definition, wherein each rule definition indicates a find criteria, a replacement value, and an input data column in the input table, wherein the rule definition comprises a type of rule that is a member of the set of rules consisting of;
find and replace, discretization, and numeric clip, and wherein at least two rule definitions are comprised of different rule types;
means for searching, for each rule definition, the input data column for any fields that match the find criteria;
means for determining whether the rule definition specifies an output table; and
means for, in response to determining that the rule definition does not specify an output table, directly inserting, for each rule definition, the replacement value in the fields in the input data column that match the find criteria, wherein subsequent applications of additional rule definitions applied to the same input data column operate on replacement values inserted in the input data column in previously applied rule definitions. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An article of manufacture for use performing a clean operation on an input table in a database having an input data table name, the article of manufacture comprising computer usable media including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer to perform:
-
receiving at least one rule definition, wherein each rule definition indicates a find criteria, a replacement value, and an input data column in the input table, wherein the rule definition comprises a type of rule that is a member of the set of rules consisting of;
find and replace, discretization, and numeric clip, and wherein at least two rule definitions are comprised of different rule types;
searching, for each rule definition, the input data column for any fields that match the find criteria;
determining whether the rule definition specifies an output table; and
in response to determining that the rule definition does not specify an output table, directly inserting, for each rule definition, the replacement value in the fields in the input data column that match the find criteria, wherein subsequent applications of additional rule definitions applied to the same input data column operate on replacement values inserted in the input data column in previously applied rule definitions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A memory device including a command data structure, comprising:
-
an input data table name parameter indicating the input table subject to the clean operation; and
at least one rule definition, wherein each rule definition includes a find criteria, a replacement value, and an input data column in the input table, wherein, for each rule definition, the input data column is searched for any fields that match the find criteria, wherein, for each rule definition, it is determined whether the rule definition specifies an output table, and in response to determining that the rule definition does not specify an output table, the replacement value is directly inserted in the fields in the input data column that match the find criteria, wherein subsequent applications of additional rule definitions applied to the same input data column operate on replacement values inserted in the input data column in previously applied rule definitions, wherein the rule definition comprises a type of rule that is a member of the set of rules consisting of;
find and replace, discretization, and numeric clip, and wherein at least two rule definitions are comprised of different rule types. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification