System and method for supporting non-native data types in a database API

• US 20060200486A1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Venkatesh, Ramachandran, Castro, Pablo, Bedi, Kawarjit Singh, Dockter, Blaine
• Granted Patent: US 7,325,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2291 User-Defined Types; Storage management thereof
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A database API is presented that can expose data of non-native data-types, i.e., types that are unknown at API design-time. A broad type-system is used that is understood by both a server and a client. The API can dynamically discover, at run-time, data types that were defined using this broad type-system. The API can retrieve metadata that references a non-native data type in a client type library. A retrieved instance of the non-native data type, in serialized form, may be deserialized using the metadata.

Claims

1. A method for exchanging at least one instance of a non-native data type between a database and a client, wherein the client requests data by calling an application programming interface (API), comprising:

requesting by the client the at least one instance of a non-native data type, wherein said non-native data type conforms to a type system shared by said database and said client;

receiving by the API metadata that references the non-native data type in a client type library;

receiving by the API a serialized instance of the non-native data type;

deserializing by the API the serialized instance of the non-native data type using said metadata.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating by the API that the metadata does not reference the non-native data type in any available client type library, and receiving a client type library in response to said communicating.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-native data type comprises a method for validating that the serialized instance of the non-native data type does not contain unexpected data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering by the API an instance of a second non-native data type to a value property of a database structured query language (SQL) parameter class.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein deserializing by the API comprises accessing a serialization library with at least custom serialization format corresponding to said at least one non-native data type.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-native data type further comprises a method for communicating whether the at least one instance of a non-native data type has changed.

7. A computer system comprising means for exchanging at least one instance of a non-native data type between the computer system and a database, comprising:

means for requesting the at least one instance of a non-native data type, wherein said non-native data type conforms to a type system shared by said database and said computer;

means for receiving metadata that references the non-native data type in a client type library;

means for receiving a serialized instance of the non-native data type;

means for deserializing the serialized instance of the non-native data type using said metadata.

8. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising means for communicating that the metadata does not reference the non-native data type in any available client type library, and means for receiving a client type library in response.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said non-native data type comprises a method for validating that the serialized instance of the non-native data type does not contain unexpected data.

10. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising means for delivering an instance of a second non-native data type to a value property of a database structured query language (SQL) parameter class.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the means for deserializing comprises means for accessing a serialization library with at least custom serialization format corresponding to said at least one non-native data type.

12. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said non-native data type further comprises a method for communicating whether the at least one instance of a non-native data type has changed.

13. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said non-native data type is a user defined type (UDT).

14. A computer readable medium bearing instructions for exchanging at least one instance of a non-native data type between a database and a client, comprising:

instructions for requesting the at least one instance of a non-native data type, wherein said non-native data type conforms to a type system shared by said database and said client;

instructions for receiving metadata that references the non-native data type in a client type library;

instructions for receiving a serialized instance of the non-native data type;

instructions for deserializing the serialized instance of the non-native data type using said metadata.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions for communicating that the metadata does not reference the non-native data type in any available client type library, and instructions for receiving a client type library in response.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said non-native data type comprises a method for validating that the serialized instance of the non-native data type does not contain unexpected data.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions for delivering an instance of a second non-native data type to a value property of a database structured query language (SQL) parameter class.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions for deserializing comprise instructions for accessing a serialization library with at least one custom serialization format corresponding to said at least one non-native data type.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said non-native data type further comprises a method for communicating whether the at least one instance of a non-native data type has changed.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said non-native data type is a user defined type (UDT).